Articles from the 2020 Fall Issue of The National Psychologist
Stress for psychologists piles up during pandemic
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By Kathy Lynn Gray Associate Editor
October 18, 2020
More than six months into the pandemic in the United States, many psychologists are fighting to keep their own burgeoning stress manageable as their caseloads increase and their patients’ needs explode. “People are in survival mode all day long every day,” said Rebbeca Lahann, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist near Phoenix. “It used to be people would come in with specific concerns or disorders but now we have the underlying stress (of COVID-19) on top of those things – chronic, repetitive stress – and that’s new. It’s like the sky is falling every single hour.”
Rebbeca Lahann, Psy.D., a Phoenix, area psychologist
who uses many ways to reduce her stress including yoga
Minority IQ scores boosted to enable execution
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By David L. Shapiro, Ph.D.
October 15, 2020
Within the past several years, there has been a growing usage in capital sentencing hearings of so called “ethnic adjustment” of IQ scores. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case called Atkins v. Virginia that execution of the “mentally retarded” (now called an intellectual disability) was a violation of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution because it amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
Increase in financial scams of older adults creates need for expert evaluators
By Paula Hartman-Stein, Ph.D.
October 14, 2020
A year after his wife died, an 89- year-old man changed his will, leaving everything to his daughter and cutting his only son completely out of his will. The assets had previously been divided 60/40 in favor of the daughter. At age 92, the man paid to remodel his daughter’s house to make the first floor accessible before moving in with her. Additionally, he paid to update her basement rec room and for law school for her daughter.
Skinnerian steps needed to increase successful COVID-reduction methods
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By Sharon R. Kahn, Ph.D
October 15, 2020
There appear to be few behavioral specialists involved in public-health contact tracing and other methods to control the pandemic who understand the basic Skinnerian principles of shaping behavioral change through consequences, either reinforcements or punishments.
Taskforce moves ahead on suicide prevention initiatives, including training for psychologists
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By Chuck Nelson, Associate Editor
October 15, 2020
Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D., already had a day job when the Veterans Administration came calling in 2019.
Someone had seen comments she made regarding Executive Order 13861, better known as the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS), and wanted to know if she’d be interested in directing the effort.
Sex therapy begins with asking about sex life
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By Candice Nicole Hargons, Ph.D.
October 19, 2020
I started my well-attended sex-
therapy workshop at a Kentucky Psychological Association Convention with an activity I use in my courses at the University of Kentucky.
You have one minute. Write down
as many names as you can think of forfemale genitalia.
A guide to child custody evaluations and expert testimony
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By Dennis R. Moore, M.A., NCSP
Oct 20, 2020
There are a few things every psychologist should know before becoming involved with child custody evaluations and expert testimony. Here’s a summary of some of the key points.
Finding your inner expert
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By Sarah Dougherty, Psy.D.
October 15, 2020
Who are we as we take our first steps into the world as fully licensed psychologists? What do we know? Our education and professional growth to this point have been stepwise, measured and predetermined. College. Graduate school. Practica and internship. Postdoctoral hours. The EPPP and state jurisprudence exams.
How academia’s misguided efforts at ‘diversity’ education is failing students
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By Angel McKissic
October 16, 2020
An examination of the curricula of
most graduate programs in psychology
will uncover the requisite and singular
multicultural psychology course. The
content of such courses typically covers clinical issues related to microag-
gressions and cultural competency.
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Picking the right marketing practices
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By Crystal I. Lee, Psy.D.
October 2020
When you’re first starting private practice, it can seem incredibly daunting to market yourself. The options seem limitless and it can sometimes feel as though you have to do everything under the sun to have a successful practice.
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