Article archive / September 1, 2011
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 1. Source pages: 10, 11, 12.
Close-up Dr. Jimmie (Jim) Cole Lafayette, Louisiana
In his respectful, thoughtful, and generous style, Dr. Jimmie (Jim) Cole, has contributed to his patients, colleagues and the Lafayette community, and given freely of his efforts and talents to serve psychology at the state and national levels. His career spans four decades, but he continues to take on new clinical roles, and he still finds the most enjoyment by applying his talent and knowledge of psychology to help others.
Dr. Cole is presently the psychologist at the Grossman Burn Center at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he previously served as Director of Psychological Services.
“I’m enjoying the work and getting to work with the burn patients,” he told the Times. “I’m using some hypnosis, some cognitive techniques, coping skills training….” The hospital contacted him because they needed help with the psychological component of the treatment. “It helps the surgeons and nurses for me to be there to deal with the psychological and cognitive aspects.”
Jim is also closely involved with his church, “We just went on a mission to Alaska to a village where the teenagers are having a high rate of suicide,” he said. “I feel good about it. It feels like a good way to apply some of the psychology I know to a needy group.”
Dr. Cole has also served as Psychological Services Director at the St. Brendan Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospital in Lafayette, as Program Director for Clinical Psychology Services at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Lafayette, and as Director of Psychological Services at the Cypress Hospital in Lafayette.
Throughout much of his career he has worked in private practice simultaneously, including his contributions at the Lafayette Psychiatric Group.
He told the Times that some of his most enjoyable contributions have come from his focus on his pain management programs, the innovations that he developed while in his private practice, Coping Skills Development, Inc.
“In my practice I was getting referrals from surgeons to treat patients who were suffering from chronic pain syndrome,” he explained. He was treating patients with cognitive interventions and there were some results that he was not totally pleased with. “I discussed this with my wife, Molly,” he said, “who was working with me as a co-therapist in group psychotherapy. We developed a program – Coping Skills Development.” The program was based on a psycho-educational model. Patients were evaluated and then placed in small treatment groups for 16 sessions. At the conclusion of the program the patients were reevaluated. “The results were encouraging,” he noted. “We then developed a workshop to train other professionals in the use of this program and that was also rewarding.”
His publications have reflected his interest and efforts to untangle the complex issues in pain and to help those who are suffering. He has authored “Psychotherapy With the Chronic Pain Patients using Coping Skills Development: Outcome Study,” published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychotherapy, “Psychotherapy with Chronic Pain Patients,” in the Independent Practitioner, APA Division 42, and “Perceptional Changes in Social Isolation and Confinement,” in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
He has published guides for practitioners in this topic, “Chronic Pain Interview – A Structured Interview to Aid in the Selection and Evaluation of Chronic Pain Patients for Participation in the Coping Skills Development Program,” and “Coping Skills Development Evaluation Manual.” And he has testified and been qualified on matters of pain and disability, and serves as Medical Expert for Social Security.
Dr. Cole is an Adjunct Associate Lecturer in the area of rehabilitation for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and holds hospital medical staff appointment at Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center.
His path into psychology started from his undergraduate from Baylor and then another degree in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
“After finishing the seminary,” he told the Times, “I wanted to learn to be a more effective counselor. I went to Baylor University to discuss this and it was suggested I apply to the Psychology department to get a masters degree.” Finding he had a strong interest in psychology, he went on to earn his doctorate in clinical psychology from Baylor.
Jim completed his internship at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, while finishing service in the U.S. Navy. Next he moved to the U.S. Naval Station – Treasure Island, San Francisco, California to work as a psychologist, and also as consulting psychologist at the Contra Costa County Alcoholic Rehabilitation Program in Martinez, California.
In 1967 he moved to Dallas to work for the business firm of Roher, Hidler, & Replogle, but within a few months moved to Lafayette when a psychiatrist friend from the Navy asked Jim to look closely at the Lafayette area. Jim and wife Molly liked the area so much that they relocated and he took a position at the Neuropsychiatric Center and later at the Lafayette Psychiatric Group. He also held positions at the Acadiana Pain and Stress Management Clinic.
Throughout the years Dr. Cole has made steady and significant contributions to the profession of psychology.
He has served on the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as both member and Chairman. He has been a member of the Advisory Council on Mental Health for the State of Louisiana and also the Louisiana Compulsive Gambling Study Committee.
Dr. Cole has served as President, President-Elect, and Past President of the Louisiana Psychological Association, from 1994 to 1996. He has also served as Executive Committee Member and on various committees.
During the 70s he was instrumental in helping the profession remove the consultation and collaboration clause from the psychology licensing law, a step that acknowledged the independent practice of psychology in the state.
In the 80s Jim was once again in the middle of a battle for professional identity, when his efforts were key in helping psychologists achieve the right to hospital privileges. He told the Times, “Somewhere I have a pen that Edwards signed that bill with….”
From 1991 to 1993 he served as the Federal Advocacy Coordinator for the state association and for these efforts he was honored by the APA Practice Directorate for “Leadership and commitment in advancing the federal advocacy network in Louisiana.” He was awarded the status of Fellow in Division 46, in part, for these efforts.
His perspectives allow him to understand issues over time, perhaps a little better than most. “I remember when I started practice I charged a fee and was paid by the client,” he said. “Then I became quite involved with other psychologists both on the state and national level in having psychologists included for third party reimbursement by insurance companies and Medicare. Now I am not sure that was a good idea. I note most dentists, lawyers and accountants are doing very well with the old system.”
His service on the board was not without some pain, “My most difficult time was when I was on the Board of Examiners. We were dealing with an issue which resulted in professional conflict and being sued for a large amount of money. It was a time when I thought, ‘Why have I gotten involved?’ But then realized, it was necessary.”
Jim is watching the current political landscape in psychology. “I am concerned that in the future there will no longer be the psychological profession that I have loved and enjoyed,” he said. “I see clinical psychology losing its identity. When I started practice in the 1960's there was emphasis on doing evaluations and research. It seemed to me that psychiatrists began to focus more on using drugs to treat all types of psychological issues and were not as interested in doing psychotherapy.”
“Psychologists were accepted as being the doctors who would use behavioral techniques to treat problems as well as do evaluations,” he continued. “This role was not only the role I enjoyed but in my opinion one in which psychologists excelled. Now other groups have taken over much of the area of evaluations and psychotherapy. Psychology seems to be pushing more and more towards a medical model. In order for there to be a future for psychology, the challenge is to provide a service that is beneficial and unique.”
Even so, Dr. Jim Cole is optimistic for younger, new professionals in the field. “Realize that the field of psychology is in a period of change,” he said. He noted that new professionals will be faced with the decision of taking on the role of the traditional psychologist or joining the developing field of the medical psychologist.
“Those who prefer the traditional role,” he said, “need to approach this with creativity and purpose, I feel there are many frontiers to be explored that are available to behavioral scientists.”
Dr. Jim Cole
Ms. Connie Stigall (L), previous ED of LPA, Dr. Jimmie Cole, and Dr. Cole’s wife Molly Cole, at the APA 103rd Annual Convention in New York City in 1995. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Stigall.)
Dr. Jim Cole in the Navy.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.