Section on Health Psychology – Summer 2015

The Health Psychology Section is dedicated to the science and practice of counseling psychology in health related contexts. Its general purpose is

  • To support the role of counseling psychologists as active participants in the field of health psychology, disease prevention, health education, behavioral medicine, rehabilitation, and related areas and to provide a forum for individuals interested in health related areas to exchange ideas and network with one another.
  • To promote and support the education and training of counseling psychologists who are interested in health related fields.

In line with the strategic directions of the Section and Division 17 Presidential Initiatives, the Section anticipates robust programming for the American Psychological Association in Toronto, Canada in August 2015. Specifically, the Section will host an exciting presentation on To Board or Not to Board: Preparation and Processes for ABPP. Confirmed speakers include Richard Sieme, Ph.D., ABPP of Mayo Clinic, who is current President of the American Board for Clinical Health Psychology and Sylvia Marotta-Walters, Ph.D., ABPP of George Washington University and current President of the American Board of Counseling Psychology. This meeting is planned for Saturday, August 8, 2015 tentatively at 12:00 pm in the Division 17 Hospitality Suite, Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel.

 

I am also pleased to announce that the Section will also be sponsoring a Roundtable on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at 2:00 pm chaired by Christina Lee, Ph.D. with myself as the discussant and is entitled Establishing and Conducting Practice Based Research in Community Primary Care. The Roundtable will include the following presentations by:

  • Janelle Alabiso on “Patient Satisfaction Surveys in Community Primary Care”;
  • Christina S. Lee.  Ph.D. on “Tracking Utilization Data of Integrated Behavioral Health at a Community Primary Care Clinic”;
  • Elian Roberts on “Rates of PTSD in a Community-Sample of Hispanics”; and
  • Daniel Gittens-Stone on “Using a Population Health Model”.

 

In addition, members of the Health Psychology Section worked hard to align with other Division 17 colleagues interested in health to prepare Symposiums that highlight both the Section mission and goals of the Division 17 President Michael Mobley. We are greatly looking forward to hearing the work of such a talented groups! The first Symposium is a collaborative proposal with the Sections for University Counseling Centers and Supervision and Training and is chaired by Annette Kluck with Donald Nicholas as the discussant and is titled Integrative Behavioral Health in Counseling Psychology Training. The Symposium includes the following presentations by:

  • Eve Adams, Ph.D. on “Enhancing Counseling Psychology Trainees: Self-Efficacy for Culturally-Competent Integrated Care”
  • Christina Lee, Ph.D on “Establishing Practice-Based Research in Community Primary Care”
  • Lisa Ferdinand, Ph.D. on “Models for Integrated Healthcare Training at University Counseling Centers”

 

The second occurs Friday, August 7, 2015 at 9:00 am and is a collaborative Symposium with the Section for Vocational Psychology and is chaired by Saba Rasheed Ali, PhD and Debra Mollen, Ph.D. with Yu-Wei Wang, PhD as the discussant and is titled Women’s Work Issues in International Health, and Economic Contexts. The Symposium includes the following presentations by:

  • Trisha L Raque-Bogdan, PhD on “Women’s Career Development after an Illness: An Application of SCCT and Career Construction Theory”
  • Elizabeth Sauber on “Predicting economic self-sufficiency among intimate partner violence Survivors”
  • Soad Mahfouz on “Gottfredson’s (1981) Theory of Circumscription and Compromise with Egyptian Undergraduates”

 

The final symposium occurs Sunday, August 9, 2015 at noon and is chaired by Nicole Borges and myself with Mary Ann Hoffman as the discussant and is titled The Role of Self-Compassion in Women’s Health Experiences: A Tool for Improving Women’s Lives. The Symposium includes the following presentations by:

  • Kathryn S Ziemer, PhD on “Self-Compassion Writing Interventions with Women with Chronic Pain”;
  • Trisha Raque-Bogdan, PhD on “Self-Compassion in the Experience of Primary and secondary infertility”; and
  • Kayi Hui, PhD on “Attachment Styles and Body Appreciation: Exploring the Role of Self-Compassion.”

 

As always, the Section will also host the annual past Chairs and Booz Black Award Recipients breakfast on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at 8:00 am, annual executive board business meeting on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at 9:00 am , followed by an open board meeting at 10:00 am when the Section will honor our Student Research Award winner.  At eleven o’clock, on Saturday, August 8, 2015 we will host a discussion on topics pertinent to health psychology for our students, interns, and fellows. Based on these acceptances, APA 2015 is sure to be an exciting time for our Section.

 

In addition to the robust APA Convention activities above, we continue to be involved in the Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs (CCHPTP) with Donald Nicholas being on the CCHPTP board. This group is the APA affiliated training council for all programs offering training in health psychology. We are grateful for the efforts of Donald Nicholas, Ph.D. for his representation and advocacy in areas related to counseling health psychology at the Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs. In closing, the Section continues to build upon our theme of new models of healthcare, including  integrated health and interdisciplinary team based care. For more information about the Health Psychology Section, ongoing activities, or membership, please visit our website at http://www.apa.org/divisions/div17/sections/health/Home.html.

 

Larra Petersen-Lukenda, Ph.D.

Chair, Health Psychology Section

VA Nebraska Western Iowa Healthcare System

[email protected]

Tags: , , , Posted on: June 11th, 2015