SLC From the Perspective of an ECP

Connecticut
Volume 58, Number 2
Summer 2004
Newsletter of the Connecticut Psychological Association
SLC From the Perspective of an ECP
By Christine Farber, Ph.D.
Having recently returned from the APA
State Leadership Conference (SLC), I still
find myself relishing the experience. I attended as one of ten Early Career Psychologists (ECPs) invited by APA. I imagined that the nature of the event might be
divorced from the work I do as a psychologist on a day to day basis. I wondered if I
would feel out of place and if the event
would have anything to offer me or I it.
My concerns could not have been more ill founded.
It will be no surprise to those who have attended an SLC to hear
me say that the people, initiatives, and spirit of the conference were
driven by an authentic passion for both furthering the profession
of psychology and providing quality services to our consumers.
The passion was palpable and the spirit contagious. The vitality of
my profession depends on individuals dedicated to addressing the
salient issues facing professional psychology today. Issues addressed at the conference included the following: (1) defining evidence based practice broadly so as to include clinical judgement
and patient values in addition to both qualitative and quantitative
research findings; (2) promoting racial and ethnic diversity within
our profession; (3) advocating for parity in mental health treatment
thereby diminishing the discrimination against persons with psychological concerns; (4) teaching colleagues how to think through
financial issues facing state organizations; and (5) educating the
public about the breadth of services offered by psychologists.
By the end of the conference what had at one time felt like a
choice to me— that is, being involved in professional psychology
Senator Kevin Sullivan
(right) received SLC’s
award as “Legislator of
the Year” for his work on
mental health parity and
other issues. Senator
Sullivan spoke about the
poignancy of mental
illness and the
importance of treatment
funding. He is shown here
receiving his award from
Russ Newman, Ph.D., J.D.
Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
organizations— felt instead like an obligation. I was inspired to
become like those individuals around me: An active participant in
the future of my profession. For each of us, participation in the
advancement of psychology is necessary if we are to continue the
ethical practice of our work while making a living and benefiting
consumers. Paying membership dues, contacting your legislators,
mentoring students or ECPs, serving on a committee, recruiting
new members to CPA, and sharing your passion with colleagues
are just some of the ways this obligation might be enacted. I am
fortunate and grateful to be a part of a state organization that takes
on the obligation of furthering our profession with passion, tenacity, and fun.
Dr. Farber is ECP Division Chair, Secretary on CPA Board of
Directors and employed at Traumatic Stress Institute in S. Windsor.
I N S I D E
T H I S
I S S U E
CPA BUSINESS
President’s Message by Dr. Abrams ...................................... 2
Non-Compete Agreement by Attorney J. Pingpank ........... 3
Empowerment—Taught and Taught Again
by Dr. Zimmerman ............................................................. 3
SLC From the Perspective of a DRN Coordinator
by Dr. Elder ......................................................................... 4
Legislative Update by L. Kowalski .......................................... 5
Diversity Requirements in Accreditation
by Candice Norcott .......................................................... 6
Ethical Considerations in Consultation by Dr. Mehm ............ 6
SUSTAINING RELATIONSHIPS
Sustaining Relationships; Spotlight on Dale Ortmeyer, Ph.D.
by Dr. Farber ...................................................................... 7
Changing “Careers” in Midstream by Ken Gilstein ............... 7
We Are All of Each of Us by Dr. Bloom .................................. 8
Sustaining Sexual Ecstasy by Dr. Scantling ............................ 8
Marital Closeness and Well-Being ....................................... 11
CALENDAR .................................................................................... 5
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AND ANNUAL AWARDS ...................... 11
BOOK REVIEWS
The Co-Parenting Survival Guide ......................................... 12
Putt to Death ......................................................................... 12
ALERT! ......................................................................................... 13
CLASSIFIED .................................................................................. 14
APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE! ................................................................ 16
1
P R E S I D E N T ’ S
M E S S A G E
CP
A Committees FFor
or
ward Agenda
CPA
orward
By David Abrams, Psy.D.
CT Psychological Association
342 North Main Street
West Hartford, CT
06117-2507
The CT Psychological Association (CPA) represents professional
psychologists in this state. You are
invited to become a member. Membership information can be obtained from:
Betty Ann Foy,
CPA Administrative Director
telephone (860) 586-7522
e-mail [email protected]
fax (860) 586-7550 or
www.connpsych.org
The mission of this newsletter
is to expand the CPA professional
readership in new and relevant ways.
We strive to create a balance between sound bites and lengthy discourse on topics that affect and
reflect the practice of psychology
in this state.
CPA members are invited to
submit letters, original articles, and
notices to the editor. Submissions
are usually 500 words or less. Please
send your copy electronically to
the editor in Word 95 or text file
format to:
Alma D. Elder, Ph.D.
CP Editor-in-Chief
telephone (860) 349-3461
e-mail [email protected]
fax (860) 349-3461
Christine Farber, Ph.D.
Contributing Editor
The editor reserves the right
to reject, abridge, or modify any
advertising, editorial, or other material. The editor is responsible for
editing and proofreading material.
Opinions expressed in Connecticut Psychologist are not necessarily endorsed by CPA.
Subscription and advertising
information may be found
at www.connpsych.org or
from Betty Ann Foy, telephone
(860)
586-7522,
e-mail:
[email protected]. Publication of advertisements does not
imply CPA endorsement.
Copy deadline for the next issue is
August 27, 2004.
Liz Kohanski
CP Design and Layout
2
Being president of CPA has
provided me with an unexpected perspective on the
activities of our organization. As a committee member you may tend to focus
on whatever your committee is involved in, but as
president you see all the activities every committee is involved in. At our most recent board meeting in May, I was unable to hold the meeting to
its official ending time of 10:00 p.m. and will count
this as one of the failures of my administration.
There was so much to do, and each agenda item
required a significant amount of discussion. As a
result, we ended much closer to 11:00 than I would
have liked and Dr. Dan Abrahamson only needed
to be awakened twice. In discussions after the
meeting it was pointed out to me that if there was
less happening in the committees, the meetings
would be shorter. It is an extremely humbling experience when one sits at the head of the table
during the board meetings, or when you see the
many committee emails flying around.
So why was the meeting so long? Here is just
a sampling of what a small group of CPA volunteers are up to:
• The Diversity Committee was recently
awarded a grant from APA for their diversity
initiatives, and is joining with the BOPN (Business of Practice Network) on several of their
endeavors.
• The Student Division, now headed up by
Candice Norcott, will be working with our
Newsletter Editor Dr. Alma Elder to create an
insert for the newsletter focusing on student
issues.
• The Early Career Psychologist Division. Never
heard of it? That’s because it was created at
the board meeting. Just like that. Actually a
great deal of work was done by Dr. Christine
Farber in service of developing the Division,
and it looks to be a tremendous contribution
to psychology in our state.
• Dr. Richard Stillson gave an update on the recent activities of the Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual,
and Transgender Taskforce. He asked the
board to assist in addressing possible legislative issue for next session, specifically the
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which
places restrictions on same sex marriages.
• The Insurance and Managed Care committee
has been re-invented under the guidance of
Dr. Susan Chenoweth and is seeking to collect
information on managed care abuses.
• Dr. Dan Abrahamson’s contract was renewed,
as was that of our Lobbyist Linda Kowalski.
• The Psychopharmacology Committee gave a
report in conjunction with the Legislative Committee (same people!) focusing on a strategy
for next year.
At the conclusion of the board meeting I was
amazed at not so much what had been accomplished that evening, but at the level of creativity
and passion that occurs within CPA. Having
spent what will soon be two years as president, I
can assure you CPA is overflowing with excited
and enthusiastic people who are committed to
our profession, our clients, and our colleagues.
Intimacy Conference Held with CSPP in April
Pictured are presenters and
organizer for the April CSPP
Conference “The Journey
Towards Intimacy:
Vulnerability, Yearning, and
Loss in the Extramarital Affair
and Entrenched Marital
Conflict.” (From left to right),
Dr. M.S. Livingston
addressed clinical
opportunities inherent in
“vulnerable moments;” Ms. S.M. Weil, LCSW presented on the extramarital affair as a
reflection of earlier conflict; Dr. I Hirsch was a discussant; Dr. G. Shiller was instrumental in
assisting CPA to co-sponsor the conference with CSPP.
Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004
C P A
B U S I N E S S
Non-Compete Agreement
Empowerment—
Taught and TTaught
aught Again
By Jeffrey Pingpank, J.D.
By Jeffrey Zimmerman, Ph.D.
Cy came into my office and said he was worried about a relationship. I reminded him he
should have gotten a pre-nupt. He said it
wasn’t that kind of problem. A new psychologist was joining Cy’s group. Cy was concerned
that after giving the new psychologist a start,
he might leave and become a competitor. Cy
wanted to prevent that.
I told Cy that his group could establish a non-compete agreement as a condition of the new psychologist’s job. An enforceable
non-compete agreement limits where and when the new psychologist could practice after leaving Cy’s group. Cy couldn’t force someone to work for him. That would be involuntary servitude. Cy could
restrict someone from competing with him.
For a non-compete to be enforceable it must be reasonable. The
court evaluates reasonableness by: (1) length of time the restriction is to be in effect, (2) geographical area covered by the restriction, (3) degree of protection given to the employer, (4) restrictions
on the employee’s ability to pursue his occupation, and (5) interference with the public’s interest.
There are no clear cut tests for these factors. They depend on
the facts of the case, the nature of the job, and the extent of the
restrictions. Generally, courts have upheld restrictions for one to
two years. Rarely, if ever, have courts upheld longer restrictions.
Geographical area essentially depends on where the employer gets
its business. In businesses or professions that traditionally draw
clients from a limited area, the geographical restriction is generally
the areas from where the employer draws the bulk of its business.
Thus, a group practice in West Hartford, where the majority of its
patients are from Hartford and surrounding towns west of the Connecticut River, would not be able to prohibit the new psychologist
from practicing east of the River.
Degree of protection and restrictions on employment both refer
to the scope of business. A group practice could establish a noncompete that would prohibit the signor from engaging in private
practice in an appropriate area. It could not prohibit the psychologist from working for a psychological textbook company in that
same area. Writing textbooks would not be a form of true competition. Similarly, if the new job were as a manager in an institutional
setting, the non-compete would likely not be effective.
The last criteria, the public interest, could lead to the argument
that a non-compete would not be enforceable as it would impede
patients from treating with the psychologist of their choice. This
argument has been rejected in cases involving other types of health
care practitioners. Courts have noted that the possible inconvenience to a small number of people does not constitute a significant
impact on the public interest.
I never thought that my work on this committee would repeatedly be a lesson on empowerment. Yet it is so. Amazingly, under the guidance of Jean Stetz-Puchalski and Dr. Joan
Franklin (and with the help of many others) we
put together our second educational breakfast.
This meeting was held at, and co-sponsored
by, Fairfield University’s Charles F. Dolan
School of Business. There were approximately 40 people in attendance, a three person panel discussion (E. Lee Lowry, Dr. Susan
Freedland, and Dr. Donald Gibson), a wonderful presentation and
discussion, a beautiful setting, and a bit of profit. From start to
finish this was planned, publicized and produced within two months!
It’s amazing what can be accomplished when a group of people sit
down and as Nike says, “Just Do It!” Thank you all for making this
event a success.
But, just in case there was a moment to breathe and let some
dust collect, the members of this committee are off and running as
we prepare to present the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Best
Practices Award in the fall 2004. We are already starting to publicize
the award and are accepting applications (see www.connpsych.org).
In this regard, we also have met with the Ethnic Diversity Task
Force to discuss the possibility that they join with us in recognizing an organization’s best practices. If you know of an organization
that has a practice which promotes a psychologically healthy workplace, please encourage them to apply. Applicants will be evaluated along a number of dimensions. For profit and not for profit
organizations, as well as municipalities are encouraged to apply.
Also, an organization’s size will not be a particular asset or liability
as we will be looking at each organization individually and hope to
award companies that are large, small and mid-sized.
We are also looking for site visitors to help evaluate applicants.
If you are interested, please contact Dr. Joan Franklin at (203) 3301852. Joan will be organizing the site visits.
Our Awards Breakfast will be held at the Bushnell in Hartford on
Thursday, October 14, 2004. The breakfast will be both an opportunity to recognize our award winners and also a time to again offer
an educational program to the business community. Keep an eye
out for more information about the breakfast as the summer comes
to a close. We’d love to have you join us.
I’m also pleased to report that we received a $1,000 grant from
APA to help in our efforts. Wow! Thank you APA.
So, the theme in this last year has certainly been one of empowerment. Every time a moment of cynicism occurs I am amazed at
what my colleagues on this committee can accomplish. It is a pleasure to work with you.
Attorney Pingpank is with the firm of Cooney, Scully and Dowling,
which is designated counsel for CPA’s Legal Consultation Plan.
CPA members are eligible to join the Legal Consultation Plan for
a nominal fee.
Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
Dr. Zimmerman is a Past President of CPA and Chair of BOPN
(Business of Practice Network).
3
C P A
B U S I N E S S
SLC FFrom
rom the PPerspective
erspective of a DRN Coordinator
By Alma Elder, Ph.D.
The State Leadership Conference (SLC) was
held in the Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. It
is a strikingly attractive setting. The reception
area contains a lagoon with an island and a
piano on top. The water is surrounded by restaurants and lounges and places to sit and converse. Rooms above with balconies surround
the lagoon courtyard-style up to ten stories.
Marble and carpet walkways cross the lagoon, glass roof hangs
above, and Starbuck’s coffee is available in the lobby store.
The SLC was sponsored by the APA Practice Directorate. It was
an opportunity to prepare leaders of the state, provincial, and territory associations for legislative advocacy and for coordination of
professional programs, such as BOPN, public education, diversity,
and disaster response. Russ Newman, Ph.D., J.D.’s keynote address was titled, “Strategic Resilience for the Profession: Getting a
Jump on Change.” He noted the changes that are occurring as conventional legacies of formerly powerful groups are no longer the dominant trendsetters. For example, family structure continues to evolve.
Dr. Jeff Goldsmith, Ph.D., is President of Health Futures, Inc and
Associate Professor of University of Virginia, School of Medicine.
He spoke about changes in health care. He prophesied that the
intermediary role of managed care will decrease in the future. Consumers and professionals are becoming more active, wanting less
economic risk and greater economic choices. Insurance plans will
become more tailored to the individual. Just as one set of computer
features does not suit every owner; similarly, one set of insurance
features may not suit each person. Although insurance has a legacy
of paternalism, consumers will increasingly demand choices of providers and services. In other future trends, he thought that depression would become a huge societal cost, as it is co-morbid with
many diseases, aging, and a cluster of conditions that affect wellbeing. Practice options for psychologists include group practice,
on-line interventions, exploitation of the cost advantage with psychiatry, specialization in problem-solving, collaboration with M.D.’s,
and development of health management/ disease management models. He joked that another future trend might be the obesity of the
aging male—after a mourning period of about 20 minutes, a new
widower will be besieged with casseroles.
Shown here is
the CT
delegation at
the SLC
banquet
which
honored
Senator
Sullivan.
Pictured in
the front row (l to r) are Drs. Farber, Owens-Lane, Thornberry
(Senator Sullivan’s wife). The rest of the front row includes Betty Ann
Foy, and Drs. Vaughn, Abrams, & Mehm. Back row (l to r) are Drs.
Zimmerman, Schwarzchild, and Senator Sullivan. The others are Drs.
Elder, Abrahamson, and Kerns. The clapping was lusty from this
crew after Senator Sullivan’s speech.
4
The Honorable Kevin Sullivan, (D-West Hartford) President Pro
Tempore, CT Senate received the State Legislator of the Year Award
for mental health advocacy. His legislative accomplishments included full parity for mental health coverage (vs. a biologically
based funding law), state capitalization of supportive housing, and
creation of the statewide Community Mental Health Strategies
Board. Senator Sullivan stated that mental health treatment needs
to be accessible and affordable. “CT’s mental health parity law is a
beacon, but it needs to shine toward D.C. so that all people are
covered.” He stated that, “Mental illness is not just the face of
strangers, but also the face of friends, family, and ourselves.” The
CT delegation sat at a specially designated table close to the
speaker’s podium with Dr. Carolyn Thornberry, his wife.
Outside D.C. is as interesting as inside D.C. The Hyatt was
situated just two blocks from Ford’s Theatre and four blocks from
the war office of Clara Barton. After Antietam, she loaded a wagon
with food and medicine and headed to the battlefield. Looks like the
Red Cross hasn’t changed much. Coordinators of Disaster Response Networks (DRNs) across the countries (since states, provinces, and territories were included) discussed strategies for working with the Red Cross and other agencies. The DRN is a network
of state associations of psychologists trained in disaster response.
DRN coordinators from the northeastern states had an opportunity to meet separately. Some of the state DRNs are well-integrated
into community mental health clinics and CISM groups. New York’s
DRN obtained their own FEMA grant after 9/11 to provide trauma
awareness workshops to schoolchildren. Several aspects of education were discussed. The northeast DRNs recommended that a
short “crash course” be developed for new volunteers in a large
disaster. Other topics included a reading list for new members and
training in recent models of intervention. The northeast DRN coordinators agreed to meet again in June and to work together to
improve their DRN organizations.
DRN and Public Education Campaign (PEC) discussed ways in
which these groups might cooperate more effectively. The PEC
made available kits to guide discussions of resilience with children
and adults. Building resilience is a positive way to approach the
problems caused by disaster and other adverse situations. For example, resilience workshops were offered to health professionals
who responded to multiple floods in rural ND and MN. It might be
possible for persons from DRN and PEC to work together when a
community is traumatized.
Many well-known psychologists were available at SLC. The
conference showed the strength of our profession and its promise
for the future. One senator urged psychologists to get involved in
the coming presidential election. He said that we should get the
electorate’s attention off of religious issues and onto health care
and accessibility. The reader can also get involved—not just with
the national issues, but also with the home issues that CPA represents. SLC showed the panorama, as well as the critical importance
of our day to day work.
Dr. Elder is Public Interest Representative and Editor-in-Chief of
the newsletter.
Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004
L E G I S L A T I V E
U P D A T E
2004 Legislative Session Ends with Budget and
Convening of Special Session
By Linda A. Kowalski
The 2004 Connecticut Legislative Session has
now concluded. However, the General Assembly convened on May 11th to pass bonding and the OPM Budget Implementer bills,
HB 5801, “An Act Concerning Budget
Implementation” in Special Session. They
will also convene later this summer to address
any report or resolution of the Select Committee of Inquiry. This session has been dominated by the continuing
investigation by the Select Committee of Inquiry, who is determining whether to recommend the impeachment of Governor Rowland.
For the first time in nine years, the Legislature passed a bipartisan
budget that was viewed as “veto- proof.” Such action by the Legislature indicates that the Governor has lost considerable power.
Both chambers passed the budget by margins well over the twothirds majority necessary to override a veto by the Governor. Recognizing this fact, the Governor signed the budget bill, HB 5692,
into law on May 6.
We worked to ensure that the budget did not contain any provider taxes or licensure fee increases. On the Appropriations side,
the budget eliminated co-pays by Medicaid patients. It restored
cuts to the Medicaid and HUSKY adult programs. Although we
worked to restore reimbursement to psychologists who treat SAGA
patients, the “optional services cuts” were not restored in the budget; The DSS budget implementer bill, HB 5689, “An Act Providing Funds For the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR)
Waiting List” as amended by House “A” and “C,” that was passed
the last day of the session did not include the restoration of “optional services.” The DSS Implementer Bill repeals medical and pharmaceutical co-payments under Medicaid. We worked with a coalition to eliminate the $1.50 co-payment for pharmaceuticals under
the SAGA program. Many legislators stated that they did not hear
from providers on this issue.
This year was a short session that has been focused on budget
issues, the second year of a biennial budget is when adjustments
must be made to the budget. In addition, the legislators were focused on Medical Malpractice Insurance Liability Reform.
We worked diligently to include psychologists in the medical
malpractice reform bill. Further, we lobbied to ensure that the legislators who comprised the medical malpractice reform working group
knew that providers did not want to be assessed a fee to cover
costs. Both the Public Health Committee Bill and a PRI Committee
Bill included such an assessment for a Healthy Connecticut Fund,
a reinsurance fund to pay a percentage of a claim or settlement. A
one hundred dollar assessment on providers annually would have
covered the deductible of $50,000 on health care providers. Through
our lobbying efforts, we were successful in preventing this piece of
the legislation from being part of the final bill that passed both
chambers, substitute House Bill 5669, “An Act Concerning Medical Malpractice Reform” as amended by House Amendment Schedules A and D.” It does not include caps on noneconomic damage
Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
and for this reason the Governor vetoed the bill on May 13. The
Legislature plans to convene for a veto session in June to override
the Governor’s veto.
Although it was a short session that has been focused on budget issues, we were successful in raising issues of importance to
health care providers. We were able to lobby the Insurance and
Real Estate Committee to raise and hear testimony on “An Act
Concerning Cooperative Health Care Arrangements” ( Joint Negotiations Bill, SB 114). This in itself was an achievement given that
the committee was focused on Medical Malpractice Insurance Liability Reform legislation.
We have worked to correct managed care injustices through
individual bills that some physician associations introduced as
their priority. The physicians had introduced HB 5205, “An Act
Establishing Standards For Contracts Between Managed Care Organizations and Physicians.” Although the bill died in the Judiciary
Committee, we worked with the physicians not only to resurrect the
bill, but also to include “psychologist” in the definition of physician in any amendment. An amendment, LCO 4069, called on SB 108
failed in the Senate on a close vote; however, we worked with the
House Public Health Committee Chair, Representative Art Feltman
to resurrect the bill as an amendment to another bill in the House.
Unfortunately, the House ran out of time to deal with any further
amendments or bills. We will continue to work with the legislators
on this important issue next session.
Keeping psychologists’ issues in the forefront of legislators’
minds and being visible is key. As we look ahead and move forward
to next session when there will be new leadership, we encourage
the membership to volunteer on supporters’ campaigns they begin.
Note: Ms. Kowalski is a lobbyist for CPA.
C A L E N D A R
July 15, 2004
Deadline for Psychologically Healthy Workplace “Best
Practice Award.” Applications available at
www.connpsych.org.
August 14, 2004
Early Bird Deadline for convention registration. Watch your
mail for the brochure.
September 22, 2004
Board of Directors meeting.
September 24, 2004
Ethics workshop. Village for families and children. 9:30 a.m.1:00 p.m.; 3 CEs available. Registration form on pages 9-10.
October 28-29, 2004
2004 Convention, Water’s Edge, Westbrook
5
C P A
B U S I N E S S
Diversity Requirements in
Accreditation
Ethical Considerations in
Consultation
By Candice Norcott, B.A.
By John G. Mehm, Ph.D.
APA instituted a commitment to diversity in
1979. Criteria II and Domain D of the training
are mandates for accreditation of doctoral and
training programs. Does this initiative result in
training culturally competent professionals?
This student does not think so. There is a disconnect between APA’s diversity initiative and
a true incorporation of cultural competence in
one’s professional practice.
Compliance is unstandardized. APA regularly requires that accredited schools fulfill a diversity course requirement. For example,
one school may act proactively and offer a diversity course. Another school may allow for students to pick a class in sociology or
another department. This presents a clear discrepancy. Moreover,
diversity courses may be voluntary (Bernal & Castro, 1994).
In 1994 it was found that only 34 percent of psychology graduates reported the availability of any diversity course during their
graduate training. Additionally, Allison et al. (1994) found that more
than 50 percent of their survey respondents were extremely or overly
competent only in providing services to European Americans,
women and economically disadvantaged. Although these statistics are ten years old, as a student I ask myself has that much
changed? My answer is not enough. An education in diversity is
available to students who put forth the effort to attain that information. For example, the APA Web site contains information about
diversity issues in mental health, but the link reads, “Information
for Students with Diverse Backgrounds.” Under this link is an article that reads “Achieving Cultural Competence.” Is that information that could only benefit Students with Diverse Backgrounds?
In fact I believe it is quite the opposite.
There should be a standard curriculum addendum which includes course material about minority groups and training in cultural competence. There should also be a strict way to assess school
compliance. It may seem extreme to ask schools to change their
curriculum. However, clients streaming into mental health offices
are economically, culturally, sexually, racially, and physically diverse. According to the United States census (2000), 42.7 percent
of the U.S. population self-identify as an ethnic minority. These
changes in population demographics will cause social, economic,
religious, and educational diversity. As students we cannot be complacent in our training. We deserve to have an education in all types
of people as well as in all types of therapy styles.
As a professional activity, consultation is mentioned 20 times in the 2002 APA Ethics Code.
References are distributed throughout the Introduction, Preamble, General Principles, and
Ethical Standards. There is thus a need to understand more clearly how the Code characterizes consultation.
The Code refers to consultative services,
consulting projects, organizational consulting, and consultation
obtained from other professionals. The first three of these are usually formal, contractual, fee-for-service activities, and issues such
as informed consent, description of services, fees, and third-party
payment are addressed. However, the Ethics Code does not distinguish between psychologists providing consulting services and psychologists obtaining consultations from professional colleagues.
The Preamble states that consulting with others concerning ethical problems is a key element in “(t)he development of a dynamic
set of standards for psychologists’ work-related conduct.” In the
general principle of fidelity and responsibility, psychologists are
instructed to consult with others “to the extent needed to serve the
best interests of those with whom they work.” The Ethics Code
even emphasizes that obtaining appropriate professional consultation is one of the few exceptions for disclosure of confidential
information without the consent of the client.
In two instances the Ethics Code specifically references professional consultation. The first occurs when a psychologist becomes
aware that personal problems may interfere with performing workrelated duties adequately. The second is when a psychologist must
decide whether to offer or provide services to someone already
receiving other mental health services. These and other circumstances are consistent with the use of consultation as a risk management procedure. The psychologist appreciated the seriousness
of the clinical situation and proceeded to practice according to
community standards.
Consultation is listed along with education, training, experience,
supervision, and study as a means by which a psychologist is able
to function within the boundaries of competence. However, given
that consultation can vary in its structure, focus, and duration,
primary reliance on this activity to establish the boundaries of one’s
competence would seem a questionable practice.
This review of the current APA Ethics Code finds that consultation with other professionals is both an essential element for ethical reasoning and a remedial action for ethical dilemmas. In practice, a psychologist would do well to differentiate the Code’s references to the provision of consulting services and the obtaining of
consultation from professional colleagues. The fact that a consultant usually assumes no responsibility for the subsequent performance of a consultee is a unique characteristic of the consultation
process that is worthy of further ethical consideration.
References
Bernal, ME, Castro, FG. (1994) Are clinical psychologists prepared for service and research with ethnic minorities? Report of a decade of
progress. Am Psychol. September, 49(9), 797-805.
Allison KW, Crawford I, Echemendia R, Robinson L, Knepp D. (1994)
Human diversity and professional competence. Training in clinical
and counseling psychology revisited. Am Psychol. September,49(9),792-796.
Ms. Norcott is Student Representative to the CPA Board and a
doctoral student at UConn.
6
Dr. Mehm is CPA Science & Education Representative and Professor at
University of Hartford Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology.
Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004
S U S T A I N I N G
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
Sustaining Relationships; Spotlight on
Dale Or
tmeyer
Ortmeyer
tmeyer,, Ph.D.
Changing “Careers” in Midstream
Interviewed by Christine Farber, Ph.D.
By Ken Gilstein, Ph.D.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr.
Dale Ortmeyer, psychologist, CPA member, and
Connecticut Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (CSPP) co-founder and executive committee member. He is also a father, a grandfather, a husband of 44 years, and a dedicated,
gentle, and caring professional. At 78 years young,
his life example imparts much wisdom regarding Dale Ortmeyer, M.D.
how to sustain relationships with one’s profession, family, and self.
Dale graduated in the 1950s from Columbia University with a
doctorate in Clinical Psychology followed by specialized training
at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry Psychoanalysis & Psychology in Manhattan. In 1973 he left his home in Manhattan (although maintained a private practice there) for Westport,
CT where sailing, ample tennis courts, beach, and swimming pools
provides playful family activities that allowed him to stay connected
to his family and himself, even during the busiest times of his career.
Dale collaborated with Stanley Rosner, Ph.D. to set up psychoanalytic training opportunities in CT. Several years later, CSPP was
born as a chapter of APA’s Division of Psychoanalysis (Division
39). CSPP continues its activity today hosting reading groups, sponsoring Scientific Meetings, and maintaining the CSPP newsletter.
Throughout his active involvement with CSPP, Dale also remained
committed to CPA and dedicated to addressing the multitude of
issues that have impacted psychology during his career.
Indeed, Dale has witnessed many changes in our field over the
past half of a century. He recalled how psychologists did not yet
have licensure status when he first began his practice, thereby
requiring the signature of a psychiatrist on all of his records. He
had worked with Erich Fromm, lived through significant changes to
the practice of psychoanalysis, advocated for insurance coverage
of mental health benefits, and learned, even if reluctantly, to live
with changes to psychotherapy resulting from managed care. Given
this complex journey, his uncomplicated optimism for the profession surprised me: He remains connected to the simple, yet powerful idea that our profession is a caring one. Whereas he described
work in psychology as “not easy work,” he also remarked that he
“would not give up this profession for any other” and talked about
how rewarding it is to help individuals change.
In addition to being struck by his optimism, I became aware of
Dale’s vitality. He painted a picture of the way in which his busy,
active career supported his fulfilling family life just as his marriage
and active family life supported his thriving career. Playing tennis,
skiing, and sailing as a family animated his professional life just as
his professional endeavors enlivened his personal life. It is that
vitality, I think, that sustains individuals-in-relationship. For Dr.
Ortmeyer that vitality seems to exist in the intersection of the personal and professional.
For the last 25 years, I’ve been a licensed psychologist, living in Guilford. Since March 5, 1983,
I have been in private practice in Guilford and
Middletown. My wife, who has spent her entire
life living in Connecticut, has wanted to move
to a warmer climate for about 15 of those 25
years. My main concern with moving was going through the licensing procedure, and starting up a private practice all over again, after taking years to establish myself in Connecticut.
As of July of this year, we will be moving to Kaua’i, Hawaii.
Through many difficult times, both professionally and personally,
my wife and I have stayed together to make this “dream come true.”
There have been many times where she became quite upset and
depressed about the prospect of never moving “out of the cold,”
and continuing to “put up with” my 50 – 60 hours a week of private
practice, research, and other non-psychology related activities in
which I have been involved. We talked, argued, and had our “distant” moments. Through communication, and a lot of hard work, we
are still together, married over 26 years, with three sons.
In 1995, we took a vacation to Hawaii, to visit the islands of
Kaua’i and Maui. My wife fell in love with Kaua’i. We talked about
retiring there, but she hoped it would be sooner. Last January, I
went to the International Neuropsychological Society’s meeting in
Honolulu. We spent a few days on Kaua’i, before the conference
started. Not only did my wife rekindle her love for Kaua’i, but I
started thinking about moving before retirement.
This past fall, I joined the Hawaii Psychological Association as
an out of state member, and applied for licensure. Since Hawaii had
become one of over 30 states that honor the licensure reciprocity
agreement, it was a fairly easy task to get my Hawaii psychologist
license. In February, we visited again, to make sure that this is
where we wanted to move, and to look at job opportunities. With
my background and varied professional experiences, I was able to
receive a very nice job offer. Therefore, it’s off to Hawaii.
One of the major keys to this move, has been the flexibility that
my wife and I have had within our marriage. Without her support,
and willingness to work with me in “the cold climate of Connecticut,” and without my being open to consider such a “dramatic/
drastic” change, not only would this move never happen, but I
wonder if we would still be together today.
We are still trying to work on making this happen, even with our
different personality styles and ways of doing things. However,
through continued communication and hard work, it appears that it
will become a reality in the very near future.
Dr. Farber is a clinician at the Traumatic Stress Institute in South
Windsor.
Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
Dr. Gilstein moved to Hawaii.
Save the Date
CPA Convention
October 28-29, 2004
Water’s Edge, Westbrook
7
S U S T A I N I N G
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
We Are All of Each of Us
Sustaining Sexual Ecstasy
By Jack H. Bloom, Ph.D.
By Sandra R. Scantling, Psy.D.
Once upon a time I was a psychologist who
had been a rabbi. I divorced one to do the other.
I couldn’t imagine that the two could be coupled
happily. Today I am a [RabbiÙPsychologist]
[PsychologistÙRabbi] who brings both of these
“selves” to working with couples.
Each of us is not a Self. Each of us is a relationship between “selves.” For me that relationship is grounded in the two creation myths of Genesis: the first
(Gen. 1:26-27) has humankind created in the “image” of God, the
second (Gen. 2:7) has man given life by being infused with God’s
breath. In Hebrew that is the [TzelemÙNeshamah] relationship. In
English that might be named the [BreathtakingÙImage] relationship.1
When the relationship between our inner “selves” is working,
we are perceived to be a unified Self. When there is room in the
couple relationship for those multiple “selves” to be present, accounted for valued and blessed, we find ourselves becoming a WE.
When those “selves” are wounded, hidden, rejected, despised, the
WE disintegrates.
The [BreathtakingÙImage] in each of us is not negotiable. It is
not contingent on our thinking and feeling correctly, behaving one
way or another, on accomplishment or the lack thereof, on perceived goodness or experienced badness. Each of us, do what we
will or won’t, cannot be rid of it. It is our original essence.
Often obscured in the fog of compromised living, the
[BreathtakingÙImage] is always waiting to be seen and heard,
attended to and returned to. When we and/or others turn away
from the [BreathtakingÙImage] neglecting it in ourselves, ignoring and disregarding it in others, harm is done. Blame and contempt, anger and condemnation, violence of all sorts directed towards our “selves” or our partner’s wounded “selve” destroys the
couple, increasing alienation and isolation.
Repairing the breach by returning to our [BreathtakingÙImage]
is a supremely important undertaking. It requires an inner dialog of
mutual respect, leading to a loving, personal human (e) relationship
between each and all of our “selves”; those we value and those we
distance; the “positive” and the “negative”; the “acceptable” and
“non acceptable.” The same is true in the couple relationship where
the charge is to search out, tune in to, stay focused on, respect,
nourish, sustain and bless the [BreathtakingÙImage], first in all
our “selves” and then in our partners.
When this happens, the [BreathtakingÙImage] flourishes and
atypical couples become a loving We. And I can enjoy being a
[RabbiÙPsychologist] [PsychologistÙRabbi].
As psychologists, we are aware that sexuality
is inseparable from selfhood and that the threads
of one’s complex sexual tapestry draw from biopsycho-social factors. Yet, to quote Rodney
Dangerfield, [the field of sexuality] “just don’t
get much respect.” It is misunderstood, maligned, and dumbed down with regularity. Ideas
about sex inspired by images extracted from pornographic portrayals or other media fail to capture the essence of
what is “sexual” or how couples can sustain their sexual connections.
It’s impossible to turn on the TV or look through a magazine and
not be bombarded with promises of lasting love using Levitra, Cialis,
Avlamil, etc. Typically these advertisements show happy dancing
couples suggesting that mechanically “functional” sex leads to
happiness! The enormous success of this industry illustrates just
how many couples long to recapture the powerful euphoric romantic surges of their youth by taking a quick fix pill.
So what is the secret to sustaining sexual ecstasy over time?
The definition of “sustain” is to nurture, grow, prosper, and deepen.
The word “ecstasy” means to step aside from yourself, to let go,
break free, and alter the patterns of your daily life. The anthropologist, Helen Fischer, discovered that novelty triggers ecstasy. Fischer
said, “It’s amazing how people are willing to work to stay thin, to
keep their jobs, or to keep their friends, but they don’t work on
keeping a relationship together in novel ways.” Simply stated, sustaining ecstasy over a lifetime of challenges requires a willingness
to move beyond the comfort zone, alter routines, be open to change,
and to work at it!
This doesn’t have to be as extreme as greeting your partner at
the door wrapped only in cellophane and a smile. It can be going
out on a dinner date (without any other couples) and changing the
rules of the typical conversation — no kids, job, or money talk.
Asking, “How are you, not how’s your day.” Introducing novel
code words or other symbolic expressions of loving intention can
also have beneficial results. One couple revealed they came up
with a creative signal, similar to the Carol Burnetts tweaking of her
ear lobe, where one of them just holds up their little pinky finger to
say, “I love you.” Another couple puts surprise notes in their partners brief case that just says, “Im thinking of you.” Small behavioral changes can break couples out of their typical patterns and
return a glimpse of the “feel good” connection they crave.
It is often difficult for patients who tell me that they want better
erections or more vibrant orgasms NOW to consider that sex is not
just something we do to our lovers; it is a reflection of who we are
with our lovers. For ecstasy to be sustained, couples need to be
directed toward making the right intimate life choices to help them
go the distance.
Notes
The brackets [ ] indicate the interrelated unity of these two elements. The double arrow Ùsignifies reciprocal relationship.
1
Dr. Bloom is the Executive Director of the Psychotherapy Center in
Fairfield, CT. His first book The Rabbi as Symbolic Exemplar; By
the Power Vested in Me, (Haworth Press, 2002)is now in a third
printing. His forthcoming book (with others) is The Rabbi as Relational Caregiver; We Are Each Other’s Keeper.
8
Dr. Scantling is Director of the Farmington Psychotherapy Center. Her web site is www.drsandy.com.
Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004
Connecticut Psychological Association
Presents
Ethical Decision-Making for Mental Health Professionals and
the New APA Ethics Code
Friday, September 24, 2004
9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Presented by:
Stephen H. Behnke, J.D., Ph.D.
Director, APA Ethics Office
3 CE Credits
Village for Families and Children
1680 Albany Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut
Stephen H. Behnke, J.D., Ph.D.
(See reverse for directions)
This ethics workshop will consist of two parts. The first part of the workshop will address ethical decision-making, the relationship
between ethics and law, and ways to minimize exposure to legal and ethical liability. This part of the program will include a
discussion of the APA Ethics Code, with a focus on the structure of the Code and the relationship between aspirational principles
and ethical standards, a distinction retained and elaborated upon by the new APA Ethics Code. The first part of the program will
emphasize how practitioners can use the APA Ethics Code to facilitate ethical decision-making. This discussion will lay the
foundation for the second part of the program, which will focus explicitly and in detail on the new Ethics Code. This aspect of the
program will highlight significant differences between the 1992 and the new Ethics Code, with emphasis on differences most
relevant to practitioners. Case vignettes will illustrate these differences and will demonstrate ethical decision-making in mental
health clinical practice.
Register Now!
Seating Limited to the First 100 Registrants
Workshop Cost (Includes continental breakfast)
ˆ $49 CPA Members
ˆ $99 Non-Members
ˆ $20 Students (with ID)
Please mail to: CPA, 342 North Main Street, West Hartford, CT 06117
Inquires: Call Betty Ann Foy (860) 586-7522, fax (860) 586-7550 or register on the Web: www.connpsych.org
Registration must be received by September 17, 2004. After September 17, registration will be on site.
Name _________________________________________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________________________________
City __________________________________________________ State ________________ Zip ________________
Phone ______________________ Fax or Email address (for confirmation) ______________________________
Payment method: ˆ check
ˆ credit card
Card Number ___________________________________ Card Type ____________ Expiration Date __________
Signature ______________________________________________________________________________________
Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
9
Directions to Village for Families and Children
From I-84 East or West
Get off at Exit 46 (Sisson Avenue) Go straight at the traffic light at end of exit ramp.
Turn right at the next traffic light onto Whitney Avenue. Go About 1-1/2 miles across Farmington and Asylum
Avenues. (Whitney turns into Scarborough at Asylum Avenue.) Continue on for approximately 3/10 of a mile
to the lighted intersection of Scarborough and Albany Avenue. Go straight through the intersection into the
driveway of the Village. Auditorium is in the first building, Trumbull-Robinson.
From I-91 North or South
Follow directions above from I-84
From Avon and points west on Rt.44
Take Route 44 (Albany Avenue) toward Hartford. Come down the hill after entering Hartford and veer to the
right as you continue through a lighted intersection (junction Rt.44 and 189 Bloomfield Avenue). On the left
you will see the brick cottages of the Village for Families and Children. The entrance is at the next lighted
intersection on Route 44 (Albany Avenue) and Scarborough. Turn left into the driveway. Auditorium is in the
first building, Trumbull-Robinson.
From Bloomfield (Route 189) or Simsbury (Route 185)
Take Route 189 (Bloomfield Avenue) or Route 185 (Simsbury Road) toward Hartford. One mile past the
University of Hartford campus and shortly after the junction of Route 44 and Bloomfield Avenue, look for the
Village for Families and Children on the left. Entrance at the next light Route 44 and Scarborough. Auditorium
is in the first building, Trumbull-Robinson.
From Hartford
Albany Avenue (Route 44) West toward West Hartford. Travel through Albany Avenue business district. At
intersection of Albany Avenue and Scarborough turn right into the driveway of the Village. Auditorium is in
the first building, Trumbull-Robinson.
Connecticut Psychological Association
342 North Main Street
West Hartford, CT 06117-2507
(860) 586-7522
Fax (860) 586-7550
www.connpsych.org
3 CE credits approved by CPA. The Connecticut Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. CPA maintains responsibility for the program.
10
Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004
SUSTAINING
RELATIONSHIPS
Marital Closeness and W
ell-Being
Well-Being
By Roni Beth Tower, Ph.D., ABPP
More than a quarter of a century’s research
documents the value of social relationships to
health and well-being. Relationships provide
information and practical assistance that can
help people take better care of themselves,
buffer the impact of life’s stresses, and protect
people from the negative effects of loneliness
and isolation. Emotional support can help speed
recovery and prolong life after illness, especially from cardiovascular causes. For many adults, marriage provides the closest relationship and can bring all manner of benefits into one’s life. Volumes of
research document the potential of marriage to improve financial
well-being, with its associated benefits of access to medical and
other health-related resources; to positively influence health behaviors, including decreases in those which place people at high
risk for illness or depression and increases in those which are protective such as exercise; and to provide emotional support in the
forms of validation, comfort and encouragement.
Yet all marriages are not equal. In our research program, we
looked at variations in closeness within older married couples in
terms of whether or not husbands and wives named each other first
as either their closest person or confidante or greatest source of
emotional support. In marriages in which both spouses named the
other, both husbands and wives were likely to follow each other in
decreasing depressive symptoms or in increasing them and these
effects endured over time, creating positive or negative affective
spirals. Husbands in these couples were so attuned to their wives’
well-being, that her mood was more influential than his normal risk
factors for depression such as financial strain, poor health, disability, cognitive impairment, even poor hearing, and overrode their
potential effects.
In another study, we found that husbands in marriages in which
his wife named him but he did not name her were significantly more
likely to be alive after six years, even after controlling for
sociodemographic, health and health behavior risk factors. The
same type of marriage was even more protective of survival for
those wives who had ever had children. We speculate that being
needed — but not too much — may be even more salutogenic than
having someone available to meet one’s emotional needs.
References
Tower, R.B. & Kasl, S.V. (1996) Depressive symptoms across older spouses:
Longitudinal influences. Psychology and Aging, 11, 683-697.
Tower, R.B., Kasl, S.V., & Darefsky, A.S. (2002) Types of marital closeness
and mortality risk in older couples. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64,
644-659.
Dr. Tower works at Teachers College, Columbia University and
Dept of Epidemiology, Yale Medical School. Information on her research may be found at www.tc.columbia.edu/research/longevity/.
The CPA Strategic Plan is available on the Web site
www.connpsych.org. It was developed at February’s Retreat by
CPA members and officers. The Strategic Plan will guide our
organization’s work.
Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
Call for Nominations
for CP
A Annual
CPA
Awards
All CPA members are invited to nominate individuals who
have made outstanding contributions to the profession of
psychology. Nominations will be considered for the following awards:
• Distinguished Contribution to the Science of Psychology
• Distinguished Contribution to the Practice of Psychology
• Distinguished Contribution to Psychology in the Public
Interest
• Distinguished Legislator’s Contribution to Psychology
• Distinguished Contribution to Diversity in Psychology
• Outstanding Student of Psychology
• Extraordinary Service to CPA
• Catherine Acuff Award for Outstanding Contribution to
the Profession of Psychology
Please submit a letter of nomination with sufficient detail to
ensure that the committee can make an informed decision. The
committee will request a vita from the nominee to provide additional information. Please send your nomination(s) by August
13 to: John G. Mehm, Ph.D., Chair, Awards and Honors Committee, CPA, 342 North Main Street, West Hartford, CT 061172507, e-mail: [email protected].
Call for Nominations to
CPA Board of Directors
All CPA members are invited to nominate individuals who will
serve on the CPA Board of Directors and guide our organization. The Board of Directors usually meets four times a year.
Elected individuals will experience the satisfaction of getting
involved and shaping policy that affects the way psychologists practice. They will help professional psychology thrive
in Connecticut!
Nominations are due August 13, 2004. Positions available:
Science Representative ............................. (2005-2006)
Student Representative .............................. (2005)
Region 4 Representative ........................... (2005-2006)
Region 5 Representative ........................... (2005-2006)
*Regions are congressional districts. To represent a
region you must either reside or work within its borders.
Please send your nomations to:
CPA, Elections and Nominations
Fax: (860) 586-7550
E-mail: [email protected]
11
B O O K
R E V I E W S
Zimmerman and Thayer Do it Again!
The Co
-P
arenting Sur
vival Guide: LLetting
etting
Co-P
-Parenting
Survival
Go of Conflict After a Difficult Divorce
Putt to Death
Written by Elizabeth Thayer, Ph.D. and Jeffry Zimmerman, Ph.D.
Book Review by Sarah Gamble, Ph.D.
Written by Roberta Isleib
Book Review by Renna Levine Seltzer, Ph.D.
Every so often a book comes around that is so helpful even to the
point that I don’t mind when the copies I loan to clients never make
it back to my book shelf. I feel this way about Harriet Lerner’s
classic The Dance of Anger as well as Elizabeth Thayer and Jeffrey
Zimmerman’s 2001 book The Co-Parenting Survival Guide: Letting Go of Conflict after a Difficult Divorce. I’ve bought many
copies of each of these titles, my resentment at their non-return
vastly outweighed by hopes that their messages will be absorbed
and translated into compassionate, effective behaviors. (Note to
self: order more copies – buy in bulk this time). Like their previous
book on divorce, the authors write with clarity and lack of pretension (no psychobabble or excessive use of colons here).
The text is rich with clinical examples and quotations from the
authors’ psychotherapy practice. Reading this book, I saw many of
my clients and made notes in the margins about certain ideas (and
ways of expressing them) in therapy sessions. I sometimes feel like
a broken record with clients and find it helpful to have fresh language to address familiar themes such as stepping out of black/
white thinking, putting the needs of children first, and working to
understand one’s past not for purposes of assigning blame but in
order to chart the future.
Even though divorce is commonplace, its effects can be and
often are devastating to the children. Distrust of intimate relationships, low self-esteem, alienation from one or both parents, and
longstanding guilt and loyalty conflicts are potential legacies of
divorce for children. Adult readers who were children of divorce
will feel validated and will gain insight into their own pain and
relationship patterns related to their parents’ breakups. This book
introduces a different perspective.
The authors balance their analysis of the emotional cost of divorce with the potential gifts of growing up in a divorced family.
Well-crafted journal exercises and surveys guide readers to consider both negative and positive life lessons related to one’s past.
The result is a multi-layered perspective of family life in which allgood vs. all-bad thinking is expanded to a more nuanced and ultimately more empowering view. The authors’ message to adult children discourages the formation of a victim self: ( e.g., “Do not make
the divorce the center of your childhood or the center of your
current adult identity..”). They advocate taking hold of one’s own
responsibility and power to make sane adult decisions. The thrust
of the book is optimistic – you can have a happy adulthood even
though your parents had a horrific divorce.
(Note to self: order more copies of Adult Children of Divorce).
Sarah Gamble, Ph.D. is staff psychologist at The Traumatic Stress
Institute in South Windsor, CT.
12
Putt to Death is an engaging, fast-paced mystery novel written by
clinical psychologist and avid golfer Roberta Isleib, Ph.D. This
book offers something for everyone: golf scenarios for the sports
fan; rich, detailed character descriptions, family dynamics, and an
inside look at local club politics for the ‘people person’; and suspense for the mystery enthusiast.
Cassie Burdette starts working as golf pro at a postcard-perfect
country club after she has failed to survive her rookie season of the
Ladies’ Professional Golf Tour. Woven throughout the plot are many
references to the psychological challenges Cassie and other golf
professionals face in competition. Cassie surmises that it’s “hard
not to conclude that the biggest problem was in my head,” and
notes that maybe trust in her ability “had been missing in [her]
game over this past year.” Cassie watches a psychologist friend
help another golfer maintain a positive attitude during competition
and eventually consults with another psychologist to explore her
disappointment in her golf performance, among other issues.
Soon after she begins her job, Cassie stumbles upon a body
near the seventh hole. In this classic ‘whodunit’, the author creates
a believable hero in Cassie. Cassie has unresolved conflicts with
her family and exists in a “chronic state of insecurity.” But, she is
also intelligent, curious and clever, and she is someone you root for
despite her flaws. In addition to the sleuth, the author brings to life
the victims, the villain and a multitude of other characters. Each is
imaginatively depicted and well developed. Scott Mallory, the country club’s head pro, has “teeth gleaming straight and white against
his deep tan” and a “sweeping [golf] swing with perfect tempo and
matching professional-quality results.” The president of the ladies’
group at the club is a “tall ink-haired woman” with “the kind of
Mediterranean skin that would age slowly” who “brimmed with
confidence and challenge,” but didn’t seem to have “the bitter
edge” of a crusader. The interactions between characters are also
entertaining and help to propel the plot. The pun included in the
title of the book prepares you for some of the humor included in the
witty dialogue. Club members’ social interactions are revealed in
sensitive political issues such as environmental responsibility in
maintaining the golf greens, or club policies regarding gender equity. As Cassie comments, “There were enough possible suspects
in this club alone to fill a prison bus.”
You need not be knowledgeable about the game of golf to enjoy
this murder mystery. The author provides a concise dictionary of
golf terms at the beginning of the book as a nod to those less
familiar with the sport. Isleib also does a good job of bringing
characters to life.
Dr. Isleib is frequently on book tours promoting her mysteries. Dr.
Seltzer is a clinical psychologist with an interest in sport psychology who maintains a private practice in Woodbridge, CT.
Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004
Advertising
Connecticut Psychological Association
Education to Help Members Mak
e Informed LLongongMake
ong-TTerm Care Choices
Every day, members of the Connecticut Psychological Association help many people. But, being so busy prevents us, sometimes,
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The information will help you maintain control and give you evaluation tools. The education process by Long-Term Planning
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Advertising
Applause
Continued from page 16
Dan the Man was pleased to
see that the Hartford Courant
editorialized support for the
Wellstone Mental Health Parity
Act. As CPA Director of Professional Affairs, as well as a participant in congressional visits
at SLC, Dr. Abrahamson worked
to bring the issue of parity to
the attention of voters. Those
interested in reading the editorial can do so at www.ctnow.com.
Dr. Christine Farber has become one of the new shining
stars in CPA. Already she serves
as secretary to the CPA board
and as a contributing editor to
the CP. At the board’s May meeting, she presented a proposal for
an Early Career Division, which
would facilitate the progression
of newly graduated professionals toward established careers.
Activities of this Division would
include recruitment, newsletter
column, list serve, consultation
groups. It sounded like a “winwin” situation and the board
voted in favor of establishment
of this Division.
Much credit goes to Wayne
Rosenfield, Ph.D. and Richard
Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
Bloom, Ph.D., who responded
to the mental health needs of the
New London community following the murder of two young
people. They used “Psychologi-
cal First Aid,” provided
psychoeducation, and facilitated follow-up services to many
affected individuals.
Alert!
The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning of elevated risk. The two conventions this summer will be in the Northeast. CPA-DRN members are encouraged to complete a new form
with current contact numbers and updated information on training. A form may be obtained from the Public Interest Director at
[email protected]. CPA DRN members are also encouraged
to proactively recontact their local ARC chapter and to state their
availability.
13
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C L A S S I F I E D
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Ads get the Eye!
If you are recruiting for your practice,
place an ad in CP.
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Financial affidavit information
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Avon. Office space available. Beautiful, quiet, two room suite plus
shared waiting area available immediately in Avon. Freshly painted
and appointed first floor suite with bay window in building
exclusively dedicated to mental health professionals. Ample, free
parking. Utilities included. Call Connecticut Psychotherapeutic
Resources, (860) 678-8779.
Professional Opportunities
Licensed psychologist to provide therapeutic and diagnostic
services to children, adolescents and families. Immediate full- and
part-time positions available. Well-established, busy private
practice with caseload to start. Panel participation a plus.
Excellent compensation as fee for service. If interested, please fax
your resume to: (203)284-8302.
Psychologist to join well respected and busy, multidisciplinary
private practice. Must be licensed, seasoned clinician who can
work with wide range of child, adolescent and adult clients. F/T, P/
T. Fax letter of interest and CV to (860) 347-8120 or mail to
Roeder and Polansky Family and Child Associates, 300 Plaza
Middlesex, Middletown, CT 06457.
203.866.9900
financialwings.com
Wanted, licensed psychologist, experienced. Call Center for
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Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004
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Trust Risk Management Services, Inc. (TRMS) on the Internet at
www.apait.org or call toll-free at 1-877-637-9700 for all of your
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Summer 2004 • Connecticut Psychologist
15
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
HARTFORD, CT
PERMIT #2115
Connecticut Psychological Association
342 North Main Street
West Hartford, CT 06117-2507
A P P L A U S E !
Drs. Dorothy and Jerome
Singer of the Yale Psychology
Department lectured in Vietnam
March 17-22, 2004, on the topics of “The Benefits of Imaginative Play” and on the “Hazards
of Exposing Children and Adolescents to Violent Theme Television and Videogame Play.” Audiences were pediatricians, educators and childcare professionals in Hanoi and HoChiMinh
(Saigon) cities.
Oh, that Dr.Virginia Shiller!
In a recent adventure, she appeared on a Comcast TV Show
titled Real Life with Mary
Amoroso to discuss her recently
published book, Rewards for
Kids. Dr. Schiller was able to give
some publicity to CPA, because
on the screen, at times, was a
notation that Dr. Schiller served
as Chair of CPA’s Children &
Youth Committee.
Dr. John Mehm is Associate
Director of the Graduate Institute
of Professional Psychology. A
photograph of him talking with a
group of students was published
this spring in the University of
Hartford Observer. Approximately 30 to 40 students graduate from the Institute each year.
In April, Yale held a conference titled “Equity, Access, Outcome: the Role of Prevention
16
Science in Reducing Health Disparities.” A member of the Expert Panel was Arthur C. Evans,
Ph.D., Deputy Commissioner,
DMHAS and Adjunct Associate
Clinical Professor, Yale University School of Medicine. Dr.
Evans is in the forefront of research and advocacy.
CPA members are a significant part of the backbone of another professional organization,
The CT Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology (CSPP). CSPP
is a local chapter of Division 39.
Some of the CSPP officers who
also have membership in CPA
are: President: Rosalind Atkins,
Ph.D.; Past President: Barbara
Marcus, Ph.D.; Treasurer: Bronce
Rice, Psy.D.; Long Range Planning: Wendy Stewart, Ph.D.;
Fairfield Region Representative:
Linda Ludwig, Ph.D.; Division 39
Representative: Rita McCleary,
Psy.D.; Historian: Dale Ortmeyer,
Ph.D.; Liaison to CPA: Virginia
Shiller, Ph.D.; Newsletter Editor:
Carol Mahlstedt, Psy.D.
CSPP sponsors many educational meetings and has liaisons
to both CPA and the CT Society
for Clinical Social Workers. The
potential for collaboration
among these mental health organizations is very great. See
A P P L A U S E !
photo of Intimacy Conference on
page 2.
Michael Bulmash, Ph.D.
spent four weeks in Europe in
late spring working with the military and their families. He has a
practice in Fairfield and specializes in couples therapy.
Another one of our members
was interviewed in the newspaper. Dr. Karen Steinberg, from
the Department of Psychiatry at
UConn Health Center, was asked
for advice regarding the celebration of “many Mothers’ Day” by
the Valley News. Dr. Steinberg
advised that mothers use communication to simply tell others
how the day might be spent. A
simple card or phone call may
be sufficient for some of the
women in one’s life.
Dr. Roni Beth Tower is conducting Internet research
(www.tc.columbia.edu/research/
longevity). Information about
this research was published in
the Wall Street Journal in May
in the Personal Journal Section.
The article was titled, “When
Your Spouse Makes You Sick:
Research Probes Toll of Marital
Stress.”
Kudos to our Webmaster
Randy Lee, Ph.D., who reports
that we’ve doubled our web visits over the past year or so and
that we are getting now well over
5000 visitors per month. The web
is a “hot spot” to advertise!
Welcome
to
Susan
Chenoweth, Psy.D., who agreed
to Chair the Insurance and Managed Care Committee. Do you
find that an insurance company
has an annoying directive which
dictates the frequency of
therapy sessions? Do new policies hinder more than help you
work? Send your complaints to
Dr. Chenoweth and she and the
committee will begin to investigate … start files … develop interventions.
Congratulations to Ree
LeBlanc Gunter, Ph.D. and
Lorna A. Thomas, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Hartford for their successful presentation of a workshop titled,
“Coping with Stress-How and
When to Get Help”. Dr. Gunter
and Ms. Thomas are members
of the Ethnic Diversity Task
Force. The workshop identified
indicators of stress and discussed coping mechanisms. In
addition, a list of local referrals
was provided. The workshop
was held at Gateway Community
College in New Haven for the
African-American Women’s
Summit.
Continued on page 13
Connecticut Psychologist • Summer 2004