Article archive / July 1, 2014
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 11. Source pages: 1, 8, 9.
Clinical psychologist, United Nations representative and author/lecturer, Dr. Judy Kuriansky led participants through some of the experiential exercises she has used in her global efforts when she addressed a group of Louisiana psychologists last month in Metairie.
Kuriansky, a New York clinician, popular television and radio personality and trauma expert who has worked with children and adults all over the world, presented highlights of what she has learned in a keynote speech and training workshop at the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA) convention on June 20. She guided participants in practicing a variety of activities she has developed, typically used with youngsters, to help reduce stress and build resilience after experiencing trauma and natural disasters.
The activities are part of her toolbox of techniques said Kuriansky, and ones she has used with children in a variety of cultural settings, including after earthquakes in Haiti and China and the tsunami in Japan, and for children living in the traumatic environment of severe poverty in Africa. Kuriansky showed videos about her work and led the LPA workshop participants in role-play and physical expression.
Along with training fellow psychologists, Kuriansky is also actively promoting the goals of mental health and well-being across the globe, she told the Times. “One of the most satisfying, exciting and challenging projects in my 40-year-long career,” she explained, “is to be advocating about mental health and well-being at the United Nations at this time when the governments of the world are deciding about the new global agenda for the next 15 years, from 2015 to 2030."
"Many UN mission representatives I have spoken with realized for the first time the importance of including mental health and wellbeing in the efforts to eradicate poverty, end disease, and achieve gender equality," she said. "It was so significant that 17 countries around the world spoke out at the United Nations negotiations sessions about the importance of mental health and well-being, which had never happened before."
Kuriansky spoke to the Times about the growing numbers of countries beginning to
understand the value of mental health. Her initiative has led to a “Friends of Mental Health and Wellbeing” group convened by the Ambassador of Palau, she explained. Meetings have been attended by countries representing every part of the world, including Greece and Cyprus, Vietnam and the Philippines, Jordan and Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, Afghanistan and African countries like Angola, Benin and Burkina Faso.
In her recent LPA workshop, attended by psychologists from all over the state of Louisiana, Kuriansky covered theory and
techniques that therapists can apply with children and adults in different types of crisis, such as natural disasters and living in dire circumstances.
Reminding the group about the connections between the
physical body and emotional stress, Kuriansky described concepts of coping and resilience, and how she integrates psychological principles for stress reduction with engagement in arts, drawing, music, body movement, role-playing and other gold standard methods as well as creative new techniques she developed over many years and in many countries.
While simple, the activities have a solid theoretical foundation, she explained, and can be applied widely in various settings and with diverse populations, with profound psychological impact. The activities included self-introductions with an adjective, meant to build self- esteem; a tug-of-war revealing assertiveness; a 3- part affirmation to encourage feeling safe; and drawing a bridge between a trauma and a happy scene to facilitate post-traumatic healing.
Kuriansky's strong belief is that psychosocial methods and approaches must be part of the agenda for all countries to achieve what is now being called “sustainable development” on social, economic and environmental levels.
Her work is reflected in the book she co-edited with Louisiana neuropsychologist Dr. Darlyne Nemeth, Living in an Environmentally Traumatized World: Healing Ourselves and Our Planet, and also in their upcoming two-volume set on Ecopsychology: the Intersection of Psychology and Environmental Protection.
Kuriansky has also worked closely with Nemeth, to develop and conduct Anniversary Wellness Workshops after Hurricane Katrina.
“The most important part of what I’m doing is making sure that psychology, mental health, and well-being is on the global agenda,” Kuriansky explained, “which means that it gets written into the goals that the governments of the world are setting right now about what they will do to achieve the best situation for all people in the world.”
“Those goals have never specifically included mental health and well-being from a psychosocial point of view,” she told the Times.
Since the age of 8, Kuriansky has declared her wish to “make the world better,” her mother reminds her. It’s a dream advanced by her role as a United Nations representative for the International Association of Applied Psychology and the
World Council of Psychotherapy, and as Chair of the Psychology Coalition at the UN. She is also a board member and Director of Psychosocial Programs for U.S. Doctors for Africa and a trustee of the New York City peace museum.
Kuriansky has also forged a varied career in psychology, as a pioneer of sex therapy and also of radio call-in advice shows. An award-winning journalist, she has hosted a variety of talk shows and specials and has been a feature reporter and contributor on television (e.g., CBS- TV, WABC-TV News and CNN) and a columnist for print media worldwide (e.g., from the New York Daily News to the Singapore Straits Times and China Trends Health Magazine), covering issues in mental health, lifestyles, and psychological aspects of economic and political trends.
As a professor at Columbia University Teachers College and Beijing Health Sciences Center who has lectured around the world, Kuriansky finds common ground between the communication required for successful interpersonal as well as international relationships. This is evident in the subject matter of her many books, ranging from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to A Healthy Relationship to Beyond Bullets and Bombs: Grassroots peace building between Israelis and Palestinians.
Kuriansky is passionate about her on-going efforts to bring simple, psychologically sound techniques to countries where mental health is needed but where the need goes unrecognized, and also to combat any stigma that accompanies it. She notes the importance for so many people worldwide, struggling to recover emotionally from trauma and
natural disasters, and to survive––and thrive––while facing difficult social, financial, and environmental conditions.
“It is not just about ending poverty,” she said, “which is the #1 goal countries are taking on, as well as eradicating diseases like HIV-AIDS, protecting the oceans, insuring peace and achieving gender equality, but also about promoting mental health and wellbeing which is interwoven into all these important goals.”
“These goals for a sustainable world are all only achievable when you take into account the psychology of people’s emotions and motivations,” Kuriansky said. “That’s the message I have been bringing into awareness at the United Nations. I’m hopeful that the nations of the world will now pay deserved attention to the mental health and wellbeing of people. Psychologists have an important role to play in making this a far better world."
Dr. Judy Kuriansky (Center), New York clinical psychologist and representative to the UN on mental health issues, leads Chelsie Songy (L) and Emily Cefalu in an assertiveness activity.
(Photo by Traci Oliver)
Dr. Darlyne Nemeth (L) and Dr. Judy Kuriansky at a recent convention where Kuriansky spoke about her global efforts to bring mental to the agendas of countries, worldwide.
Dr. Judy Kuriansky (L) with Dr. Kim VanGeffen at the recent conference. Kuriansky is involved in helping countries understand the need for mental health and well-being.
(Photo courtesy Traci Oliver)
Dr. Judy Kuriansky led psychologists from around the state in experiential exercises she uses with children in the US and many other countries. Above are some of the attendees at her workshop for Louisiana Psychological Association convention held last month.
(Photo by and courtesy of Traci Oliver)
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.