What do Oprah Winfrey, “Good Morning America,” the BBC, New York Times, USA Today and Ladies Home Journal have in common? They have all interviewed Dr. Melinda Sothern about her breakthrough translational research on childhood obesity and her Trim Kids Program. The nationwide media interest keeps growing, with Sanjay Gupta, the Washington Post, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Nicholodeon, and Radio Disney all featuring Dr. Sothern and her book Trim Kids.

Trim Kids: The Proven Plan that has Helped Thousands of Children Achieve a Healthier Weight, is authored by Dr. Sothern, Heidi Schumacher and Dr. T. Kristian Von Almen, and continues to be the gold standard for kids and families, helping any child, any age, anywhere to reach a healthier weight.

The Trim Kids Program continues to be acknowledged and replicated. It is considered a research-tested intervention program by the National Cancer Institute and received the 2007 US Surgeon General Award for community dissemination into YMCA centers. This was only one of a long list of awards and citations, the most recent of which was the Oded Bar Or Award for Excellence in Pediatric Obesity Research, The Obesity Society, Pediatric Obesity Section, awarded October 25, 2009.

Dr. Melinda Sothern is tenured Professor in the LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) School of Public Health’s Behavioral and Community Health Science Program. She has worked diligently for decades to develop the program that successfully addresses childhood obesity and diabetes. The media attention may be astonishing, but it is definitely well deserved.

She has come to much of her wisdom about what children need for change through her own experiences. Melinda recalls her childhood as “A tomboy–climbing trees, throwing footballs, always outdoors. All that energy was a challenge to harness during school time,” she said. But, with the help of the good nuns in Houma, Louisiana, she learned to direct her boundless energy and focus on studies throughout the school year.

During summers, she found another outlet, swimming. She was a lifeguard by age 13, a teacher by 14, and a coach of competitive and synchronized swimming by 19. Convinced to major in physical education by her father, she engaged in an extended field experience, “Six years in the Virgin Islands,” she explained. “There were all of these kids on an island, and they didn’t know how to swim.”

She became founder, president and director of the St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Swimming Association. Her swimmers swam in island-wide championships in Puerto Rico, Granada and the Dominican Republic. Next she moved to St. Croix to become the Research and Training Assistant for the MALO Institute with exercise physiologist, Dr. Orjan Madson of Norway and Michael Lohberg of Germany. Their team of swimmers included gold medalists Peter Bergen and Michael Gross among other sports luminaries.

But it wasn’t the superstar athletes who captured Melinda’s heart. It was a group of students whom she met while working during the same period as Athletic, PE and Aquatic Director for Good Hope School in St. Croix.

It was then that Melinda found herself involved in helping her first group of overweight youngsters, developing ideas that were destined to evolve later into a program of national recognition.

While coaching the cheerleading team, several overweight girls tried out at Melinda’s invitation. “Not only didn’t they make the squad,” Melinda related, “people made fun of them – the kids, the judges, even the teachers.”

The next year, Melinda put all the girls into four teams, and arranged the groups so that the top team, the A team, were big sisters to the B team, and they were big sisters to the C team, and so on, 48 girls in all. “These girls were accepted by the group, got individual attention and were learning how to make meaningful change through exercise. They trimmed down, and it was great to see.”

In 1989 after Hurricane Hugo hit, destroying everything in the island, Melinda returned to Nicholls State University to finish her studies. Focused on her academic pursuits, she finished a B.S. in Arts and Sciences in 1990 at the University of New York Regents College and a M.Ed. in Exercise Physiology in 1991 at the University of New Orleans.

She had a “great job as Corporate Health and Fitness Director for Pan American Life Insurance Company,” when she was approached by Dr. Robert Suskind of LSUHSC Pediatrics. Asked if she would work with “overweight kids,” Dr. Sothern immediately took the position of Research Associate in Gastrointestinal Nutrition of the LSU School of Medicine. Becoming an Instructor the next year, she worked with that group until 1997.

“There were doctors from LSUHSC and Children’s Hospital working on the project along with dietitians and psychologists. But none of them were professionals in exercise or the physiology of movement,” she recalls.

“The study that was in place before I joined the team had kids walking two hours a day, trying to burn 500 calories a day – 80% of the participants left that first cohort. These kids weren’t lazy, they were sick.”

She introduced a progressive program of exercise involving 15 overweight children and their families. Beginning with chair aerobics, to help the children gradually build to achieve a healthy state, the groups’ exercise regimens were stratified by obesity level. Red was for severely obese; Yellow for obese; Green for overweight; and Blue for ideal. It took 12 to 24 weeks for the children to move to the next level. The goal for everyone was the Blue level, not unlike the A-Team in St. Croix.

“The nutritional component was initially more restrictive,” Melinda explained. “Low carbohydrate diets could put the students into ketosis, so we modified them to what is similar to the South Beach diet.” From that beginning, the “Trim Kids Pediatric Weight Management Program” would be born.

“In those early days, people just weren’t focused on obesity. Eventually there was an explosion of interest in obesity among children,” Dr. Sothern recalls. “We were leading the pack.”

Having completed her Ph.D. in 1997, Dr. Sothern was appointed Assistant Professor of Research and Director of the Section of Pediatric Obesity Clinical Research at the LSUHSC School of Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. She then moved her primary appointment to the Pennington Center, under the direction of Dr. Eric Ravussin, Director of the Health and Human Performance Division.

Senior researchers at Pennington “told me I was a researcher, but that I wouldn’t be a scientist until I had been awarded an NIH RO1 grant,” Dr. Sothern grins. “So, I got two of them.”

While working at the Pennington Center as the Director of the Prevention of Childhood Obesity Laboratory, Dr. Sothern joined Dr. Larry Weber with Tulane University as Co-Primary Investigator and interventionist in his Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls Study with the NIH. She also continued her work as Director of the Pediatric Obesity Clinical Research Section at LSUHSC, splitting her time between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

During this time there was a huge demand for materials from childhood obesity programs. In response, Dr. Melinda Sothern, along with Heidi Schumacher and Dr. T. Kristian Von Almen began writing the text Trim Kids: The Proven Plan that has Helped Thousands of Children Achieve a Healthier Weight. The book came out in 2001, and amid glowing reviews, Trim Kids became the gold standard. “It isn’t a diet book,” she emphasized. “We instruct the reader to work with a nutritionist on a dietary plan that complements the program.”

In 2004 she was asked to come to LSUHSC School of Public Health. “I was delighted to get the call in 2004 from Terry [Dean Elizabeth T.H. Fontham] asking me to join the School of Public Health Faculty,” said Dr. Sothern.

Professor Sothern brings to the school the mentoring experience she has gained from her work as principal and co-principal investigator on 22 grants and contracts totaling well over $20 million. Perhaps as importantly, she brings the patience and insight she gained with her cheerleaders in St. Croix.

“I challenge my students by showing them what they can be in 20 years. I like to raise their curiosity, and give them pieces of the puzzle to work with,” she explained.

As the author of 34 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals, three books, and 28 chapters in texts and peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Melinda Sothern emphasizes thorough review of previous research. “My students begin by exploring the needs of the community and reviewing the literature thoroughly before thinking about an intervention,” she said. “This opens their eyes; they become aware and learn what experts have done in the area.”

“After they know a problem front, back and sideways, then they need to think out of the box – using the theories, but arriving at ideas of interventions that have never been done before.”

“Only then can they clearly define a solution, very specifically thinking about the means they will use to solve the problem, and how to monitor and evaluate an intervention.”

Dr. Melinda Sothern concludes with a smile, “I love teaching – watching the students’ faces when the light bulbs go off on top of their heads.”

For more information about Dr. Sothern’s extensive research, see her CV at: http://publichealth.lsuhsc.edu/faculty_cv/CV_Sothern.pdf

Edited by Janet R. Matthews, PhD, ABPP

and C. Eugene Walker, PhD

2006 APA

In Your Practicum in Psychology, Loyola Professor and licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Janet Matthews, along with Oklahoma colleague and coauthor Dr. C. Eugene Walker, provide practical guidance for students in their first mental health field setting. In a conversational, straightforward style, the authors address both theoretical and practical concerns encountered by the novice as he or she enters the applied setting for clinical psychology.

The authors decided to write Your Practicum in Psychology because they found that a wide range of experiences were being offered to psychology students and there was a need for a complete review of both basic information and larger issues impacting this “fundamental and formative educational experience.”

The authors explain in their introduction that students find themselves in all types of service positions in their mental health practicums, yet most instructors were still using a collection of assigned readings and journal reprints, making it difficult to fill gaps and cover information effectively. So, the authors note, “We therefore decided to look at our previous book and then develop one that would be an even better match for the variety of undergraduate courses in this area.”

In eleven chapters, the authors neatly and attractively lay out a complete set of ideas for the practicum student. The writing tone and approach demonstrates empathy and understanding of the students’ perspective that could only come from the authors’ years of supervision of young professionals. Likely situations encountered by students are explained in case examples, helping the student to anticipate, avoid, and resolve the issues.

The chapters are “…analogous to having a guest lecture for each topic,” note the authors. The tone of the work is consistent throughout. The text avoids overloading the neophyte with too much scientific background, but includes a wide array of essential topics in theory, methods, special populations, ethics, and legal.

The topics range from the simple to complex issues encountered by the novice as he or she begins to formulate and build their identity in a helping role. While some of the topics might seem basic, e.g., what to wear, the text is full of nuggets of information and wisdom masquerading as simple concerns. (I remember a practicum of my own where all of us somehow started wearing black, until someone asked, “Where’s the funeral?”) Topics unlikely to be covered elsewhere will be appreciated in this volume, facilitating the student’s transition from classroom to field setting. “Psychology departments train students to become psychologists,” write the authors. This supportive text can help smooth that beginning and allow the student to gain the broadest understanding of their developing role, identity, and the contributions they will eventually make in society.

The textbook benefits from the contributions of three other Louisiana psychologists: Dr. Theresa Wozencraft of the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Dr. Bruce McCormick of Shreveport, and Dr. Lee Matthews, Janet’s husband also from New Orleans.

In Chapter 1, “How to Maximize Your Training Experience,” Dr. Wozencraft provides the reader practical information on “Discerning Your Training Needs,” and “Major Types of Practice Sites.” Theresa builds on her own research and supervisory experience with students to guide the reader along in sections on “Establishing Yourself in the Practicum,” providing advice on “Taking on New Roles,” where she describes the professional role and the practitioner role in terms young students can understand. She also covers work environments, work relationships, diversity, and the student-supervisor relationship.

Chapter 2, “Characteristics of a Helping Relationship,” is a delightful little chapter about the nature of helping behavior, drawing on the basics of Carl Rogers and Robert Carkhuff. With concise and interesting examples the author quickly makes the distinction between helping communications and those that are less than useful, beautifully illustrating the core skill needed by students and expanding it in “Helping Applied to All Stages of Life.”

Drs. Janet and Lee Matthews coauthor Chapter 3, “Getting Started and Developing Rapport.” In this chapter they provide a frame of reference for entering the applied setting, explaining some of the issues that arise that students can find challenging and confusing. Basic information as in “What Should I Wear,” to more complex problems of “How Do I Build Rapport,” “Being a Participant-Observer,” and “How to Foster Acceptance,” balance the chapter with a knowledgeable view of field settings and the realworld problems that can arise for students.

Chapter 4, “Confidentially and Other Ethical Issues,” provides essentials for new students with descriptive vignettes such as “Deciding Not To Great A Former Patient,” “Duty to Warn or Protect Third Parties,” and sections on multiple roles, boundaries, informed consent, and competence.

Chapter 5, “History of Treatment of People with Mental Illness,” and Chapter 6, “A Review of Psychopathology,” outlines the basic knowledge for students that may be needed in mental health settings.

Louisiana psychologist Dr. Lee Matthews again contributes by authoring Chapter 7, “Psychological Assessment.” In this clear-cut review Lee describes the basics of tests and measurement theory, then looks at the importance, use, and differences between screening and full battery assessments. He provides a review of the most commonly used clinical psychology tests, then moves into a thorough section on psychological screening methods, including mental status exams, attention and concentration tests, intellectual and cognitive tests, achievement tests, mood and personality tests, visual spatial tests, language tests, memory tests, neuropsychological tests, and behavioral tests. He reviews full assessment batteries in the final section.

In a straightforward and well-documented overview authors of Chapter 8, “Interventions: Empirically Supported Treatments,” provide the student with the major diagnostic categories encountered in most field settings and outline treatments that are empirically based and proven to be effective.

Louisiana medical psychologist, Dr. Bruce McCormick, authors Chapter 9, “The Use of Medicine in the Treatment of Mental Disorders.” Bruce lays out the basics and background in the use of psychotropic medicines, noting that these are commonly included in mental health treatment plans. He includes sections on “How Do Medicines Work to Treat Mental Disorders?” and “How Do Medications Affect Nerve Transmissions?” In “What Medications Are Commonly Prescribed for Mental Disorders?” he describes the most common antidepressant, antianxiety, antipsychotic medications, mood stabilizers, and psychostimulants in clear and meaningful terms for the practicum student. A section on the issues regarding the choice of medicine, psychotherapy, or both, completes the chapter.

In Chapter 10, “Special Issues in Working with Children,” highlights important issues for those students who will be placed in field settings with preschool and schoolage youngsters and the complex issues sometimes encountered.

In the final chapter, “Mental Health Professions,” Drs. Janet Matthews and Eugene Walker provide an interesting and positive look at the types and contributions of different mental health professionals. While Your Practicum is aimed for students who will eventually be trained as psychologists, the information about the training and professional activities of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, psychiatric nurses, creative arts therapists, occupational therapists, and recreational therapists is both interesting and important for those seeking a career in today’s mental and behavioral health services.

Your Practicum in Psychology can be purchased from APA or online booksellers. (Note the correction card that comes with the text on MAOIs.)

Revised Edition, 2011

by Barbara Rothschild Allen

and Lauren Barrett

Special Delivery Books

“According to former first lady, Rosalynn Carter, there are only four kinds of people in the world: ‘Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.’ ”

“Twenty-seven million Americans provide an average of over 20 hours a week of care for their parents or other elderly relatives.” —Effective Elder Caregiving

In her book, Effective Elder Caregiving, retired LSU-A professor of developmental psychology and life member of LPA, Barbara Rothschild Allen uses her professional knowledge and personal journey to produce a clear, candid and useful set of ideas for those who provide care for an elder.

Caregiving is a self-help book for those in the “primary” caregiving role, most often a family member who has the affectionate and moral responsibility for the elder.

The book also includes important guidance for those in the “secondary” caregiving role, most often a paid professional. This dual guidance is immensely helpful because, as the authors point out, primary caregivers can rarely handle the responsibilities by themselves. A final perspective, that of the elder care-receiver, rounds out this 360° view of the complexities in elder care, the overlapping duties and complicated relationships, and the needs and challenges in this essential physical, psychological, and spiritual time of life.

Barbara’s contribution as psychological expert runs throughout the work, resulting in factual information and insights to support the reader’s decisions. But perhaps Barbara’s contribution is most heartfelt and poignant in the personal narratives of her own journey caring for her husband Al, to whom the work is dedicated.

Barbara’s psychological perspective and humanity comes through clearly, while also delivering important, practical, and very useable insights for those in the sandwich generation of primary caregivers. She points out that in many cases, responsibility for care falls on people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, but that “the significance of the caregiving demands made on the middle generation has not received much attention from researchers.”

Barbara commented to the Times that the revised edition is gaining more attention, perhaps because more people now find themselves in the caregiving role. Barbara recently spoke to the American Association of University Women in Austin, where the work was very well received. Barbara said that she enjoyed writing the book. “I have done some writing earlier. I was a coauthor for a book on adolescent psychology. And, I felt that I should have done more writing over the years.” She stays away from the computer, instead writing on an electric typewriter that she purchased in 1965 when working on an NIF grant at Berkley.

The goal of the book is to help “start cultivating potential senior caregivers, such as family members, spouses, and friends, as well as paid care providers (employed caregivers)– people who truly like and respect the elderly. Both these groups need to take the training that will transform them into competent, kind, and reliable caregivers.”

Effective Elder Caregiving is designed in three parts, each including short, understandable and concise chapters that stay on track, and in which the authors highlight narratives with important, but not overdone statistics.

Part One, “Primary Caregivers,” includes twenty short chapters that reflect the journey from the first steps of acknowledging the role, to the last stage of the process, the elder’s death. Writing in first person, Barbara describes the practical and psychological challenges encountered by the primary caregivers in heartfelt stories of her own journey, adding insights from her background in life span and developmental psychology.

She highlights issues in “The Sandwich Generation of Primary Caretakers.” Building on more analytic themes in Chapter 3, “Common Psychological Issues Arising Between the Generations,” she reflects on the family relationships that can be encountered. This perspective is repeated throughout, especially in Chapter 11, “How to Recognize and Accept the Need for Outside Help,” Chapters 17 to 20 which address the stages of decline, and finally, “The Death of Your Loved One.”

Another set of topics focus on employment and management: “Interviewing Potential Secondary Caregiving Applicants,” and “Selecting the Best Caregivers to Meet the Patient’s Needs.” Authors deal with practical issues in “Preparing the Elder’s Home for Secondary Caregiver,” “Establishing the Routine for Secondary Caregiver,” “Financing Secondary Caregivers,” and “Distant Primary Caregiving.”

In Part Two, “The Employed Personal Caregiver,” Barbara and coauthor Lauren Barrett, a professional caregiver, point out the knowledge and skills needed by those in this profession. Chapters include: “Desirable Personality Traits of Caregivers,” “Training, Experience and Education,” “Communication Styles and Listening Skills,” and “Morals and Work Ethic.” Issues such as stealing, tolerance, and abuse are discussed candidly, making the book useful as a guide for employers who are also the primary caretaker.

Practical information is abundant, including “Appearance and Personal Habits,” “Your Physical Health,” “Your Mental Health,” and “Financial Concerns.” Chapters on “Do You Have the Right Stuff” and “Working Through Your Personal Issues,” directly address job match, and the fact that not all people are suited for gentle, tolerant and respectful caregiving.

Part Three, “Caregiving from the Patient’s Perspective,” briefly touches on the third viewpoint, that of the elderly patient, and includes “Observations of a Senior Patient” and “Traits of a Desirable Patient.”

Dr. Greg Gormanous, who was a student of Barbara’s, then who became her Chair at LSU-A during the years, wholeheartedly recommends her book, writing “Effective Elder Caregiving is an absolute must read for family members deciding on care for a loved one and for all students who interact with the elderly.”

Barbara Rothschild Allen has written an important self-help book that can make an immediate positive impact on the decisions and thinking of a person thrust into, or gradually taking on the role of primary caregiver, where many in the baby-boomer generation now find themselves.

The book is available on Amazon. However, you can also purchase it directly from Barbara for $20 ($14.95 plus tax and shipping) at 40 N I H 35, Apt 12a2, Austin, TX 78701. And if you ask, she will autograph your copy!

Treating Gambling Problems

by William G. McCown

and William A. Howatt

2007 – Wiley Series on Treating Addictions

Best Possible Odds: Contemporary Treatment Strategies for Gambling Disorders

by William G. McCown

and Linda L. Chamberlain

2000 – John Wiley & Sons

“The life of a compulsive gambler is a life out of control––a precipitous downward spiral into despair, abuse, and criminality. Like a tornado ripping through a Midwestern town, a pathological gambler on the “chase” can leave a trail of broken families, ruined businesses, and incalculable emotional suffering in his or her wake.” — Best Possible Odds

In the steadily growing industry of recreational gambling, four to six percent of all gamblers will become compulsive, leading to a devastating impact on their lives.

Dr. William G. McCown, clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Louisiana Monroe, the coauthor/editor of eight books and international consultant, brings his scholarly and creative talents to this relatively new and still evolving area of gambling addictions.

In these two texts, Bill and his coauthors wrestle with and illuminate the complex issues in this field, including definitions, differential diagnosis, theoretical underpinnings, and practical clinical tools needed for helping this group of individuals.

They point out that 27 percent of all people will deal with a substance or other addiction problem at some time in their lives. However, the authors note that only ten percent of therapists are trained to treat individuals with addictions. This leaves 90 percent with often limited resources.

In Treating Gambling Problems, Dr. Bill McCown and coauthor Dr. William Howatt lay out a comprehensive picture of the thinking process, skills, ideas, and tools that are essential for assisting a client with these issues.

“…It started as a theory book.” Bill explained to the Times. “However, the series editor asked me to rewrite it, given the increasing need for front line clinicians without specific training to treat people with gambling problems.”

This hands-on and readily usable text accomplishes that goal easily, with it’s engaging style and extremely thorough coverage of the topic. More appealing in presentation than most textbooks, Gambling Problems is loaded with practical ideas that are fresh, informative and immensely useful. All this is backed by the authoritative voice of experience.

This voice is likely due to Bill’s background in the area. His 2000 theoretical text, Best Possible Odds, coauthored with colleague Dr. Linda Chamberlain, has been credited as one of the first comprehensive books on the topic, fueling research and clinical interest in empirically based treatment of gambling problems.

“I certainly would not go that far…’ Bill noted, “but the literature has increased by 1100 percent since that time and people are paying more attention to gambling problems.”

Bill has been a member of the Louisiana Association of Compulsive Gambling since 2002 and has made fifteen professional presentations on the topic. He has supervised twelve theses on gambling disorders by his graduate students, and he has authored an internet-based program for helping gamblers.

Gambling Problems leaves no stone unturned in its credible, understandable, and detailed presentation. In a handy 280 pages, the author’s walk the reader through conceptual, theoretical and scientific issues.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of this user-friendly text is the surprising (for a clinical book) wealth of hands-on, practical suggestions and conceptual tools for the practitioner. The richness, creativity and completeness of this information are impressive.

The authors engage the reader with charming “Truth or Fiction” quizzes, short knowledge tests, and crisp “Points to Remember.” The text is full of checklists, assessment forms, and lists of concepts the reader can immediately put to use. A family questionnaire from Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling and one from Gamblers Anonymous, a list of signs of problems noticed by employers, a list of tests and their usefulness in assessment of gambling problems, and the Addictive Disorders Screen–7, are included, just to name a few.

“Recommended Readings” at the end of chapters guide the reader to in depth resources and areas of controversy or scientific debate. And along with all sorts of interesting boxes, there is a call-out titled “Imagine That!” with tidbits of fascinating and fun information.

In Chapter 1, “Conceptual Foundations of Gambling Disorders,” authors include a discussion of definitions, differential diagnosis, spontaneous remission, risk factors and prognosis. Chapter 2 continues with “Recognizing Gambling Disorders: Signs and Symptoms.”

“Utilizing Optimal Professional Resources,” Chapter 3, includes information on a professional referral network and specific resources, matching clients to the best resources, motivation, and risk management.

In Chapter 4 authors outline “Developing an Effective Treatment Plan,” giving a step-by-step approach with therapeutic issues and problems to watch for in both the clinical and legal settings.

In “Recovery Theories, Programs, and Tools,” Chapter 5 provides a broad review from the larger perspective of human change.

“Continuing Care: When and How Should Clients Be Discharged,” Chapter 6, includes statistics on positive and negative outcomes and criteria for discharge.

“Posttreatment Recovery Management: Models and Protocols of Relapse Prevention,” Chapter 7, includes triggers for relapse and emerging problems at this stage of treatment, including physical, family, and mental disorders.

“New Beginnings: Moving Beyond Addiction” concludes the work. Authors cover topics of personality change, humanistic therapies, positive emotions and happiness, moral development, and going beyond selfhood,” in another broad based review with strong philosophical underpinnings.

Best Possible Odds is the precursor to Treating Gambling Problems and provided one of the first and most comprehensive overviews of the emerging science and therapeutic issues available in 2000.

In Odds, Bill McCown and coauthor Linda Chamberlain work to bring a cogent review of why compulsive gambling is on the rise and why it is an addiction disorder. Odds fills a gap created by the fact that the therapeutic community is only just beginning to fully acknowledge compulsive gambling problems.

Odds is scholarly and theoretical, with authors reviewing and analyzing competing models including physiology, social-economic, and psychodynamics, in an expert, eclectic approach.

The “central thesis of this book is that recovery from addiction is a nonlinear process,” state the authors and back it up in a review of Chaos Theory as a key for understanding change.

Odds begins with “An Introduction to Gambling and Gambling Disorders,” and then fits this into a larger context in Chapter 2, “Paradigms of Problem Gambling Behavior.” In Chapter 3, “The Phenomenology of Gambling,” authors explore the “gateway concept” and review Custers’ subtypes (professional, antisocial, casual social, serious social, neurotic, and compulsive).

“Etiologies and Maintenance of Gambling Disorders: A Brief Review,” outlines evidence for reinforcement, motivational, and biological influences, among others.

In the next three chapters the authors provide what is known about current treatment methods, “Treatment for Pathological Gambling: Inpatient Programs and Gamblers Anonymous,” “A Multiphasic Model of Outpatient Treatment,” and “Working Strategies for Treatment Success: The Pragmatics of Therapy for Abusive and Addictive Gamblers.” Drawing on what has worked for them, they explain their “multifaceted treatment integration.”

“Assessment of Gambling and Gambling-Related Psychological Disturbances,” Chapter 8, outlines an assessment approach that is broad and comprehensive, a review of the critical-thinking required in assessment efforts necessary for all complex issues.

“Chaos Theory, Gambling, and Addictions: Speculations on New Methods of Nonlinear Treatment,” is a fascinating chapter that requires the reader to put on the thinking cap and is likely based on Bill’s previous work on Chaos Theory and family therapy (Strange Attractions: Chaos, Complexity, and the Art of Family Therapy, 1998 Wiley).

“Family Systems Therapy: Treating the Patient and the System,” Chapter 10, continues this integrative theme and Chapter 11, “Epilogue: Consideration for Future Research and Interventions,” closes the work.

Bill explained to the Times, “My research-clinician chronology in Louisiana begins in the 1980s, when I did an internship under Dr. Phil Griffin, at Tulane Medical Center. Those psychologists- Jim Gay, Jorge Daruna, Phil Griffin, Collin McCormick, were an incredible group!”

His first clinical/research job was at the New Orleans VA Medical Center, “…where so many present LPA psychologists got their start…it was a great place to learn and do research,” he said.

Bill later moved to Philadelphia, to become Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at what was then Hahnemann University, now Drexel University. “I was fortunate enough to meet Myrna Shure, a developmental psychologist and the ‘godmother’ of impulsivity prevention research,” he said. “Together, we were able to edit a volume, published by the APA, which included contributions from some of the most important names in the field.”

In the mid 1990s Bill returned to Louisiana to what was then Northeast Louisiana University, now University of Louisiana at Monroe. “My research was split between nonpharmacological addictions, including gambling and chronic procrastination, and explorations of what we call nonlinear behavior, or chaos theory.” Presently, these interests have expanded to include Bipolar II Disorder and adult attention deficit spectrum problems.

“ULM has been an incredible place to have a career,” Bill said. “While we do not have the resources that larger institutions have, we are able to closely mentor our undergraduates and graduate students. Their enthusiasm and creativity usually overcome our fiscal problems,” Bill explained. “Our longtime department head, Dr. David Williamson, has kept our ship afloat during some very rough seas.”

Bill noted that his colleagues and supervisors have also made ULM a special place. “Our present dean, Dr. Sandy Lemoine, is the most effective and compassionate motivator I’ve ever met,” he said. “I keep thinking that she must be a closet psychologist!”

“Our Provost, Dr. Stephen Richters,” Bill explained, “has the vision to realize that psychology is vibrant and must be a key part of 21st century curricula. And, our new President, Dr. Nick Bruno, has an extraordinarily strong commitment to the campus and community’s mental health. He also understands the importance of psychology. This is simply a great team to work under,” Bill concluded.

Dr. William G. McCown has held various positions in the university including Director of Training and interim Associate Provost. He is presently interim Director of the Graduate School at ULM.

“However,” he noted, “teaching and research are my first loves…. well, not quite,” he said. “I became a first time dad at 50 and that is my highest priority!”

Editors: Antonio Puente, Janet R. Matthews, and Charles Brewer

American Psychological Association, 1992

Teaching Psychology in America was published by APA in 1992 on its 100th anniversary and covers a range of topics about teaching psychology over the hundred-year history. It is one of Dr. Janet R. Matthews’ contributions, working with Antonio Puente (U. of North Carolina) and Charles Brewer (Furman University) and a host of contributors who help paint the fascinating history of the teaching of psychology in America, placing the facts and archival details into a rich social and cultural context.

“A discipline that is separated from its history lacks direction…” the authors quote Murchison in their introduction, going on to write, “…the history of the teaching of psychology in America suffers from a dearth of documented information. This book represents an initial and partial solution to that problem. However, these chapters are much more than a repository of facts and anecdotes or a chronology of the field. They represent a careful analysis of such data in the context of the larger professional, social, political, and scientific spirit of the times.”

The work accomplishes that, and more, in its 578 pages covering topics such as “Key Individuals in the Teaching of Psychology,” (Part II), “Conferences Advancing the Teaching of Psychology,” (Part III), and “Organized Psychology in Advancing the Teaching of Psychology,” (Part IV).

“Key Publications in the Teaching of Psychology” (Part V) includes chapters on “Portraits of a Discipline: An Examination of Introductory Psychology Textbooks in America,” “Psychological Handbooks: History and Function,” and “Constancy and Change: Teaching as Depicted in Psychological Journals.”

‘It was a fun project and part of the APA centennial celebration,” Janet told the Times. “The outline for that book was actually prepared with my colleague Tony Puente as a convention of National Academy of Neuropsychology. We had coffee at the hotel and worked on a possible book on a paper napkin. We then recruited Charles Brewer as our third editor because he is such a legendary teacher.”

by Michael D. Chafetz, Ph.D.

Penguin Books, 1992

Mike followed N & N with Smart for Life, building on his expertise in neuroscience and writing a practical and interesting trade paperback that became a popular tool for those wishing to support their cognitive functioning for any reason. In the book he integrated biochemistry, general health and neuroscience information to build a knowledgeable and useful manual for clients dealing with cognitive decline or wanting to improve functioning.

Smart for Life is loaded with clever, interesting activities and is written in a conversational and encouraging style. He gives advice covering “Making Your Brain Smarter,” “Eating the Right Brain Foods: Nutrients for Brain Exercise,” “The Brain’s Other Chemical Environment,” and “Toning Up Your Brain,” in “Part One: Keeping the Brain Fit.” In “Part Two: Exercising the Brain,” Mike lays out specific ideas and tasks in “Exercising Your Brain’s Spatial Abilities,” “Talking to Your Brain,” “Improving Your Brain’s Memory,” “Your Logical Brain,” and “Creating a Creative Brain.” In the last section, “Part Three: Brain Exercise Regimens,” he explains how to put it all together in “Fitting It In.” Smart for Life is still being used and even Mother Nature (.com) refers to if for health advice. Michael Chafetz, Ph.D., ABPP, is in active practice in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology in New Orleans. He provides therapy and evidence-based neuropsychological assessment for cases involving head injury, stroke, toxicity, MS, dementia, and other neurodegenerative processes.

by Michael D. Chafetz, Ph.D.

Prentice Hall Advanced Reference Series, 1990

Nutrition and Neurotransmitters is an amazing little textbook that author Dr. Mike Chafetz crafted not just with facts, but with ideas, in this classic volume that was ahead of its time.

Before it became popular to do so, he was looking at the growing evidence of how nutrients affect brain and behavior. In the authoritative Nutrition and Neurotransmitters Mike helps the reader ponder the myriad of connections between behavior, nutrition, and the way things can work or go faulty in the brain-behavior system. While Mike informed me that many of the facts are now out of date, it will be clear to any reader that Nutrition and Neurotransmitters is still quite informative for the reason stated in the introduction. “… it should be noted that this is more than a book of facts. The joining of nutrients and behavioral function into one research area is such a new proposition that this is of necessity also a book of ideas.”

The work covers “The Interactions of Diet, Brain, and Behavior,” and “Introduction to Neuroanatomy,” “Serotonin and Behavioral Quieting,” “Catecholamine and Behavioral Arousal,” “Acetylcholine: Diet Affects Memory and Movement,” and “Excitatory Amino Acids and GABA.” In Part III is on “Macronutrients” and Part IV on “Micronutrients,” with discussions and reviews of how these nutrients impact on cerebral activity and the biochemical conditions in the body and brain.

Nutrition and Neurotransmitters is still available for $72, or used for a song, from various sources on the web. A visit to “Neuroscience for Kids” will prove that some are still pointing to the information in this important reference.

Paul J. Frick

Christopher T. Barry

Randy W. Kamphaus

Springer 2010

Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behavior is the latest edition of the immensely useful graduate text by Dr. Paul Frick, University Research Professor and chair of the Psychology Department at University of New Orleans. Coauthors are Dr. Christopher Barry of the University of Southern Mississippi and Dr. Randy Kamphaus, Dean of Education at Georgia State University.

The 3rd edition of Clinical Assessment fulfills its promise of providing an uncluttered, straightforward review and critique of current techniques. The authors embed their review in a lucid, understandable description of the theoretical and applied context that psychologists must always keep in mind.

Dr. Paul Frick told the Times, “This book was based on all three authors’ frustration in teaching courses on the psychological assessment of children and adolescents, finding that existing textbooks were not serving us well. Most of them were encyclopedic, edited volumes that were uneven in the quality across chapters…” And he continued, they were “…not geared either in format or level of presentation for beginning graduate instruction.”

In the preface of the text, the authors note that the goal of psychological assessment is to measure constructs that have important clinical implications. “But what is important from this conceptualization,” they write, “is that our view of psychological assessment is not test-driven but construct-driven.” And, “…the most critical component in choosing a method of assessment and in interpreting assessment data is understanding what one is trying to measure.”

Clinical Assessment provides an ease of delivery that makes this text perfect for psychologists in training. The writing style is clear and free from meaningless jargon. The authors strip everything down to the essential elements of the problem. Echoing throughout the text are the themes of evidenced-base practice and construct validity and informed use of measurement results. Experienced psychologists who find it difficult to keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape of child and adolescent assessment (and who doesn’t) will discover Clinical Assessment to be an excellent source of authoritative information and advice that can be quickly referenced without having to wade through muddy water.

The coauthors make a very convincing first-string team of experts. Barry is the specialist. Kamphaus is an expert in test development and author of BASC-2 (Behavior Assessment System for Children-2). Paul Frick is a leading authority in child and adolescent diagnosis and behavior. “Currently I am serving on the ADHD and Disruptive Disorders Workgroup for the 5th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” he told the Times, “which is due to be published by the American Psychiatric Association in May of 2013.”

His presentation at APA in August was a convention highlight, “Possible changes to the criteria for the Disruptive Behavior Disorders for the DSM-V: Rationale and implications.” He is the editor of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and also president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy. His research in children and adolescent psychology has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and John T. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation.

Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behavior covers a lot of ground efficiently. Chapters are formatted consistently with questions in the introduction and a summary of concepts at the end. Descriptions and discussion of critical issues are supported by references to key research, diagnostic contexts, and evidenced-based practice decisions.

In Part I, “Basic Issues,” authors give the overriding framework in a succinct presentation. It rings throughout the text: psychologists must understand tests, but also must understand what they are trying to measure, the context, and threats to validity. Chapters include topics of historical trends, measurement issues, classification and developmental psychopathology, standards and fairness, and planning the evaluation and rapport building.

The next nine chapters, Part II “Assessment Methods,” include reviews and critiques of self-report inventories, parent/teacher rating scales, behavioral observations systems, peer-referenced techniques, projective techniques, structured interviews, history taking methods, family assessments, and adaptive behavior scales. Each chapter format gives the context and relationship to the construct, and then the authors review current tests, reliability, validity, norms, and a list of strengths and weaknesses of the measure and potential threats to validity.

In Part III, “Advanced Topics,” the authors cover assessment of attention deficit, disruptive behavior disorders, depression, anxiety and autism spectrum disorders. The chapters on “Integrating and Interpreting Assessment Information,” and “Report Writing,” again call upon the reader to use a broad footing in psychological constructs, critical-thinking, as well as practical and common-sense views.

What did Paul enjoy most about writing the book? “The most enjoyable aspect of writing this book,” Paul told the Times, “is it forces us [the authors] to stay upto- date on the most current assessment tools used in the psychological testing of children and adolescents. This is also the most difficult aspect of writing this type of textbook. There are always new assessment measures being developed and older ones being updated; thus, such textbooks require frequent revisions.”