Article archive / November 2022

Originally published: November 2022. Volume 13, No. 11. Source pages: 6.

Stress Solutions Are There Benefits to Masking? Margaret Mead on Halloween and the NOLA Mardi Gras Holidays

by Susan Andrews, PhD Few people, even most social scientists, would think of masking and playing dress-up as a stress reduction activity. On the other hand, most agree that children playing dress-up is akin to a rite of passage, a common and positive activity of young children that has developmental social and emotional benefits. Dress-up is also a form of imaginative play and building imagination in children results in increased problem-solving acumen and skills for self-regulation. An entire article could be written just listing all the benefits that dressing up and pretending to be someone else can serve in a young child’s development. Hopefully, readers will remember some of the fun they had playing dress-up or pretending to be a star ranger, like Buzz Lightyear or Buck Rogers (depending on your age). Still, few speak of dress-up play as stress reducing. Children, however, do have stress and maybe play of any type is stress reducing.

What about adults? No question that we all experience stress from many different things. One form of stress that is epidemic in our current world is that of living up to our responsibilities and to other people’s expectations. How do I connect the benefits of children playing dress-up with adults playing dress-up and the whole area of stress reduction?

Well, Halloween marks the end of October. Halloween is one of the most widely celebrated events of the year, usually celebrated on the 31st of October, All Hallows Eve. Children love Halloween and many identify it as their favorite holiday of the year. Of course, there is candy; however, they get to change roles and pretend to be the aggressor. More, they get to dress up and even play a slightly scary role.

In most parts of our country, Halloween is not as much for adults as it is for children. New Orleans is a little different. Many years ago (maybe 1971 or 72), I was fortunate to see Margaret Mead give an invited talk at Tulane Medical School. It was during the Mardi Gras season as I remember. Dr. Margaret Mead (1901-1978) was considered the foremost American Cultural Anthropologist. I remember that she sat on the stage and actually fell asleep while she was waiting to speak. When introduced, she awakened with the applause and walked to the podium with her cane. Her talk was related to the unique culture of New Orleans and the NOLA popular ritual of masking and attending costume balls.

The point of my story is that Dr. Mead spent part of her talk discussing the enormous value of the ability to put on a mask and let yourself take a break from role expectations and just have fun. She spoke of how she loved New Orleans for its unique cultural opportunity to take a break from traditional habits and society’s rules. Dr. Mead never used the words, stress reduction, but if you let yourself take a break from role expectations and just have fun, it should have that effect.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / November 2022

Originally published: November 2022. Volume 13, No. 11. Source pages: 8.

by Leslie Todd, LCSW, ACSW AFCC Correspondent

After two years of review and revision, The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) Board of Directors has approved new Guidelines for Parenting Plan Evaluations. These Guidelines replace the former Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluations. They are offered as a roadmap to make certain the evaluator is properly trained and employs proper methodology to ensure an unbiased and comprehensive evaluation.

The 33-page document is an excellent resource for mental health professionals who may be interested in adding Family Court work to their services. Here is a brief summary of the subjects which are more fully covered in the Guidelines:

1. An overview of guiding principles and values: Transparency and accountability are essential, as is informed practice that is sensitive to just and equitable processes. Families undergoing evaluation deserve the utmost respect of their personhood during this stressful process.

2. Education and competency: A master’s degree is the minimum educational requirement, but family law work requires specialization. AFCC provides in-person and on-line training throughout the year in every aspect of custody evaluation.

3. Knowledge of family law: A sufficient understanding of state law and local procedures is necessary. Mental health practitioners are often afraid to ask, but they can request formal clarifications from the Court regarding the particulars of an Order or a procedure. The Court is usually eager to assist its mental health experts—they need us!

4. Multiple relationships and role conflicts: This is usually where mental health professionals get in trouble. It is essential to keep very clear boundaries between therapeutic and evaluation work: they cannot occur in the same case. Once you’re the therapist, you can’t become the evaluator, and vice versa.

5. Communication: This begins with the Court’s Appointment Order, and the scope should be very clear. Your own policies and procedures, contracts and other written information should be very clear. All parties, including children, must be made aware that there is only limited confidentiality in court- ordered evaluations.

6. Records: Meticulous record-keeping is essential, from phone calls to contemporaneous notes. The Guidelines suggest that records should be kept until the youngest child in the case reaches majority. Ensure your paperwork covers all the bases and refine it continually by consultation with peers.

7. Data gathering: Multiple data streams are necessary for an objective, well-sourced evaluation. The use of questionnaires as well as interviews of each party are discussed. It is important to cover specialized topics such as domestic violence, substance misuse, and information regarding possible relocations, for examples.

8. Child interviews: Special skills are required to gain the trust of children and elicit relevant information. Advanced training is necessary not only in the stages of child development and the effects of familial separations in those stages, but also in attachment theory and ACES. Also, forensic interviewing skills are necessary to insure the reliability and validity of the information gathered.

9. Observational and interactional assessments: Use of playroom toys and interactional games between parents and children help assess the quality of relationships. The Guidelines note that evaluators should look for clues about the parent’s empathic attunement and methods of influencing or managing the child’s behavior during the session. 10. Collateral data collection: Medical and mental health records, school records and other data from third party sources are necessary. Policies addressing submissions are also discussed.

11. Use of formal assessment instruments: The decision whether to use testing instruments like the MMPI must be explained, and of course if they are used, they must be administered and interpreted only by qualified experts. The Guidelines cautions that there may be “an aura of precision which may be misleading,” and recommends that test results are not granted greater weight than the sum of the other data points.

12. Interpretation of the data: The Guidelines discusses how to write a report which clearly links the gathered data to the conclusions and recommendations made, and that keeps within the scope of the Order.

13. Multiple evaluators: In institutional or clinical settings, two or more evaluators may work together. In such cases, a lead evaluator should be named (and be available for court appearances.)

14. Virtual evaluation: Since the pandemic, Family Courts have shifted rapidly to on-line services. Special care should be taken to assess whether a virtual evaluation is contraindicated.

Parenting Plan Evaluations are evolving into less-traumatic, more family-friendly procedures, and the Louisiana Chapter of the AFCC (AFCC-LA) is very interested in seeing more mental health professionals join us in providing these services. If you are interested, take a look at the Guidelines at www.afccnet.org/practiceguidelines and contact admin@afccla.org.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / November 2022

Originally published: November 2022. Volume 13, No. 11. Source pages: 15.

10 Years Ago … What The Psychology Times was reporting on November 2012

LA School Psychological Association

Conference in Lafayette Nov 7 to 9

The Louisiana School Psychological Association will host its Annual Conference, November 7 – 9, 2012, at the Hilton Lafayette, in Lafayette, Louisiana. This year’s theme will be “Resilience and Reconnection.”

Tulane psychology professor, Dr. Michael Cunningham, will speak on “Promoting Education Resilience in African American Adolescents.” Dr. Cunningham is the Suzanne and Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellow(cid:0)in the Psychology Department at Tulane.

LA Psychologists Note Issues for

Understanding Military Life

The Times spoke with two Louisiana psychologists, Dr. Dana Boose and Dr. Andrew Thrasher, about what their perspectives and what they view as important in the Louisiana community and in efforts to assist the returning servicemen and women to transition back to home.

Dr. Dana Boose is a Clinical Psychologist in the Post Deployment Healthcare Clinic at the Alexandria VA Healthcare System. She is also commissioned as a Captain in the Louisiana Army National Guard. Dr. Thrasher is a licensed psychologist at the Psychotherapy Clinic, LLC, in Sulphur, Louisiana. He is also a veteran and he is member of the Give An Hour program.

Psychology Gumbo

• “Measuring the Suicidal Mind: Implicit Cognition Predicts Suicidal Behavior” — Journal of Psychological Science, 2010. M. Nock, et al. Researchers found implicit associations exceed the predictive validity of known risk factors in suicide.

COMMENT: Dr. Gary Pettigrew, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dawson Psychological Associates, Coordinator of Complaints, LSBEP. “More impressively, this association predicted future suicide attempts during six-month follow-up better than the patient's own prediction or other clinical factors studied. emotional self-regulation, and self esteem. BOOKSHELF

Living in an Environmentally Traumatized World:

Healing Ourselves and Our Planet

Darlyne G. Nemeth, Robert B. Hamilton, and Judy Kuriansky, Editors

The work is an outgrowth of the 2007 symposium on behalf of the World Council of Psychotherapy (WCP) titled, "Strategies to Facilitate Biosphere Management and Lifestyle Change: Measures to Protect the Environment and Prevent Drastic Sequelae of Current and Future Climate Changes," presented at the 60th Annual United Nations DPI/NGO Conference Mid-day workshops in New York, NY. This is where Dr. Nemeth linked with many of her contributors. “I chaired this event and spoke about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,” she explained. AG Opinions Clarify LMFT

Scope of Practice, ABA Issues

The Louisiana Attorney General issued an Opinion on October 12, 2012 after reviewing objections submitted last year by the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) about rules for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), put forth by the Counselors state board.

The Attorney General (AG) found no problem with the rules, and summarized, “The permitted scope of practice of licensed marriage and family therapists includes the assessment and treatment of emotional, behavioral, personality, and mental disorders, subject to the specific limitations …” And […] " do not expand said statutory scope of practice by rule, are not violative of the prohibition on the unlicensed practice of psychology …".

Children’s Cabinet

Dr. Simpson Launches Kid’s

Dashboard

The Children’s Cabinet launched its “Louisiana Kid’s Dashboard” on October 9, 2012, a continuing step in the Cabinet’s efforts to coordinate and engage agencies, policy makers, families and the larger community, with the goal of improving conditions for Louisiana’s children.

The Children’s Cabinet is part of the Office of the Governor, and Dr. Tiffany Simpson, a graduate of the University of New Orleans psychology department, is the Executive Director.

ABA Study Group to Begin Final

Decision-Making Friday

The “Behavior Analysts Licensure and Regulation Study Commission will meet on Friday, November 2, 2012, to continue efforts in outlining the state’s approach to regulation for applied behavior analysts, and preparing for the final and perhaps most difficult of their decisions.

The Times spoke with Vice Chair of the Commission, Ms. Catherine Morrell, who explained that on November 2nd the group would watch four presentations, from four different sets of members. These presentations are to prepare the group for a future decision as to where the behavior analysts will fall in the state regulatory structure, Morrell said.

“Yes, But” Opinion on ABAs Practicing Psychology from AG The psychology board received an answer in October from the

Office of the Attorney General (AG) regarding injunctions against behavior analysts who practice psychology. Writing to the current psychology board Chair Dr. Lee Matthews, the AG noted, “…the LSBEP may seek an injunction against a party […] “Although the LSBEP has the authority to seek an injunction against a party for violating Chapter 28, it still must meet the injunction requirements of the court,” the author, Assistant Attorney General, Jessica Thornhill wrote, on behalf of James Caldwell, the AG.

Dr. Michael Cunningham (Courtesy photo)

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 15.

Baton Rouge medical psychologist, Dr. Darlyne Nemeth has authored, Living in an Environmentally Traumatized World. The book, just released, is edited by Nemeth, Robert Hamilton, and Judy Kurlansky. It published by Praeger and its series on Practical and Applied Psychology.

The text features expert contributions from across the disciplines of psychology, geology, biology, and climatology. The work also features an explanation of why environmental change is inevitable and how to deal with these changes.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 15.

The “Behavior Analysts Licensure and Regulation Study Commission” met Friday, September 21, and decided that behavior analysts are to be licensed in Louisiana.

This is the first major decision coming from the group. It was one of the issues contested in the spring legislative battle that prompted Senator J. P. Morrell to propose the resolution establishing the Commission, a 17-member task force charged with developing “baseline framework for licensure and regulation of behavior analysts.”

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 15.

Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health, is a well-written, authoritative, yet pleasantly user-friendly book about one of the most important areas of psychology today.

The authors, McNeese professors Dr. Linda Brannon and Dr. Jeff Feist have been in for the long haul– this review is for the seventh edition. It has been 20 some odd years since they started looking at health psychology and capturing the diverse and complex interactions that support factual and evidenced- based conclusions impacting health and longevity.

Authors do an excellent job staying up with this fast-moving field and the challenges of rapid and sometimes perplexing shifts in the landscape of research about health and behavior.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 1.

Governor Edwards has spoken with Governor Ron DeSantis and offered assistance and resources to aid the people of Florida. Resources are already en route, according to the press release from the governor's office on September 29.

"Louisiana knows all too well the chaos and destruction a hurricane as strong as Ian can bring, and we will do everything we can to help our neighbors in Florida and other states impacted by this storm," said Governor Edwards. "I have spoken with Governor DeSantis and instructed our state agencies to offer resources, personnel and expertise to Florida officials, some of which is already on its way."

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 2.

The first thing you need to do to make a good decision is to get your arms around a good problem. It needs to be an excellent, worthy problem, not some lame issue or minutia. If it’s something lame, try what works for some people – let it sit at the bottom of your in-basket or sink in your email, delegate to a secretary, an intern, or a wife if you’re lucky enough to have one and she hasn’t read I Feel Guilty When I Say No.

The reason you should only focus on a good, worthy problem, despite the American need to affiliate and establish superiority, is because it is going to be expensive in time, energy, and lost productivity, especially if you solve it correctly. Take for instance the situation with ADA accommodations for Dr. Gormanous at the State Board. It took oodles of dollars to come around to a reasonable compromise, surely an unnecessary expense for both sides.

So, first make sure you have a really good problem, supported by some actual evidence. Failing that, check with a kindergartner since they are good at the question “Why?”

Which brings me to my second point. It is critical that you figure out exactly what issue you are trying to solve, so you don’t wind up working on the wrong problem or trying to solve a symptom of it. This thing that happens to a lot of us – solving symptoms of problems– is so common a mistake that we have a name for it – the medical model. Much of medicine has developed excellence for treating symptoms. We even name diseases by their symptoms, which seems to confuse people. In this category is also the problem that Daniel Kahneman unfortunately named WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is) which in English means that there is always invisible stuff and so then fertile ground for unintended consequences and poor results.

A third thing you should remember when solving complex problems is to refuse vigorously to allow your team to grow larger than five or so people. Government and associations don’t seem to be concerned about this. But if you are going to have any hope of a high-functioning team, this is critical. If you are unlucky enough to be assigned a large group and told to manage some sort of problem-solving process, and there is absolutely no way you can get out of it, then you must have a facilitator, and everybody must be assessed for cognitive style, conflict style, leadership style, and decision- making skill. My advice is to call in sick.

The fourth thing to remember is to avoid compromise and other shortcuts. Compromise has somehow gotten unwarranted positive reviews, probably because most people don’t know that often compromise is only a bad solution in disguise. Another bad idea is majority rule voting, which usually means it was a poor decision. Probably nobody knew what else to do, people were all worn out, blood sugar was tanking, it was time for lunch, or traffic was picking up. Compromise and majority rule result in halfway, mediocre decisions that only a percentage find fully acceptable.

Perhaps one of the worse things about bad solutions is that they lull people into thinking that they actually have an adequate solution, when they don’t. People stop searching for the best idea, or even just a better one. Bad decisions clutter our social and political landscape, pile up in all the corners, and dangerously frame and anchor future decisions.

Which brings me to a final point. Failure is a good thing. Knowing when to throw in the towel, when to call it quits, when to yell Uncle, and when discretion is the better part of valor, is a valuable but rare trait.

Failure is one of the best ways to get rid of stuff that isn’t working. It is human nature for us to kick and scream when we lose something, even if what we’re losing isn’t working in the first place. Once invested, our judgment goes out the window. No new evidence, statistics, no new frame–nothing works to press our reset button. Bad decisions morph and return like flesh-eating zombies that just won’t die.

Oh, and one last idea. Try to keep the attorneys out of it.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 5.

5. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Dr. Sam moved to nominate Dr. Michelle Moore for Vice Chair. Dr. Moore accepted the nomination. The motion passed […]. Dr. Harness moved to nominate Dr. Greg Gormanous to Chair the Board. Dr. Gormanous was not present to accept the nomination. The Board discussed the motion. Dr. Holcomb raised concerns for Dr. Gormanous' ability to attend meetings in person. Dr. Moore expressed concerns for attendance and potential conflict of interest related to Dr. Gormanous' lawsuit. Ms. Monic brought up concerns for logistics with coordinating board meetings, and the ability to attend disciplinary meetings in person as is the role of the Chair. Dr. Harness and Sam supported the nomination adding that they felt Dr. Gormanous had a lot to contribute to the role. The motion was put to a vote and passed by majority roll call vote as follows: In favor:(3) Harness, Sam and Holcomb; Against:(1) Moore; Abstained:(0); Absent:(2) Gormanous and McNeely.

Executive Committee – Drs. Gormanous, Moore, & Ms. Monic Finance – Drs. Gormanous, Moore & Ms. Monic Complaints – Drs. Gormanous, Moore & Ms. Monic Supervision and Credentials – Drs. Moore & Sam Oral Examination – Drs. Moore, Harness & Sam Continuing Professional Development – Drs. Harness & Sam Jurisprudence Examination – Drs. Harness & Holcomb Legislative Oversight – Mr. McNeely, Drs. Gormanous & Dr. Holcomb Liaison to Professional Organizations and Boards – Drs. Holcomb & Gormanous Public and Professional Outreach – Mr. McNeely & Dr. Gormanous Long Range Planning – Drs. Gormanous & Moore

Michelle Moore, Vice Chair of the Board, and Acting Chair in the absence of Dr. Gormanous, took privilege to make a statement of goals and objectives as follows: "In regard to goals and objectives for the 2022-2023 year, I believe that important goals to consider include returning to prior board objectives to re- examine our oral examination process, improve our functioning by paying attention to the detail of our processes for steps towards licensure, and continue to work towards creating a smooth process for managing complaints. In order for the LSBEP to improve its processes and functioning, the content of discussions and focus of meetings needs to be relevant to the mission of the board to protect the public and refrain from within board issues that take away from our focus and mission. As LSBEP has a desire to stay ahead of the curve and take a progressive approach, we need to ensure that we are remaining current about issues impacting the field of psychology nationally and internationally to achieve this aspect of our mission. For upcoming trends such as Master’s level licensing, our Board needs to focus discussions on what issues could impact our functioning and prepare with development of policies and procedures. We need to return to discussions about why we have an oral examination and what purpose the exam serves. We need to discuss why we issue specialty designations and whether or not this practice should continue. We cannot achieve these goals if we continue our insular focus on LSBEP internal only issues that detract from focusing on the larger issues at stake within the regulatory aspects of the field of psychology.”

The motion to adopt the Resolution of Appreciation and Commendation of Dr. Gina Gibson, was unanimously adopted by roll call vote […]

1. 2022 Regular Legislative Session Report on Legislation (prepared by A. Aucoin) and discuss impacts on Board Operations for the following bills: Ms. Monic read the from the report prepared by Ms. Aucoin to summarize the implications of the following legislation: […]

Requires that each state agency develop and implement a policy to ensure compliance with the ADA. The policy will apply to all public servants of the agency, all applicants for employment at the agency, and all members of the general public who seek services or benefits from the agency.

Each agency will be required to create a policy that, among other minimum requirements, expresses the agency’s commitment to engaging in an interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations to any individual with a disability,

Enacts R.S. 49:953(C), which allows any interest person to submit a petition to review an existing regulation to the occupational licensing board that issued the regulation and provides the standard under which the board must review the regulation. The Board is directed to review the regulation for full compliance with the least restrictive regulation as set forth in R.S. 37:43 or R.S. 49:260, as applicable.

Enacts R.S. 37:21(A)(3), which provides for the suspension of time delays for licensing boards to initiate disciplinary proceedings when there is pending legal action involving the licensee as a party or witness if the complaint arises from the same facts giving rise to the legal action or arises from the licensee’s activities in the legal action.

Each licensing entity will be required to place the following on its website: a description of the license issued; link to the application; link to a checklist of information to be submitted to complete application process; name/contact information for person responsible for responding to inquiries about the status of application; anticipated timeline for review of a completed application; copy of the annual report submitted to legislative committees/oversight committees. Each licensing entity will be required to submit to its legislative oversight committee or subcommittee a report including the number of license applications received, the number of licenses issued, and timelines for approval of an application.

Executive Director Report: Ms. Monic reported that the In-house Attorney position has been reposted to LSBEP’s website and would be posted by Civil Service before the next board meeting. Ms. Monic also reported that there were changes to the Website format: a new page has been added and dedicated to Notices, Agendas and Minutes. Agendas and Minutes will be linked to and accessible at the Division of Administration | Boards and Commissions Website. The Board Information and News & Current Events pages have also been updated

Ms. Monic reported on the matter of Gregory Gormanous v Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists etal. No. 1:22-Cv-01425; that she was advised late on 7/14/2022 that Dr. Gormanous' preliminary injunction was denied. However, the lawsuit would still need to be decided apart from the preliminary injunction.

Ms. Monic reported attendance at formal meetings since her last report on 6/30/2022 with Sasha J. Lambert and Adrienne Aucoin to transition case management back to Ms. Monic on 7/1/2022; with Sasha J. Lambert, Attorney Courtney Newton and Investigation Henry Richardson regarding open cases on 7/7/2022; a Property Audit by LPAA; 7/11/2022; and an LSSP Committee Meeting on 7/12/2022.

Ms. Monic reported on the status of Rulemaking as follows: Last month the Board reviewed the legal reviewed draft of the rules and affirmed moving forward. The Board has already received permission to progress with rulemaking from the Occupational Licensing Review Commission. Ms. Monic will be initiating the process for filing for approval with the Legislative Fiscal Office. Once that is complete the Rules will be published in the Louisiana Register. Ms. Monic reminded the Board that the period for requesting a public hearing is 20 days after the Notice of Intent is published. […] Ms. Monic recommended that the Board set aside a date for a hearing. The board discussed this recommendation and agreed that a hearing should be scheduled for one hour and set during the working lunch hour of the Board.

2. Finance Committee Report – Board Strategy Recommendations: Focus on rulemaking to implement CPD standards and begin revenue development; update rules impacting licensing, license renewal for emeritus, telepsychology, complaints, etc. to improve functionality and reduce liability.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 12.

Dr. Joseph Tramontana, licensed psychologist practicing in Baton Rouge and Metairie, Louisiana, is the newest President of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). He took that office at the March 2022 virtual meeting, after having spent a year as President-elect, and a former term of office for that group as Secretary.

"ASCH was founded by Milton Erickson in 1957," Dr. Tramontana said, "and is somewhat of the Grandparent of Hypnosis organizations in the U.S. as well as internationally, so Erickson might be considered the 'Grandaddy.' ASCH is an interdisciplinary organization and unique among organizations for professionals using hypnosis because members must be licensed healthcare workers and, at a minimum, must hold a doctorate, PA Certification, APRN, CRNA, or master’s degree in a health care discipline considered appropriate for the Society," said Dr. Tramontana.

As President-elect last year, Dr. Tramontana said he was proud to Chair the Program committee with a theme of “Resiliency: Teaching our clients coping skills during these difficult times and using them ourselves.”

His interest in using hypnosis for working with addictions culminated in his book Hypnotically enhanced treatment for addictions: Alcohol abuse, drug abuse, gambling, smoking cessation, and weight loss (published by Crown, 2009).

His interest in hypnosis for enhancing peak performance with athletes and other performers led to his second book titled Sports hypnosis in practice: Scripts, strategies, and case examples (Crown, 2011).

Dr. Tramontana's latest book is specifically for golfers learning to utilize self-hypnosis in their mental preparations. It is titled, Golf: Peak Performance through Self-Hypnosis Training (Archway Publishing, 2021).

In the July 2022 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, he published a peer reviewed article titled “Future projection therapy: Techniques and case examples."

Tramontana, J. (2015). Treatment of speech difficulties and body tics secondary to childhood sexual trauma through a combination of hypnotic age regression and therapeutic coaching: A case report. Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, 3(4): 00141. DOI: 10.15406/jpcpy.2015.03.00141

*Tramontana, J. (2015). Psychological sequalae and interventions for victims of man-made disasters: Overview and author’s clinical experience. In Nemeth, D.G., Hamilton, R.B., & Kuriansky, J. (Eds). Ecopsychology: Advances from the intersection of psychology and environmental protection (Vols. 1 & 2). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio/Praeger.

Tramontana, J. (2013). Experiencing change/trauma associated with Katrina and subsequent hurricanes: A psychologist-victim’s perspective. Journal of Ecopsychology, Vol 5(S1): S-27-S-29. DOI:10.1089/eco.2013.0003.

In July, 2017 he presented a paper titled “Hypnotically Enhanced Psychotherapy” at the World Congress of Psychotherapy in Paris. In 2018 he presented a workshop on the same topic at the World Congress of Hypnosis in Montreal, and in 2019 presented a 2-day training workshop to the Canadian Hypnosis Society in Banff, Canada.

In 2014 Dr. Tramontana served as President of the Louisiana Psychological Association, and he has received their Distinguished Psychologist Award. He was also on the Executive Council of the Southern Pain Society. He served as President of the New Orleans Society of Clinical Hypnosis for five years. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry.

Dr. Tramontana participates in a variety of professional societies and associations including the following: Member, Louisiana Psychological Association Member, Mississippi Psychological Association Certified, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Consultant, New Orleans Society of Clinical Hypnosis, 2013- 2018 Member, American Psychological Association Division 30 (Hypnosis) Division 47 (Exercise & Sports) Member, Association of Applied Sports Psychologists Member, Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis Member, American Association of Pain Psychology

Dr. Tramontana said, "As far as goals for presidency, it is to reinvigorate the organization and, as in many such organizations, to appeal to the younger population of providers," he said. "I feel very positive that we will and are meeting our goals."

According to officials, the mission of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis is "To provide and encourage education programs to further, in every ethical way, the knowledge, understanding, and application of hypnosis in health care; to encourage research and scientific publication in the field of hypnosis; to promote the further recognition and acceptance of hypnosis as an important tool in clinical health care and focus for scientific research; to cooperate with other professional societies that share mutual goals, ethics and interests; and to provide a professional community for those clinicians and researchers who use hypnosis in their work."

Dr. Tramontana said that anyone interested in knowing more about ASCH, or hypnosis in general, can contact “Dr. T.” at drt@drjosephtramontana.com.

Dr. Tramontana in earlier days at a track meet holding his trophy. He has incorporated his love of sports and his interest in hypnosis into his career. (Courtesy photo.)

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 15.

Who’s got power in the Louisiana psychology community? Using an idea from the Independent News (Pensacola) the Times conducted a rough focus group to discover who is typically perceived as having power in our community. Thirty people who seemed likely to have an informed view of the topic were asked to provide ten names, a list of the most powerful individuals.

The people were asked to give their honest impression, from whatever perspective, about the “movers and the shakers,” in the community, whether liked or disliked.

Photo: Dr. Warren Lowe (L) and Dr. Jim Quillin at MPAC meeting.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 15.

The psychology board’s proposed rule changes for continuing education drew a number of comments from various psychologists last month. Also the Louisiana Psychological Association submitted a summary statement with concerns.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / October 2022

Originally published: October 2022. Volume 13, No. 10. Source pages: 15.

Dr. Cecil Hutto has been appointed Chair for the newly created Department of Behavioral Sciences at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM).

Dr. Hutto takes over from Dr. David Williamson, previous Chair of ULM Psychology for 15 years, who retired this May.

The new department has been expanded to include psychology, marriage and family, and counseling, Hutto explained to the Times. The enlarged and re-organized department will help consolidate and streamline the services that fall under ULM’s College of Education and Human Development, he said. There will not be a specific department called psychology anymore, he explained.

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / September 2022

Originally published: September 2022. Volume 13, No. 9. Source pages: 1, 6.

Dr. Cunningham Gives Invited Address Psychologists Present at APA

The American Psychological Association held its convention last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to the program and APA officials, Louisiana psychological scientists and researchers from Tulane, Louisiana State University, and LSU Health Sciences Center presented at the national conference.

Tulane University

Michael Cunningham, PhD from Tulane University gave an Invited Address on, “Research with Black Populations: Examples with Adolescents and Implications for Researchers.”

Dr. Cunningham's presentation covered theory, research, and translational work with African American adolescents. The presenter also provided empirical examples which focused on resilience and vulnerability in youth as well as the outlets for this work. Anneliese A. Singh with Tulane University, coauthored, “Supporting Trans and Nonbinary Black, Latinx, and POC Communities—Liberatory Research and Practice.” Presenters reviewed the findings of studies important to understanding the resilience, risk, identity development, and well-being experiences of Black, Latinx, and POC communities in order to advance research and practice. David Chae with Tulane University, coauthored, “The Future of Science on Racism: Psychology and Public Health at the Intersection.” Authors said: Population health requires researchers to think about the systems and institutions that shape health, namely the Social Determinants of Health. This session brought together four experts in psychology and public health to discuss the intersection of psychology and population health on people of color. Evan A. Krueger, PhD at Tulane University coauthored, “Cannabis Vaping Among LGBT+ and Cisgender Heterosexual Young Adults in Southern California.” Sarah A.O. Gray, PhD, Hilary Skov, BS, Anna R. Wilson, BS, and Victoria Parker, BS, all from Tulane University collaborated on, “RSA Reactivity and Exposure to COVID-19 Stressors Co- Contribute to Children's Subjective COVID-19 Stress.” Sarah A.O. Gray, Hilary Skov, BS, and Allison Pequet, BA, all from Tulane University collaborated on, “Child Maltreatment and Emotion Regulation: Examining Household Chaos During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Louisiana State University

Matthew Calamia, PhD from Louisiana State University, coauthored, “WIN/JCEN Sneak Peek into the Special Issue on Mentoring in Neuropsychology.” The Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology (JCEN) is collaborating with Women in Neuropsychology (WIN; APA Division 40, Society of Clinical Neuropsychology, SCN Committee) for a forthcoming special issue on mentoring in neuropsychology. Raymond Tucker, PhD and Emma Moscardini, MA both from Louisiana State University presented with coauthors on, “A Psychometric Evaluation of the Interpersonal Hopelessness Scale.” Erin M. Todd, PhD, MS at Louisiana State University presented with coauthors on, “Negative Affect Moderates Emotional Job Engagement on Creative Job Performance During COVID-19.” Erin M. Todd, PhD, MS with Louisiana State University also presented with coauthors on, “How Changes in Telecommuting and Feedback Impacts Creative Job Performance.”

Louisiana State Health Sciences Center

Sebastián Del Corral Winder, PsyD from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center–New Orleans presented with coauthors on, “Recognizing Whiteness: A Qualitative Exploration.”

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.

Article archive / September 2022

Originally published: September 2022. Volume 13, No. 9. Source pages: 3.

In an August 18 press release, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) said it has started reporting additional demographic data for Louisiana monkeypox patients on the LDH monkeypox dashboard. These demographic data show striking racial disparities: Nearly 60% of monkeypox cases in Louisiana have occurred among Black Louisianans, and about 27% have occurred among white Louisianans. Among the cases included in today’s demographic analysis, approximately 95% have occurred in males. "We felt it was critical to release this analysis so we could shine a light on these disparities and the need for us all to do more," said LDH State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter. "This requires a whole of Louisiana effort."

This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.