In the human psyche, competitive commitments occur when the individual is having difficulty committing due to their commitment being in two or more directions at the same time. These commitments are competing due to the reality they are in direct opposition to one another (i.e., freedom versus security). In most cases, the competing commitment is […]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says eight out of 10 U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus have been in adults age 65 and older. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have become hotspots for the virus, accounting for 42 percent of COVID-19 deaths, according to the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunities […]
For clinical psychologist Alison McGrath Howard, Psy.D., the decision to stop practicing face-to-face and begin using teletherapy to counsel patients was a no-brainer. On March 13 – the Friday of the week that COVID-19 turned America upside down — she woke up with a fever and a cough and felt “horrific.” The week before, she’d […]
COVID-19 is an unprecedented public health crisis with both mental-health and financial impacts. Psychologists’ skill sets are critically important in meeting the challenges of the present moment. Yet many clients are losing financial security (job loss, reduced hours due to furloughs, changes in insurance benefits) while potentially relying on mental-health treatment more than ever. Being […]
The first quality improvement system implemented by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) in 2007 was designed to improve healthcare quality and reward clinicians for their efforts. The newest iteration, the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), has similar goals but focuses on value not volume while saving money for CMS by making it […]
Data from the American Psychological Association’s (APA) surveys on the demographics of our workforce show that there are approximately n= 94,048 actively licensed psychologists, unevenly distributed across the United States. California leads the pack at n= 15,321, followed by New York at n= 10,462, Illinois at n= 5,155, and Florida at n= 4,370. Some states […]
The National Psychologist talked with psychologists across the country about how they’re managing to operate their practices using teletherapy during the pandemic. Here are some of their suggestions for other practitioners. Talk regularly to other colleagues about the challenges of this “new normal.” Find a teletherapy platform that’s simple, efficient, compliant and has few glitches. […]
In 1990, I was a prison psychologist at Wisconsin’s intake facility, Dodge Correctional Institution. At the same time, I volunteered at a local battered women’s shelter, running its women’s support group. I had an epiphany during a conversation I was having with a psychologist who practiced in the local community. “I bet you find them […]
The countdown for psychologists to practice under the Psychology Interjurisdicitional Compact (PSYPACT) is nearly over. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) has set July 1, 2020, as the tentative date to apply for the program, which gives licensed psychologists the opportunity to practice telepsychology or temporary face-to-face work across state lines in […]
We have been told, “Don’t touch your clients!” “Minimize self-disclosure!” “Never venture outside the office with a client!” “Avoid bartering!” And, of course, “Avoid dual relationships at all costs!” These “don’ts” and many others whisper to us as we emerge from most risk-management workshops and ethics-and-law seminars or while reading an attorney’s or (so-called) experts’ […]
