Article archive / July 1, 2010
Originally published: . Volume 1, No. 11. Source pages: 16.
Do you really think that those of us in psychology in our state are ready for the public to know about us? If you have been reading the headlines in this paper over these last many months, you may agree with me that the answer is “No.”
Psychology in Louisiana has been out of order for decades, during which time short-sighted, narrow-agenda professional activities and simplistic public outreach efforts have prevailed over the long-term, broadly-inclusive professional activities and well-coordinated media pursuits that we need.
We have begun to benefit from more open communications through the Psychology Times and the LPA Newsletter, and we have made progress toward improving our organizational health through the recent LPA bylaws overhaul and election of new LPA directors.
Now that we have internal media resources, structural changes, and new leaders in place we need to have extensive, pervasive, accelerated conversations across specialties, campuses, and regions, to truly know who we are and what we have to offer the public.
We need to adopt an attitude of mutual respect and get to know each other as colleagues, then find out what the public knows about us, and needs that we best can provide, before we can demonstrate how media matters to psychology.
Retreat, anyone?
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.