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ICSPP Newsletter International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology Spring 2005 Issue SPECIAL PRECONFERENCE ISSUE – SEE PAGE 21 FOR MORE INFORMATION The Mythology of Mental Health By Barry Duncan, Psy.D. (Excerpted from What’s Right With You: Debunking Dysfunction and Changing Your Life (2005, HCI; www.whatsrightwithyou.com.) The greatest enemy of the truth is not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth--persistent, pervasive, and unrealistic. John F. Kennedy The Myth of Psychiatric Diagnosis A word carries far—very far—deals destruction through time as the bullets go flying through space. Joseph Conrad Sigmund Freud once said, “I have found little that is good about human beings. In my experience, most of them are trash.” Surprising commentary from the founding parent of psychotherapy! But the field still finds little that is good about human beings. The only difference is that “trash” has been catalogued into hundreds of specific types in the professional digest of human disasters, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association. Diagnosis—while providing comfort for some who are relieved to have a name for a problem—is not a factor in successful therapy and is neither reliable nor valid. Reliability means therapists can agree about what diagnosis a person has. Unfortunately, mental health diagnoses, unlike medical ones, are not reliable: agreement under the best conditions for general categories is about 66 percent; on specific categories, it is as low as 26 percent! So how useful can it be if agreement among professionals only happens 1 in 4 times? Validity, or the ability of diagnosis to do what it purports to do—namely to distinguish normal from abnormal behavior and between types of abnormal behavior so that the proper treatment is selected—simply doesn’t’ exist. All people do the things listed in the diagnostic manual at one time or another, so there is no way to distinguish the behavior of an individual under stressful circumstances from someone who has a “disorder.” There is no biological marker—no blood test or x-ray—to show the presence or absence of the “illness.” Further, because all approaches work for some people some of the time, a diagnosis provides little help in selecting the right approach. Mountains of studies have demonstrated that knowing a person’s diagnosis tells nothing about whether or not a person will benefit—there is no correlation between a person’s diagnosis and the likelihood of success in therapy. Naming a problem has very little to do with solving it. So in other words, diagnosis is worthless! In addition, diagnosis can cause harmful attributions by the labeled individual, his or her family, and helping professionals. Most therapists dislike it, actively lie to protect clients from its implications, and report that it does not inform their day to day work. They only do it because it is required for payment purposes. Finally, diagnosis is culturally biased and incredibly subjective; diagnoses differentially point the finger at women and minorities—the more the person is different than his or her doctor, the more likely the person to receive more serious diagnoses and more serious drugs. Don’t be fooled by the myth of psychiatric diagnosis. Diagnosing mental “disorders” has multiplied like weeds. They choke and smother alternative, hopeful ways of understanding and encouraging change and are based more on political and economic factors than science. Resources: Kirk & Kutchins (1992). The selling of DSM. Aldine; Kutchins & Kirk (1997). Making us crazy. The Free Press; Glasser (2003). Warning: Psychiatry can be hazardous to your mental health. HarperCollins; Levine (2003) Commonsense rebellion. Continuum International. The Myth of the Guru Therapist and Silver Bullet Cure The savage bows down to idols of wood and stone: the civilized man to idols of flesh and blood. George Bernard Shaw Research has led to an unarguable conclusion that is good news for both mental health professionals and clients alike: Psychotherapy is effective in helping human problems. The good news of therapy’s usefulness, however, has led to the impression that therapy operates with technological precision. The illusion is that the all-knowing therapist assigns the proper diagnosis and then selects the right treatment for the particular disorder at hand. The therapist sizes up the demon that plagues the hapless client, loads the silver bullet into the psychotherapy revolver, and shoots the psychic werewolf terrorizing the client. The truth is that the therapist will offer the approach he or she was trained in or is most comfortable in delivering, regardless of the kind of problem it is or your preferences about how it should be handled. Over the years, new schools of therapy have propagated like rabbits and arrive with the regularity of the Book-of-the-Month Club’s main selection—now adding to over 400 models and techniques. Most profess to have captured the true essence of psychological dysfunction as well as the best remedies—most claim to be the true silver bullet cure for whatever ails you. However, such claims and counter claims that one approach is better than the rest have no basis in reality. In the hopes of proving their pet approaches superior, a generation of investigators ushered in the age of comparative clinical trials. Winners and losers were to be had. Thus, behavior, psychoanalytic, client-centered or humanistic, rational-emotive, cognitive, time-limited, time-unlimited, and other therapies were pitted against each other in a great battle of the brands. Nonetheless, all this sound and fury produced an unexpected bonfire of the vanities. The underlying premise of the comparative studies, that one (or more) therapies would prove superior to others, received virtually no support. Despite the Herculean efforts of legions of model worshipers, no one succeeded in declaring any religion to be the best. These findings have been creatively summarized by quoting the dodo bird from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland who said, “Everybody has won and all must have prizes,” first articulated back in 1936 by the amazing Saul Rosenzweig. The so called “dodo bird verdict.” has proven to be the most replicated finding in the therapy literature. The dodo verdict means that because all approaches appear equal in effectiveness, there must be factors in operation that overshadow any perceived differences among approaches. If therapies work, but it has nothing to do with their bells and whistles, what are the common factors of change? The leading researchers in the world point to these factors—the person’s resources, strengths and resiliencies, a supportive relationship, and a plan of action that engenders hope by fitting the individual’s ideas about change. Don’t be beguiled by the myth of the guru therapist and the silver bullet cure. There are endless possibilities for ideas and techniques that could prove useful to any change endeavor. There is no single silver bullet approach. Change is far more about the individual the alliance formed with the therapist than his or her flashy brilliance or the brand of therapy he or she practices; tapping into any person’s inherent strengths and wisdom is the only silver bullet cure. Resources: Fancher (2003). Health and suffering in America. Transaction Publishers/Rutgers; Duncan, Miller, & Sparks (2004).The heroic client. Jossey-Bass. The Myth of the Magic Pill and the Biochemical Imbalance He's the best physician who knows the worthlessness of most medicines. Benjamin Franklin Like all approaches to human problems, medication can be useful for some people at some times and some feely choose drugs as a first line of defense. Freedom of choice is good thing. Unfortunately, unlimited marketing and corporate influence holds sway over public and professional opinion making the choice to medicate seem like the only option available. This is particularly curious when both the explanation for and success of drug treatment is, at best, unconvincing—especially for children. The use of psychiatric drugs for human suffering has become our culture's conventional wisdom despite the fact that they have not been confirmed by the latest discoveries of neuroscience, nor are strongly supported by research. Mass?market advertising has succeeded in its intention to make taking antidepressants, for example, seem as normal and pervasive as swallowing aspirin. Perhaps the most impressive job of public awareness and product identification has been accomplished by the Zoloft cute little oval shaped guy—who initially mopes and frowns, while we are told about chemical imbalances, and then, starts bouncing around, cheerfully smiling, presumably after Zoloft. “Biochemical imbalance” is now an irrepressible part of the American vernacular. Paradoxically, while research has fervently pursued the illusive biological marker that will unlock the mysteries of mental illness, it has never been found! In truth there is no chemical imbalance that has been identified by science—any medical text will tell you that. There are theories about chemical imbalances, but that’s it. Furthermore, little information about the long-term neurological consequences of drug therapies have surfaced—as neuroscientist Elliot Valenstein points out in his book, Blaming the Brain, the arguments supporting biochemical imbalances are not only unconvincing, but ignore the possibility that drugs create, not cure, biochemical problems because of the brain’s plasticity and rapid adaptation to pharmaceuticals Despite the fact that medications like antidepressants are helpful for some, they are not helpful for many others, and yet others cannot tolerate the side effects. Studies often find that they are barely better that sugar pills in alleviating depression! This doesn’t make them worthless—but rather not the panacea for human problems that they are cracked up to be. It means that one should take them only after considering the possible risks and with knowledge that there are many equally or more helpful options available to consider. Nevertheless, we are left with the darling little Zoloft guy’s words of wisdom. Despite the paucity of evidence, conventional belief now is that depression and other human problems are not a bundle of miseries shaped by many forces, but rather are chemical imbalances—not requiring one to get meaningful support from others or change anything. There is only one solution needed: the passive consumption of a magic pill. Of course this doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with trying drugs if the one feels it is the right choice—just don’t buy the “chemical imbalance” tagline, monitor results, and stop taking them, under medical care, if they don’t produce a noticeable benefit. The biggest pitfall of the myth of the magic pill is that it tends to obscure other choices for addressing human suffering and the challenges of life. Finally realizing that psychiatric drug therapy is a profit-driven industry, built on a flimsy science, may be the bad tasting medicine we've needed to debunk the myth of the magic pill. Resources: Breggin & Cohen (1999). Your drug may be your problem. Perseus;. Whitaker (2002). Mad in America. Perseus; Valenstein (1998). Blaming the brain. Free Press. Angell (2004). The truth about the drug companies. Random House. ______________________________________________________________________________ Methadone: Prescription Use; a Growing Problem. On January 23, 2004, Nadine shared with me some of the things she’d been doing: Regular visits to the prisons and jails, sharing her belief in God and telling her story to recovering addicts; bi-weekly attendance at both church and twelve-step meetings, and riding her brand new Harley Davidson on runs with different clubs in the area, her helmet said “Got Jesus?”. She loved working long hours at the cleaning business she developed and managed, selling cosmetics as a second business and donating time and money to favorite causes such as drug and alcohol abuse treatment, and organizations serving homeless children and animals. She regularly exercised, had a strong body in spite of her pain, and had her long hair and nails done regularly to nurture her body and spirit. Her laughter was strong and prolific, and equal to that was her pain at times. Two years ago she sustained a broken bone in her upper cervical spine while working at a facility that treated violent teenage girls. Several girls jumped on her during a riot, and after that, surgery left her in even more pain. She continued to grow spiritually and materially in her life, despite trying many avenues to address her pain. To sum Nadine’s life in one word I would say passion. She lived her life as a display of fireworks, bright, colorful, intense, awesome, and fast. The night I received the news, I was on the phone laughing and making plans with a friend. “Something happened to Nadine”, her niece told me at the door. We drove to her home in the pines and the sheriff was there as was the yellow tape preventing me from going in. The sheriff told me that I could not enter and that Nadine, whom I had only spoken with a few days earlier about plans for the future, was dead. Her death was a mystery until four months later when I received the final Medical Examiners’ report which named methadone as the cause of accidental death. Even later the mystery widened when I found very minimal information on the use of methadone as a pain medication. There were yet fewer reports on the highly toxic effects of the drug. The lab examiner told me that he had seen more than a few deaths from methadone here in Arizona in the last two years. The latest opiate being offered for patients with chronic pain is oral methadone. Most people have heard of it in connection with heroin withdrawal and ongoing maintenance for recovering heroin addicts. The liquid form has been in use to treat opiate withdrawal since the 1950’s and as a daily maintenance program to enable heroin addicted patients to function more normally since 1964. The recent surge in the prescription of this drug for pain control is due to the efforts of some in the medical profession to stop widespread abuse of oxycodone and other opiates. Oral methadone is very different than the liquid which is given to addicts. It takes longer to reach a therapeutic level and lasts longer in the body. There has been a recent consensus among the medical profession that patients with severe and chronic pain have been under-treated due to a concern over those who may be drug-seeking or malingering. Because of methadone’s inability to provide an immediate high such as drugs like heroin or OxyContin, methadone has more recently been considered safer and less addictive. It can be hours before a user feels any effect. Methadone is a synthetic opiate which was developed during World War II by German doctors and was introduced into the U.S. in 1947 as a pain reliever. Oral Methadone is the only pain medication that accumulates in the body and after taking it for a while the body starts to store it. It is generally the preferred choice for chronic pain patients due to the following reasons: its’ slow onset and long duration of action, usually 6 to 8 hours; its relatively low need for dose escalation because of tolerance; its inhibition of serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake, which can avoid the depressive symptoms of other opiates and allow patients to perform daily activities more fully than other pain medications; and its relatively low cost. Over time however, its’ effects stop working as well and the medication must be adjusted Methadone is stored extensively in the liver and secondarily in other body tissues. Its’ elimination half-life averages 24 to 36 hours at a steady state but may range from 4 to 91 hours. Because of this long half-life, balancing the drug elimination time with steady serum methadone levels (SML’s) in which drug elimination is in balance with the amount of drug in the body – requires on average, from 4 to 5 days, although it can take much longer in some individuals. If doses are excessive, SML’s can build up in the body. Due to liver enzyme activity, methadone is broken down to form a number of inactive metabolites. Drugs that induce activity of these enzymes can accelerate methadone metabolism and shorten the duration of effects and so precipitate the withdrawal syndrome. Conversely, drugs that inhibit these enzymes can slow methadone metabolism, raise the SML and extend the duration of the drug’s effect. When these interactions with other substances occur, changes in SML’s can result in under or over medication. Genetic and environmental factors also act on the enzymes, leading to considerable variation in potency of the drug. There is a wide individual variation in tolerance which can also be affected by external stimuli. Methadone’s delayed narcotic effect and its lack of a potent high are important reasons it can be so dangerous, experts say. By the time the individual has actually overdosed, they may not be around others to see the consequences due to much time elapsing from first taking the drug. The dose that can cause an overdose may vary widely. If taken with alcohol or other drugs methadone can be lethal. The intake of drugs such as benzodiazepines, other opiates, and even some anti-depressants must be closely monitored as a synergistic effect may occur. The pill form which is usually prescribed for chronic pain, comes in 5 to 10 milligram tablets each, the dose can average around 60 milligrams per day when a therapeutic level is maintained. Depending upon the patient’s tolerance to the dosage, it may take several pills over time to lead to overdose. Some people, uninformed about the drugs delayed effects don’t get the relief they want and take more of the drug, and still not getting the reaction or relief from pain, take more and end up overdosing. It is a central nervous system depressant which lowers blood pressure and heart rate and slows respiration. The most common cause of methadone-related death is respiratory failure. Methadone-related deaths have seen a steady increase over the last few years. There are no national figures for methadone mortality, but in several states the death rates have nearly doubled between 2000 and 2002. Nationwide, methadone-related emergency room visits nearly doubled between 1999 and 2001 from 5,426 to 10,725. Data from MedWatch – the FDA’s Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program indicate that from 1970 through 2002, 1,114 cases of methadone-associated deaths were reported. A greater number of methadone-associated deaths were reported in 2001 alone than during the entire period from 1990 through 1999. This number doubled again in 2002. Maine, Florida and North Carolina, all states in which distribution through pharmacies for the use of pain medication exceed the national average, had an alarming increase in methadone-associated deaths. In North Carolina the number of deaths associated with the drug increased five-fold from 1997 through 2001. Physician prescription orders were identified in 75 percent of these cases. Over long periods of time, methadone can lead to a very long withdrawal period. As compared to other opiates in which the withdrawal period is a week to ten days, heavy methadone users can expect recovery to take as long as 5 or 6 weeks. The physician must be aware of this long recovery period so that they don’t change drugs or stop it suddenly. Withdrawal from methadone is like any other opiate withdrawal which should be done in a safe setting with frequent outpatient visits to the physician. Flu like symptoms, restlessness, anxiety, grouchiness, diarrhea, insomnia, fever and sneezing begin on the first day without the drug. During the second or third day without treatment the individual begins having muscle spasms, nausea, increased diarrhea, vomiting, severe backache, stomach pains, hot and cold flashes, intestinal spasm, repetitive sneezing, rise in blood pressure, and bone and muscle pain, along with feelings of suicidal ideation. Chronic pain patients are poorly served in the medical community. Because of the addictive nature of all opiate medications, even in individuals who do not show a propensity for addiction, the need to progressively take more to alleviate pain as well as to stave off symptoms of withdrawal creates an addiction. The side effects are at best addictive and at worst deadly and both are expanding to a wider range of people. My daughter Nadine had been taking the oral methadone for a little over one year before her death and was under supervised medical care. She had assumed that her medications were safe. The blood toxicology report showed a blood level that was not abnormally high for the length of time she had been taking it, although for a person recently beginning the methadone regime it would be considered high. She had a small amount of one other medication in her body which was deemed a “therapeutic level”. These were the only two of the 7 drugs she was prescribed, mainly related to her pain. Nadine is one of a growing number of those who no matter how careful, how frequently monitored, and how many other avenues were given careful consideration, she accidentally overdosed on a drug that is too unpredictable, too widely prescribed, and with too little available information on the experimental and growing use of this drug as a pain medication. The evening of January 29, 2004, Nadine had done her usual chores, bathed, paid part of her bills, washed some work clothes to be put into the dryer when she awoke, and set the coffee maker for 6 cups. She was found expired in her bed, her toes recently painted with snowmen on each great toe, her long, lustrous blonde hair freshly washed. She was just 42 years old. (1853) Kate Shannon, M.A., C.P.C., C.S.A.C., C.A.D.A.C. P.O.Box 4133 Prescott, AZ 86302 (928) 445-7060 (928) 925-2467 FAX (928) 778-6750 Meshannon3@yahoo.com ______________________________________________________________________________ The Mother of all Triangles Louis Wynne, Ph.D. Of all the contributions to the field of psychotherapy surely one of the most creative has been the concept of family triangulation (Heilveil, 1998; Kerr and Bowen, 1988; McGoldrick and Gerson, 1985; Minuchin, Rosman, and Baker, 1978; Nichols, 1988). Viewing the families of clients as triangulated (as opposed to the vague term “dysfunctional”) assists the therapist not only in understanding the context within which a client’s unwanted behavior has developed, it also helps him or her decide on a strategy of intervention. I argue that triangulation is such a powerful idea that to undertake the assessment of a client without at least considering it borders on professional negligence. If I may be permitted to make a medical comparison, it would be rather like conducting a History and Physical without taking the patient’s vital signs. All the above-cited authors assert that there are many kinds of triangles within families: those involving two siblings and a parent, those involving both parents and a child, etc. It is my purpose in this short paper to suggest that, to a considerable degree, the families of people who appear for help at the offices of psychotherapists are triangulated in a quite specific way. I also hasten to say that none of the ideas presented here will be particularly new to those readers well-versed in family systems theory. Let us say that they are like aged wine in a new bottle. All families have values--priorities that can be inferred from the way they go about the business of eating, drinking, and clothing themselves, earning their living, worshipping their god, getting married (or staying single), raising their children, and so on. Family members may not be able to tell you readily just what these values are, but they are not far beneath the surface, and even a novice therapist can discover them without much digging. For some families, education is the top priority, for others it will be the observance of a particular religion, the accumulation of wealth, the maintenance of physical fitness, or service in the military (at least among the men of the family). Somewhat more obscure in all families are the rules that dictate how each family member must behave in the pursuit of the family’s paramount value. That is, what members may do and, more important, must not do. It is probably true that all families are triangulated to some extent. Perhaps that is what Virginia Satir meant with her reputed remark that all families are at least a little dysfunctional. In the case of rigidly triangulated families, however, the result is what we conventionally call mental illness. In these families, the rules dictating the behavior of the person who shows up for psychotherapy are of necessity hidden, and they will be denied by the family should the “identified patient” infer their existence. Indeed, such assertions by that person will almost certainly be the last straw and will force the family to take action. We have now met the first member of the family triangle. I call this person the black sheep for no other reason than most of my clients have used this term to describe themselves without any prompting by me. This person frequently comes to my office by him/herself to request help but, with children and teens, he or she is usually accompanied, at least at first, by someone else. Enter the rule-enforcer. This is the person in each generation of the family who is entrusted with the responsibility of insuring that everyone toes the line—especially the black sheep whose refusal to obey the always tacit rules or whose escape from the family triangulation would be considered a catastrophe for the family as a whole! The rule enforcer is frequently the person who first approaches you to see “what kind of a practice you have, which provider panels you’re on, what techniques or philosophy you espouse, and whether you prescribe medication.” If you have the temerity to ask whether the person who has phoned you will be the client, the rule enforcer will explain condescendingly that that person would not willingly call you. The rule enforcer is almost invariably the first-born in his or her generation, while the “black sheep” is the second or subsequent child. First-born children are rarely black sheep. On those rare occasions when they do seek help for themselves, and the black sheep of the family is clearly someone else, I refer to them as “reluctant rule-enforcers.” They have in my experience, with only one exception, been women. Another word on the gender of the rule enforcer: when the first-born is a male, the role of rule enforcer seems to be granted without question. This is probably a hold-over from our culture’s thousand years of feudalism—or perhaps it goes back as far as biblical times. If, however, the first-born is a woman, with the second-born a male who is born within just a year or two of her, she might expect to be challenged for that position. Usually she is able to fight off the challenge, but it adds to the overall level of stress that she suffers being in such a family. Similarly, the male rule enforcer does not “rule” without stress. I am presently seeing a client, the first born in his family, whose next younger sister and her husband are doing professionally and financially much better than my client and his wife. My client’s wife has threatened to leave him unless he stops stretching them to live beyond their means (so that he can maintain his status in the family). All triangles have, of course, three apexes. The person sitting at the third apex of the strongly triangulated family I call the invisible man (or woman). He or she has two important characteristics and contributions to make to these families. First, this person is almost always of the older generation of the family—just as the black sheep is almost always of the younger generation. This is not accidental, as I shall make clear in a moment. Deciding who this person is can be difficult. I usually approach the question by asking: If all the members of your family were still living, and all were within a day’s drive of my office, which family member would I not be allowed to interview? Second, it usually materializes that this person is alcoholic, a sexual abuser, or certainly someone who has always been protected from the consequences of his/her behavior—at the expense of the black sheep! Indeed, this person used to be the black sheep before he or she “graduated” into the position as it became available when the former incumbent died. That is, the black sheep of the family—the person who is your client—is now in training to be that person, and that is perhaps the main reason why he or she has searched out your help. If no escape can be contrived, and your client makes the move from black sheep to invisible man or woman, then a vacancy is created, and that will be filled by a member of the family in the younger generation. Candidates for that position are frequently aware of this recruitment process, and it is not unusual for the most likely teen-ager in such families to become increasingly agitated, defiant, even running away. In other words, once the transition to the nouveau regime has been made and your client has been promoted, you will no longer, perforce, be allowed to see him or her. Now your attention will be directed by the family to their new problem. In such a way is the transgenerational nature of triangulation effected. It should not be necessary to assert out that, upon the death of the rule-enforcer, the person inheriting the role can never be the black sheep: that person, as we have just seen, has been trained for a much different function, and he or she would never be allowed by the family to serve in such an important position. That job will fall to the oldest child of the deceased rule-enforcer, and the triangle continues uninterrupted. One final point: Kerr and Bowen (1988, p. 134-135) went to some length to disavow any attempt to explain why some families triangulate. They said that the triangle “describes the what, how, when, and where of relationships, not the why.” Perhaps, but believe that we do know a little about the why. I believe that families triangulate in the face of trauma and the perceived need for secrecy in how the family dealt with that trauma, including how one family member was protected from the trauma’s effects. (See for example Edelstien, 1990.) The family forces making up this “mother of all triangles” are as insidious as they are powerful, and observing the maneuverings of the family members as they contrive to keep people in their assigned roles can be a fascinating experience. It reminds me of the way it felt back in my high school physics classes when I tried to push the similar poles of two magnets together. I couldn’t see the force fields, but I could sure feel them! Of course, those fields could be made visible by covering the magnets with a piece of paper and then sprinkling iron filings on the paper—much as I hope the forces with the triangulated family have been made “visible” by this paper. References Edelstien, M.G. (1990). Symptom analysis. New York: Norton. Heilveil, I. (1998). When families feud. New York: Penguin/Putnam Kerr, M.E., and Bowen, M. (1988). Family evaluation. New York: Norton. McGoldrick, M., and Gerson, R. (1985). Genograms in family assessment. New York: Norton. Minuchin, S., Rosman, B.L., and Baker, L. (1978). Psychosomatic families. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Nichols, M.P. (1988). The power of the family. New York: Simon and Schuster. Louis Wynne is in the independent practice of psychology in Albuquerque, NM, and is the Four Corners Regional Director of ICSPP. He is former clinical director of the New Mexico State Hospital. ______________________________________________________________________________ THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS OF THE SCHIZOPHRENIAS AND OTHER PSYCHOSES UNITED STATES CHAPTER CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS ISPS-US Seventh Annual Symposium: “The Validity Of Experience” Boston, Massachusetts Holiday Inn Brookline • 1200 Beacon Street • Brookline, MA 02446 • (617) 277-1200 November 11-13, 2005 ISPS, formerly called the International Society for the Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia, was founded in 1956 by Drs. Gaetano Benedetti and Christian Muller. This international organization seeks to reach an experiential and psychodynamic understanding of the complex set of complicated disorders of schizophrenia and related psychotic problems. The members of this organization, mental health professionals and others who share our interest, hold that one-dimensional biological reductionistic concepts do not do justice to the experience of those who suffer from these conditions. True understanding and successful treatment depend upon understanding the validity of the experience of these patients. The United States chapter, ISPS-US was launched by David Feinsilver, MD in October, 1998. Its mission statement calls for joining “with other professionals and lay people to promote the humane, comprehensive, and in-depth treatment of psychotic illness.” This year the seventh annual meeting of ISPS-US will be dedicated to exploring various approaches to understanding how patients with psychoses experience their subjective personal universes and how they experience their illnesses as well as their treatments. The experience of every patient is valid according to its own terms, as is the experience of the therapist. This symposium is dedicated to understanding that validity, and through this understanding, assisting these patients to recover from their illness and to achieve adaptive, self-fulfilling lives. We are honored to have as our keynote speaker renowned author and teacher, George Atwood, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, whose writings concern the Intersubjective viewpoint in psychoanalysis. Papers should be no more than 30 minutes in length, with an additional 30 minutes allotted for discussion. We ask for a proposal in the form of an abstract with a maximum of 250 words. Proposals should contain a title, author’s name, address, phone, e-mail, and institutional affiliation if any. Group presentations should list all presenters’ names, with one contact person. Please submit proposals by e-mail to Karen Stern at contact@isps-us.org. (If e-mail is not possible, mail proposals to the address below.) PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 30, 2005. Inquiries about other ideas for presentations such as symposia, workshops, etc. should be addressed to Ronald Abramson, M.D., Conference Director: rona976@aol.com. For more information, contact ISPS-US: P.O. Box 491 • Narberth, PA 19072 • USA www.isps-us.org • contact@isps-us.org • (610) 308-4744 ISPS-US is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. ______________________________________________________ All In The Family By Lloyd Ross Hi Folks: In the coming editions of the ICSPP NEWSLETTER, we will be introducing this column, “All In The Family.” At each ICSPP International Conference that I have attended, (all but the very first), I have heard people say numerous times, “I feel like in this group I’ve come home,” or “This organization feels like a big, warm, cuddly family to me,” or “I feel safe with ICSPP.” Since in many ways ICSPP does function “family like,” (even the dysfunctional aspects), we really should get to know what people are doing, have done, and are about to do. In each subsequent edition of the Newsletter I will be profiling one of us. Next edition, I will be profiling Ty Colbert whose early book, “Broken Brains Or Wounded Hearts” has influenced me and clarified my thinking to a great extent. I will also add some personal chatter about each of you if you provide it to me. Please send me anything that you would like us to use in this column. Send it to me at LloydRoss1@WORLDNET.att.net or by snail mail at 27 North Broad Street, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450. MUSIC HAS ARRIVED ON THE ICSPP WEBSITE By Lloyd Ross, Ph.D., FACAPP., P.A. North American Director When you go to the ICSPP website , www.icspp.org, you will find that it is now graced by music. Not just any music, however. The songwriter-artist has always been a strong, enthusiastic advocate and supporter of anyone who is grappling with emotional issues as well as those who are attempting to provide real, humane help to those grappling with emotional issues. When you click on the home page of the ICSPP website, you will hear one of his wonderful songs. About The Song: “Just A Little More Love” is a wonderfully honest song about the trials of life that we all face, both with our children and with ourselves. Interjected are the crazy solutions that society has for us which aren’t solutions at all. However, Don White, the writer of this wonderful piece, presents a real solution for these problems. Remarkably, if our founder and first Executive Director, Dr. Peter R. Breggin, had been a song writer, this is the song he would have written. Just to give you a taste, the first lyric goes somewhat as follows: “I know a wife and a husband who had a shiny little kid. When that kid turned 16, you won’t believe what he did. He smoked a lot of marijuana, snorted cocaine too. He told his parents he was gonna, Drop out of school. His father pounded on the table, His mother hollered and screamed. They ran him down to the Doctor, Doctor what does this mean? He put them all on Prozac, Right then and right there. He said ‘it won’t solve your problems, But you just won’t care.” To hear the outcome of this saga, please go to the ICSPP website, www.ICSPP.org. About The Song Writer-Artist: Don White is a folk singer and songwriter from Lynn, Massachusetts who has been performing since 1988, the year that Prozac first came on the market. (Purely coincidence.) Don is a strong and long time supporter and advocate for humane help for people with emotional issues. As a strong supporter of psychiatric rights and freedom, much of his music reflects this theme. This is so much so that some of his performance venues reflect this dedication to the cause. He has done concerts for Zuzu’s Place, a multifamily home for folks with emotional problems designed to help them become independent and own their own place to live. . Don has also done concerts for The Friendship House in Lynn, Mass., a mental health clinic that provides free care to residents of Weston, Wellesley, and Newton, Mass., the Tradewinds Clubhouse in Sturbridge, Mass, a group that supplies housing and support for local folks, and many other programs. To quote Don White from his website at www.donwhite.net: “Yes, I am particularly sensitive to mental health issues. If you are in the business of making life better for those among us with mental health challenges, you have my ear. I am also interested in causes that benefit teenagers at risk. My son and I have performed in the past for young people who were spending the holidays in detox and for many other high risk teen groups. I have always felt that the most important part of these performances is to present these young people the possibility that a father and son can actually have a good relationship. I know that many of them have parents that are more messed up than they are but after there shows I always feel that at least now they know that there are other possibilities available to them when they start their own families.” Some Additional Works By Don White: Don White, in his songs and monologues, provides a unique blend of pathos and humor that from one piece to the next moves the listener from laughter to tears and back. One of his songs, “I know what love is,” has been performed by Don at many weddings. Many of Don White’s songs sound like a cross between Phil Ochs and Bob Dillon without the major political aspects. In his monologues, I detected a bit of Tom Paxton and the great storytelling of Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger. (If you don’t know who any of these people are I suggest that you stop reading now.) Among his monologues, “Moments” is a sensitive depiction of his feelings around his son going off to college. Two particularly hysterical monologues are “Testosterman In Estroland” and “:Adolescent Rant,” the classic story of adolescence from the eyes of a Parent. On a more painful note, he sings the song “Marlene,” about a woman in a hospice close to death. The only songs I have heard that are as heart wrenching are Tom Paxton’s “Born On The Fourth Of July” and “Jimmy Neuman.” One of my personal favorites is “Like A Friend,” a song about what friends are really about as opposed to those who simply call themselves that. There are many other interesting, funny, and sad pieces on Don’s multiple CDs, but I can’t just go on and on. Go to his website at www.donwhite.net to learn more about him and his music. His albums can be purchased at www.cdfreedom.com/donwhite or by calling (1-800) 937-3397. Who Knows. You may gat a chance to meet him and hear him in person at one of our future conferences. International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology Now Available on DVD 15% off for ICSPP Members The 2003 Seminar Conference TREATING THE DIFFICULT CHILD: ADHD, BIPOLAR AND OTHER DIAGNOSES: CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO WIYH SOLUTION BASED THERAPY Peter Breggin, M.D. “The Biological Basis of Childhood Disorders:The Scientific Facts” David Cohen, Ph.D. “New Research on the ADHD Drugs: A Comparative Study of Stimulants” Brian Kean, M.A. “The Dangers of Diagnosing Children: Results of the Multi-modal Treatment Approach Study” Robert Foltz, Ph.D. “Bipolar, ADHD and Conduct Disorder: The Diagnostic Dilemma.” Bruce Levine, Ph.D. “Common-Sense Solutions for Disruptive Children Without Drugs or Behavioral Manipulation.” Dominick Riccio, Ph.D. “Family Therapy: the Treatment of Choice for Working with Difficult Children.” Kevin McCready, Ph.D. Psychodynamic Therapy with Children and Families David Stein, Ph.D. “A Drug-Free Practical Program for Children Diagnosed with ADHD and Most Other Behavioral Disorders.” $100.00 for the Complete Set 2004 CONFERENCE CRITIQUING DISEASE MODELS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DISTRESS AND IMPLEMENTING PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORIES AND INTERVENTIONS Vera Sharav Screening for mental illness: The merger of eugenics and the drug industry. David Healy, M.D. Manufacturing consensus in psychopharmocology: the end of psychiatry as a Science? Peter R. Breggin, M.D. , Violence induced by psychiatric medications: cases, questions and contradictions Brian Kean, Ph.D. The Risk Society and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):A Critical Social Research Analysis Concerning the Development and Social Impact of the ADHD Diagnosis Pam Otis, M.D. A Pediatric practice using no labels, no psychotropic drugs, and teaching peers and residents to treat difficult children by asking how and why. Toby Tyler Watson, Psy.D. The four false pillars of biopsychiatry: examining the scientific facts about the underlying assumptions of biopsychiatry, i.e. chemical imbalances, inheritance, genetics, and adoption studies. Laurence Simon, Ph.D. Therapy as civics; the patient and therapist as citizens David B. Stein, Ph.D. Parenting and treating difficult teens without drugs or make believe disease. Dominick Riccio, Ph.D. The role and therapeutic function of the father in the treatment of difficult and acting out children Matt Irwin, M.D. Treatment and reversal of schizophrenia without neuroleptics. GEORGE W. ALBEE, Ph.D. A Radical View of the Causes, Prevention, and treatment of Mental Disorders NADINE LAMBERT, PH.D. The contribution of childhood ADHD, psychostimulant exposure and problem behavior to adolescent and adult substance abuse CELIA Brown David oaks The continuum of support: Real alternatives and self-help approaches Robert Whitaker Anatomy of an Epidemic: the astonishing rise of mental illness in America James B. Gottstein, J.D. Psych Rights Legal Campaign Against Forced Drugging and How You Can Participate Raymond DiGiuseppe, Ph.D. Is anger adequately represented in the DSM? $200.00 for the Complete Set 2000 CONFERENCE PSYCHOSOCIAL SOLUTIONS VS PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS: THE ETHICS AND EFFICACY OF TREATING CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH BRAIN DISABLING DRUGS WHEN SCIENCE INDICATES THAT PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACHES ARE MORE EFFECTIVE AND NON-TOXIC Your Psychiatric Drug May Be Your Problem Presenters: Peter R. Breggin, MD (Chair) David Cohen, Ph.D. Psychiatry, Malpractice, & Product Liability Issues Presenters: Peter R. Breggin. MD (Chair) Pam Clay, JD. Donald Farber, JD Danny McGlynn, JD Michael Mosher, JD The Treatment of Deeply Disturbed Children & Adults Without Resort to Psychiatric Drugs Presenters: Peter R. Breggin, MD Kevin McCready, Ph.D Loren Mosher, MD Tony Stanton, MD Children In Distress: ADHD & Other Diagnoses Presenters: Peter Breggin, MD Ron Hopson, Ph.D. Working With Very Disturbed & Traumatized Children Presenter: Tony Stanton, M.D. What Is Wrong With Psychiatric Diagnoses: Biopsychiatry & The DSM Presenter: Paula Caplan, Ph.D. Drugs In Psychiatry As A Socio-Cultural Phenomenon Presenter: David Cohen, Ph.D Why We Shouldn’t Label Our Children ADHD or Learning Disabled Presenters: Gerald Coles, Ph.D. David Keirsey, Ph.D. Psychotherapy Vs. Drug Therapy With Children Presenter: William Glasser, MD New Legislation, Children, and Medication Abuses Presenter: Hon.. Marion Crecco And They Call It Help: How Psychiatry Has Failed Our Children Presenter: Louise Armstrong, Ph.D. Reclaiming Our Children Presenters: Peter R. Breggin, MD Jake Johnson,Ed.D. $200.00 for the Complete Set ICSPP DVD Order Form DVDs sold only in complete sets Send order form with check or credit card information to: ICSPP Conference DVD Dominick Riccio, Ph.D. 1036 Park Avenue, Suite 1B New York, NY 10028 Name:_____________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City:______________________________State:__________Zip:________ Telephone:___________________________________________________ Credit card: Visa___ Mastercard___American Express___Discover____ Credit card #______________________________________________ Expiration date: MM/YY____/____ ORDER: Quantity______2004 Conference x $200.00 = ___________ Quantity______2003 Conference x $100.00 = ___________ Quantity______2000 Conference x $200.00 = ___________ Total = ___________ Less 15% ICSPP paid member discount = -___________ Add $10.00 shipping and handling + $10.00 Final total due = ____________ OVER THREE DECADES OF ICSPP ACCOMPLISHMENTS Stopping the worldwide resurgence of lobotomy and psychosurgery on adults and children, and all psychosurgery in federal and state institutions. The creation of a federal Psychosurgery Commission by Congress (1970's) Alerting professionals to the dangers of tardive dyskinesia in children (1983). Tardive dyskinesia is a potentially devastating neurological disorder caused by neuroleptic or antipsychotic drugs. Alerting professionals to the dangers of dementia produced by long-term neuroleptic drug use (1983). Motivating the FDA to force the drug companies to put a new class warning of tardive dyskinesia on their labels for neuroleptic drugs (1985). The withdrawal of a large multi-agency federal program to perform dangerous invasive experiments in inner-city kids in search of supposed genetic and biochemical causes of violence (the violence initiative) (early 1990's). The initial cancellation and later modification of a potentially racist federally sponsored conference on the genetics of violence (early 1990's). Alerting the profession to danger of down-regulation and dangerous withdrawal reactions from the new SSRI antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil (1992-4). Monitoring, and at times modifying or stopping unethical, hazardous experimental research on children (1973-present). Encouraging that NIH Consensus Development Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to raise serious concerns about "ADHD" and stimulants for children. While each of these critiques and reform projects was initially considered highly controversial, and while each was frequently opposed by organized psychiatry, most are now widely accepted as rational, ethical, and scientific. For example, Psychosurgery is no longer widely practiced and not at all in state or federal institutions or on children in the United States; the multi-agency federal program aimed at using invasive biological procedures on inner-city children has been disbanded; the conference on the genetics of violence was delayed and then vastly modified; all experts now recognize the dangers of tardive dyskinesia in children; many researchers have confirmed that the neuroleptic drugs produce dementia, and experienced doctors now recognize the potential for dangerous withdrawal effects from the SSRIs. Become a member by mailing a $25 check or money order (U.S. funds) ($35 U.S. dollars if mailing address is international). Check or money order should be made out to ICSPP. An additional tax-deductible donation can be added, and would be deeply appreciated. Your Donations to ICSPP help! Your membership in ICSPP covers the expense of producing four newsletters per annum and other mailings, and helps us to continue to respond to the hundreds of information queries we receive from the public, the media, and concerned professionals. ICSPP owns and edits Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry published by Springer Publishing. A subscription to EHPP is $52.00 and can be ordered by clicking on “Journal” on our website (www.icspp.org). However, if you subscribe simultaneously with your dues payment the total of dues and subscription is $90.00 ($110.00 outside of the USA), a savings of $12.00. EHPP is vital both to those who seek to read, write, and publish on issues critical to institutional psychiatry as well as to the life of ICSPP as a scientific and educational institution. If paying by check please indicate that your payment is for both dues and subscription as well as any donation you care to make. Thank you. General members receive the newsletter and the satisfaction of supporting mental health reform efforts for children, elders, racial and ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable populations. Members also receive a discount on the journal, Ethical Human Sciences and Services. We are a volunteer organization with no officers receiving salaries or other financial benefits. Become a general member by mailing a $50 dollar check or money order (U.S. funds) (60 U.S. dollars if address is international). Check or money order should be made out to ICSPP. International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology 1036 Park Avenue, Suite 1B New York NY 10028 Telephone: (212) 861-7400 Join US. Become a member of ICSPP today! ICSPP is a nonprofit 501 C3 organization. Name___________________________________________________________________ Title_________________Organization_______________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________ City______________ State___________________________ Zip Code_____________ Country___________________________ E-mail_______________________________ Telephone_______________________________________________________________ Mail form and check to Robert Sliclen, 450 Washington Ave. TWP of Washington, New Jersey, 07676-4031 ICSPP Offices and Directors around the U.S. and the World International & North American Offices Peter R. Breggin, MD. Founder and Director Emeritus. Intl. Executive Director Emeritus, Advisory Council Member Ginger Ross Breggin The Breggin’s address: 101 East State Street, PBM 112 Ithaca, NY 14850-5543 (607) 272-5328 International Executive Director Dominick Riccio, Ph.D. 1036 Park Avenue, Suite 1B New York, NY 10028 (212) 861-7400 United States regional Director Lloyd Ross, Ph.D. 27 North Broad Street Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450 Phone: (201) 445-0280 Email: Lloydross1@worldnet.att.net Newsletter Editor Laurence Simon, Ph.D. 2717 Belle Road, Bellmore, NY 11710 516-826-8860 lrsimon@optonline.net Director of Communications Andrew Levine, CSW 267 N. Central Park Avenue White Plains, NY 10606 (914) 633- 1905 Director of Membership Services Robert Sliclen, Ph.D. 450 Washington Avenue Twp of Washington, NJ 07676-4031 (201) 664-2566 Editors - Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry: An International Journal of Critical Inquiry Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. Laurence Simon, Ph.D. For International/National membership, newsletter, advocacy, and technical information contact the international office. For regional activities contact the regional directors and watch this newsletter for announcements. CSPP Australia Brian Keen, M.A. Lecturer in Education Southern Cross University PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW, 2480 Australia Phone: (066) 203797 CSPP Belgium Philip Hennaux, M.D. Medical Director, La Piece 71 Rue Hotel Des Monnaies 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium Phone: 2-646-96-01 CSPP Switzerland Piet Westdijk, Dr.Med. [M.D.] FMH Psychiatry and Psychotherapy FMH Child Psychiatry & Child Psychotherapy Sattelgasse 4, CH_4051 Basel, Switzerland Phone: (41) 61 262 22222 CSPP South America Alberto Ferguson, M.D. Av. 82, No. 9-86, Apt. 402 Bogota, Columbia, SA. (011) (571) 636-9050 US address: 4405 N. W. 73 Avenue, Ste.051-5106 Miami, Fla. 33166-6400 Website: www.icspp.org CSPP-Southeast Barry Duncan 8611 Banyan Court, Tamarac, Fl. 33321 (954) 721-2981 USA-CSPP Four Corners Louis Wynne, Ph.D. 1420 Carlisle NE, Suite 102 Albuquerque, NM 87110 (505) 280-4400 USA-Great Lakes Robert Foltz, Psy.D. 100 S. Atkinson, Suite 203 Grayslake, Il. 60030 (847) 518-9546 DrRobertF981@aol.com USA-CSPP Mid-Atlantic David Stein, Ph.D. Longwood College, Psychology Dept. Farmville, VA 23909 (804) 395-2322 USA-CSPP New England Emmy Rainwalker 187 Merriam Hill Road Greenville, NH 03048 (603) 878-3362 emmy@emmyrainwalker.com USA-CSPP North Carolina USA-CSPP Northern California Diane Kern, Dr. Criminology, MFT Insight Center 1372 North Main Street, #207 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 943-5503 CALL FOR PAPERS AND REGISTRATION FORMS Eighth Annual Conference of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP) With the collaboration of the St. John’s University Department of Psychology (Dedicated to the memory of Kevin McCready, Ph.D.) To take place in New York City, October, 7, 8, and 9, 2005 at The Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel, 135-20 39th Avenue, Flushing, New York, 11354 SCHIZOPHRENIA and BIPOLAR DISORDER: SCIENTIFIC FACTS OR SCIENTIFIC DELUSIONS? Implications for theory and treatment Invited presenters include: Peter Breggin, M.D. Founder of ICSPP, noted author of numerous scientific publications including Toxic Psychiatry and Talking Back to Prozac; Daniel Dorman, M.D. author of Dante’s Cure: A Journey Out of Madness; William Glasser, M.D. Internationally recognized psychiatrist and author of Reality Therapy and Choice Theory; Grace Jackson, M.D. Noted scientist and international lecturer; Bertram Karon, Ph.D. Noted psychoanalyst and author of Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia: Treatment of Choice; Brian Koehler, M.D.; Clancy McKenzie, M.D. Director of the Integrative Psychiatry Program at Capital University of Integrative Medicine, Washington, D.C.; Dominick Riccio, Ph.D. Psychoanalyst and Executive Director, ICSPP; Ann-Louise Silver, M.D. Prseident of the U.S. Chapter of The International Society for the Psychological Treatment of Schizophrenia and other Psychoses (ISPS) and Past President of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry; Laurence Simon, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of Psychology, CUNY, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, St. John’s University and author of Psychology, Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis and the Politics of Human Relationships; Elliot Valenstein, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor, University of Michigan and author of Blaming the Brain; Robert Whitaker, Prize winning investigative journalist and author of Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill. For more than three decades ICSPP (www.icspp.org), a nonprofit, 501 (c) research and educational network of professionals and lay persons that has been informing professionals, media, and the public about potential dangers of biological theories and treatments in psychiatry. The ICSPP Annual conferences serve as unique thought provoking forums to exchange critical ideas about the impact of contemporary mental health ideologies on personal and community values, and to disseminate models of therapeutic intervention that disavow all coercion and the compromise of ethics, rationality and scientific principles. Participants include mental health professionals, academics, and researchers from the educational and academic communities, the medical and social sciences, and members of the public. It is no exaggeration to state that most attendees find the annual conferences the most stimulating, useful, intellectually challenging, and friendly meetings they ever attend. The Eighth Annual Conference will be held in New York City and promises to be the best ever. Presentations may include among others: Critiques of the validity and reliability of psychiatric diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other diagnoses of psychoses. Critical evaluations concerning the claim that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are true medical disorders. Critical evaluations of the biological bases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Critical Studies on the relationship of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and genetics. Critical evaluations concerning biological treatments of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other DSM diagnoses of psychosis. Studies concerned with the long-term consequences of drug treatments in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Critical evaluations of psychosocial interventions with individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Critical evaluations concerning the relationship of bipolar disorder and suicide. Critical evaluations concerning the relationship of psychiatric drugs and suicide. The scientific committee of the Eighth Annual Conference invites proposals for roundtable seminars, oral presentations, workshops and posters on any topic pertinent to ICSPP’s educational mission including: Presentations may consist of scholarly reviews, empirical studies, or practice descriptions. Oral presentations are 30-45 minutes long. Presenters are responsible for their registration, accommodations, and travel costs. Further details are available at www.icspp.org Graduate students get a 50% discount on registration fees and are eligible to win a $250 cash prize for Best Student Presentation Accepted presentations will be eligible for publication in the peer-reviewed journal of ICSPP, Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry: An International Journal of Critical Inquiry. Indexed in PsychInfo, SociologicalAbstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica and Medline (http://www.springerpub.com/store/home_ehss.html) CEU credits will be available for those attending this conference. __________________________________________________________________ Submission of Abstracts 8th Annual ICSPP Conference New York City Your presentation must include the following elements: 1.Oral presentation, seminar or poster 2.Title of presenter: Dr., Prof., Mr., Mrs., Ms., no title 3.Last name, First name, Initial 4.Highest academic degree 5.Affiliation 6.Full mailing address 7.Telephone and Fax 8.Email 9.Title of presentation 10.Aims and contents of presentation (for inclusion in program handbook: do not exceed 150 words.) 11.Biography of presenter (for inclusion in program handbook: name, profession, experience, interests, accomplishments – do not exceed 80 words) 12.Audiovisual aids required ________________________________________________________________________ Send by email and as word attachment only to: Laurence Simon, Ph.D., Co-chair, Scientific Committee at lrsimon@optonline.net For more information call 516-361-8067 Deadline for Proposal Submission May 30th, 2005 REGISTRATION FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL ICSPP CONFERENCE Sheraton LaGuardia East 135-20 39th Avenue, Flushing New York 11354 Phone locally (718) 460-6666 toll-free number (1-800) 325-3535 Fax (718) 445-2655 The room rate is $140.00 for a single or double. Space is limited at the conference venue so be sure to book early. You must book before August 31, 2004 to get the conference rate. Name_______________________________________________________________________________ Title______________________________ Organization______________________________________ Address______________________________________________City_____________ State_________ ZipCode_______Country____________________________EMail_____________________________ Telephone______________________________ Fax_________________________________________ The advance registration fee for the three day conference is $275 for non-members and $250 dollars for ICSPP members. Any non-members joining ICSPP simultaneously with registration for the conference will be given the member rate for the conference. (See dues submission form page 17 of this newsletter.) MEMEBERS NOT CURRENT WITH THEIR 2005 DUES WILL RECEIVE NON-MEMBERS REGISTRATION FEE! Non-invited, accepted speakers must register. ICSPP CONFERENCE FEE SCHEDULE ICSPP MEMBER BEFORE JUNE 30 $250.00 ________________ ICSPP MEMBER AFTER JUNE 30 $300.00 ________________ NON-MEMBER BEFORE JUNE 30 $275.00 ________________ NON-MEMBER AFTER JUNE 30 $325.00 ________________ ICSPP MEMBERSHIP $50.00 ________________ STUDENT (WITH COPY OF CURRENT ID) $150.00 ________________ Gala Saturday Awards Banquet $50.00 ________________ TOTAL ENCLOSED ______________ WRITE CHECKS TO ICSPP AND MAIL CHECKS TO: DOMINICK RICCIO, PH.D., CONFERENCE CO-CHAIR 1036 PARK AVENUE, SUITE 1B NEW YORK, NY 10028 Continuing Education Credit will be available for professionals as follows: PSYCHOLOGISTS: Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Amedco retains responsibility for this program. Total hours granted for full attendance at conference: 13 and 1/4 hours. SOCIAL WORKERS: Amedco, ASWB provider #1006, is approved as a provider for continuing education by The Association of Social Worker Boards, 400 South Ridge Parkway, Suite B, Culpepper, VA, 22701, 540-829-6880. PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS: AMEDCO is recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors to offer continuing education credit for certified counselors. We adhere to NBCC continuing education guidelines. Provider #5633. SATISFACTORY COMPLETION: Participants must have paid tuition fee, signed in, attended the entire seminar, completed an evaluation, and signed out, in order to receive a certificate of completion/attendance. Particpants not fulfilling these requirements will not receive a certificate. Failure to sign in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates will be sent after the seminar or posted on the internetat http://www.cmehelp.com/ ADA accommodations will be made in accordance with the law. If you require ADA accommodations, please indicate what your needs are at the time of registration. Amedco, LLC and the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology cannot ensure the availability of appropriate accommodations without prior notification. International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology 1036 Park Avenue, Suite 1B New York, NY 10028 |
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