Personal reminiscences of a psychologist married couple on changing perspectives in 20 years of professional psychology.

The authors describe their perspectives as a psychologist married couple and discuss some of the major trends that have affected their work in the last years, including the women's movement and new developments in the field of psychology. They note both positive and negative changes from the last 2 decades. Whereas there are many more new and exciting opportunities for psychologists today, there are also more pressures, more stringent training and credentialing requirements, more competition, and less mobility. Also discussed are some advantages to being married to another psychologist, including understanding each other's roles, combining social and professional lives, and expanding professional networks. They look to the future of psychology with optimism and hope that by examining and changing some of the restrictions on psychologists today, the field of professional psychology can be made more rewarding for future psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hurricane Katrina: Experiences of psychologists and implications for future disaster response.

The landfall of Hurricane Katrina marked not only one of the most significant and destructive natural disasters for the United States in recent history, but also a new benchmark in challenges faced by psychologists providing services. The authors explain their roles following the hurricane, describing not only local activities for recovery but efforts conducted in the Gulf Coast as well. Experiences and perceptions of the first author, who was deployed to the Gulf Coast on numerous occasions, are highlighted. In addition, psychological assessments were carried out with a small number of displaced Katrina survivors who were relocated to the authors' local community. The authors document many of the challenges faced by psychologists and other mental health workers during relief efforts in the Gulf Coast, concluding with a set of recommendations for future disaster-relief initiatives regarding such issues as ways in which psychologists can participate in disaster-relief efforts, challenges faced when implementing interventions, cultural competency, community preparedness, and scientific research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Executive coaching: The need for standards of competence.

Psychologists working in the emerging competency area of "executive coaching" must promote a more complete understanding of what constitutes effectiveness in this arena—particularly when the expected outcome is sustained behavior change. Experienced psychologists must accept accountability for the need to inform and educate corporate decision makers about the core skills, competencies, experience, and related professional issues critical for successful outcomes. These educative efforts are essential if executive coaching for sustained behavior change is to be established as a respected consultative area adding value to organizationally based leadership development initiatives. The purpose of this article is to begin the dialogue among psychologists about the need to become more proactive in their educative efforts with these decision makers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lessons from Katrina: Disaster mental health service in the Gulf Coast region.

In this article, 4 mental health professionals provide firsthand accounts of experiences as volunteers in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the fall of 2006. These accounts are provided with the goal of informing psychologists and other mental health providers about the role of volunteers from a frontline perspective. The authors offer these observations as a compliment to formal training in disaster preparedness that psychologists might receive for volunteer service in the wake of a devastating disaster. Specifically, the authors discuss the training they received, the settings in which they worked, and the client needs and mental health skills they used to meet those needs. Last, the lessons the authors learned about providing disaster mental health services are discussed. It is hoped that these observations might inspire others to lend their expertise and compassion in response to future catastrophic events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training interns to respond to sexual dilemmas.

Previous research has documented that psychologists receive little training in responding to sexual dilemmas in psychotherapy. The authors describe 2 training experiences focusing on the personal, professional, ethical, and legal issues involved in sexual attraction between psychologists and clients. Small group discussions were particularly useful as trainees were able not only to receive educational material but also to examine their feelings and behaviors when they experienced sexual attraction. A conference format providing didactic information was especially helpful to new psychology trainees. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applied sport psychology in professional sports: The team psychologist.

Professional sports has become a significant worldwide business in which highly paid athletes are considered substantial assets to be carefully selected, developed, and protected. Psychologists have become increasingly involved with professional sport organizations, providing a wide range of psychological services, such as performance enhancement consultation, clinical or counseling interventions, and psychological testing. As increasing numbers of psychologists enter the sport domain, the specific roles and responsibilities of practice, unique ethical considerations, and psychological services and professional demands most often placed upon the team psychologist in professional sports must be clarified and articulated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploring Unique Roles for Psychologists.

Presents a comment on "Psychological Treatments" (see record 2004-21168-001) by D. H. Barlow. Barlow highlighted unique roles that psychologists can play in mental health service delivery by providing psychological treatments--treatments that psychologists would be uniquely qualified to design and deliver. In support of Barlow's position, the authors draw from their own clinical practice with special psychiatric populations, such as adults with severe and persistent mental illness and behaviorally disordered youths, to illustrate some potential unique roles for psychologists. The authors believe psychologists are uniquely trained to design such individualized functional behavioral analysis protocols because of their training in research design, behavior analysis, learning theory, and behavior change. Psychologists may also be uniquely qualified to design, implement, and evaluate many specialized therapy techniques, as Barlow has outlined and suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Working with families: A practitioner's perspective:.

Suggests that school psychologists face a challenge to provide assessment and intervention within a family context. Comments are provided on a discussion by J. C. Hansen et al (see record 1990-18461-001) of the types of ethical dilemmas school psychologists are likely to face in providing services to families. The key to providing appropriate and ethical interventions with families will depend on the development of sound policies, professional awareness, and supervision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists as managers: Overcoming old guilts and accessing innovative pathways for enhanced skills.

Management roles for psychologists now offer promising career opportunities for using psychological techniques for enhancing the health as well as the productivity of organizations and their employees. Although many psychologists recognize this, they lack more specific information about bridging the gap between the desire to become a manager and the taking of concrete steps to actually become one. Emerging practice arenas, support systems, and training opportunities for psychologists who want to become managers are discussed. Psychologists can learn to be better managers and can benefit by tying into managerially oriented, educational, and professional networks. At the same time, old guilts about being a managerial or entrepreneurial psychologist may linger and need to be overcome. Specific opportunities for psychologists in innovative areas of practice, research, and consultation that require managerial knowledge and skills are identified. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological research for the new energy problems: Strategies and opportunities.

Recent concern with environmental problems has rekindled interest in energy conservation. To illustrate how psychologists can make useful contributions and how a changed energy situation calls for different interventions, this article reviews knowledge from past research and draws lessons from past experiences of psychologists working in the politicized environment of utility regulation. Because low energy prices have weakened immediate financial motives for conservation, to produce consumption change one must now add incentives, appeal to nonfinancial motives, and make available more choices that are consistent with proconservation attitudes. Psychologists can help make the policy levers available more effective, but to be effective themselves they must consider the reinforcement contingencies that govern the behavior of decision makers who might use their advice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antidotes for arrogance: Training for community psychology.

Advocates that psychologists: broaden definitions of therapeutic activities, expand their definitions for the criteria of competent helpers, become participants in their local communities, and alter time perspectives. It is suggested that existing professional roles are invalid and that ecological concepts are useful in creating new roles. 7 ideas for improving training of community psychologists are presented: (a) field assessment for selection of community psychologists, (b) continuous interagency interaction, (c) developing a longitudinal perspective, (d) mixing theory and practice, (e) taking advantage of community events, (f) identification of community resources, and (g) up-dating the community psychologist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Endless opportunities for psychologists in public service: The army, the peace corps, and beyond.

The authors have written this paper at the encouragement of a senior public sector psychologist, who thought that many junior psychologists are unaware of the variety of opportunities and roles that are available for psychologists. While the opportunities in the future are likely to vary from those that the authors have enjoyed, the authors are confident that some similar, and some new, opportunities will arise in the future. One only had to keep an open mind and seize the moment. The authors have written this paper at the encouragement of a senior public sector psychologist, who thought that many junior psychologists are unaware of the variety of opportunities and roles that are available for psychologists. While the opportunities in the future are likely to vary from those that the authors have enjoyed, the authors are confident that some similar, and some new, opportunities will arise in the future. One only had to keep an open mind and seize the moment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Traumatic stress, disaster psychology, and graduate education: Reflections on the special section and recommendations for professional psychology training.

The articles appearing in this special section highlight disaster psychology as a typically neglected aspect of the clinical curriculum, the challenges of operationalizing efficacy measures for program evaluation, and the personal and professional impact of disaster exposure. The authors review literature suggesting the importance of training in disaster psychology. The authors also offer a framework for promoting competency among future psychologists who may serve and conduct research in disaster-affected communities and describe the clinical/disaster psychology specialization within the University of South Dakota's doctoral clinical psychology program as an example of how disaster-related curriculums, research, and practicums may be integrated into existing predoctoral training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Informed consent: Too much of a good thing or not enough?

Informed consent is an essential aspect of the establishment of every professional relationship in which psychologists participate. When done effectively, it helps promote other individuals' autonomy, engages them in a collaborative process, and helps to reduce the likelihood of exploitation or harm, among a number of potential benefits. Yet, a number of challenges and dilemmas relevant to informed consent exist for psychologists. Three invited experts provide commentaries on issues raised, questions asked, and dilemmas posed that will, the authors hope, fully stimulate further consideration and discussion of these important issues. The commentaries also broaden the discussion of informed consent in all roles in which psychologists serve. Specific recommendations are made for practicing psychologists for the ethical and effective application of informed consent in their work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic counseling: A developing area of interest for psychologists.

This article presents genetic counseling as a challenging field for psychologists. Developments in the field affect individual and public conceptions of the basic issues of reproduction and pregnancy, health and illness, and normality and abnormality. Genetic counseling provides a uniquely structured setting in which to examine major psychological topics, such as coping with threatening events, family dynamics, reactions to uncertainty, risk perception, and decision making. Psychological aspects of genetic counseling are presented on several key issues, including meanings of genetic information, patients' and families' coping with a genetic condition, recall and comprehension of information conveyed in genetic counseling, and decision making. Four roles are delineated for psychologists in this new field: providing direct services to counselees, consulting with counseling teams, training genetic counselors, and researching the psychological aspects of genetic counseling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in training and practice of psychologists: Current challenges for licensing boards.

Psychology licensing laws have a short history and were created to regulate the professional interactions between a psychologist and a client within a single jurisdiction. Societal and technological changes in the way psychologists are trained and practice challenge licensing boards to provide new mechanisms to regulate professional behavior that recognize these changes yet still offer adequate protection of the public. This article describes the problems psychologists encounter related to professional mobility, temporary practice across jurisdictional boundaries, distance learning, and consistency in the handling and reporting of disciplinary actions. The article also describes the efforts of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards to help its licensing board members to address these challenges. Finally, the article raises some potentially dramatic changes being considered in the way psychologists are admitted to professional practice using a competency assessment approach to complement the traditional use of course credits, supervised experience hours, and performance on a knowledge-based exam. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Serious Emotional Disturbance in Children and Adolescents: Opportunities and Challenges for Psychologists.

Approximately 4.5 to 6.3 million children and adolescents in the United States have a serious emotional disturbance that undermines their present functioning and imperils their future. However, at least two thirds of young people with a diagnosable mental disorder receive no services at all. Responding to this unmet need, psychologists are assuming new roles in a changing mental health marketplace and are adopting new intervention strategies to work with these children, adolescents, and their families. This article addresses the scope of the problem, opportunities and challenges for practitioners, the larger context of professional practice, future directions, and suggestions for psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bias in identifying and treating high-risk client groups.

The ethical responsibilities of psychologists for providing professional treatment to people at risk for stress reactions and posttraumatic stress disorders include (a) the identification of such client groups in advance of urgent need and (b) the creation of a professional climate in which primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions are provided. Political or ideological bias, however inadvertent, may place some groups of potential clients beyond the pale of professional help during periods of urgent need. Two case studies are presented to illustrate this phenomenon: former Israeli settlers evicted from their homes as part of the peace settlement with Egypt, and American combat veterans in the aftermath of the Vietnam conflict. Recommendations for identifying groups at high risk for ideological bias are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Question of Values.

Comments on K. E. Clark's America's Psychologists (see record 200415427-000) and the recent statement by Division 12 of the new requirement for fellowship status of "a significant contribution." The authors were impressed with the fact that either intentionally or unintentionally values are playing an increasingly significant role in determining the criteria which will be selected as appropriate for assessing the status of professional psychologists. It is interesting to note in this connection that in Clark's book much emphasis is given to research publication as a means of differentiating "significant contributors" from their ostensibly less productive colleagues. The point the present authors are trying to make is that a value system to a large extent determines what functions or productions are to be considered worthy and thus tends to sustain them. It should be remembered that Clark's book addresses itself, not only to research psychologists, but to the entire profession as well as to any other interested intelligent reader. Surely some consideration could have been given to other professional endeavors which are of significance to a large number of psychologists. Even Division 12 seems to be suffering from this same (unrecognized?) conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological help for victims of crime.

In interventions to help victims, service providers should be guided by theory and research and anticipate that multiple actors will influence the way in which victims cope with their experience. Careful and deliberate intervention initiated early by persons first in contact with a victim, followed in some cases by later professional corrective intervention, are parts of an overall system of potential interventions. As service providers, educators, and researchers, psychologists can demonstrate leadership in developing theory, creating new knowledge, and designing and evaluating interventions. To be effective, psychologists must collaborate with practitioners in the health, mental health, and criminal justice systems to demonstrate the value of research and evaluation for improving services to victims. Theory-based field trials of victim services should supplement other forms of research to develop better ways of helping victims of crime. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)