May 2018
Dear Subscribers and First-Time Readers,

Welcome to our May 2018 edition of the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) E-Newsletter. This month’s theme is Mental Health Matters in honor of May is Mental Health Month. Nationally, May has been designated Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949, in an effort to encourage greater public awareness of mental illness and to remove the stigma, fear, and misunderstanding about mental illness and thereby promote much needed treatment. The efforts of NJPA led to the passing in 2017 of P.L., Joint Resolution No. 9, Senate Joint Resolution No. 62, making May is Mental Health Month an official designation in the state of New Jersey. NJPA has also led a multimedia/multi-event campaign during this month to focus on the important contributions of psychology and psychological practice. Further information on the work of NJPA, resources on mental health, and assistance in locating a psychologist in your area can be found at www.psychologynj.com.

In this edition of our E-Newsletter we have an opportunity to speak directly to the public we serve, and in a manner which highlights our mission statement: “The advancement of psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting health and human welfare in an atmosphere that supports the diversity of its members and the society at large.” This edition offers a looks at just some of the ways psychologists work to fulfill this mission.

May is Mental Health Month Co-Chairs, Hulon Newsome, PsyD and Morgan Murray, PhD

We welcome hearing from our readers. You can reach us via email:
Co-Editors: Michelle Miller, PsyD; Allison Dorlen Pastor, PhD

Articles

Does Your Partner Need You, or More?
By Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD

Your heart hurts when you watch your partner struggle emotionally or get pulled into self-destructive behaviors. You can’t help but feel despairing when fixing their problem is not in your power. But, the following suggestions can assist you in helping them, either by influencing them to make a change or to seek therapy.
Be empathic and compassionate: Allow yourself to connect with their emotional pain and then let them know that you feel that pain (whether or not you fully understand it). You will probably also wish that they were not hurting. Share this desire with them. read more...

Psychology is Healthy
By Daniel H. Gallagher, PhD

Here in the United States, there is an ever increasing focus on health care. And, in the New York metropolitan area, it can be argued that we have ready access to excellent medical care for a wide variety of ailments, dysfunctions, and illnesses. Since most Americans still emphasize physical medical care and physical symptoms, they may not recognize the significant role that their psychology of thought, behavior and emotion may be playing in their recoveries. Physicians and public health policy creators are noting several important trends that bring psychology into major focus as playing a major role in our health. Some of those trends and impacts include:
-Health Psychology practiced side-by-side with physical medical providers. Psychologists are assisting medical staff in hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics, and in private practice. read more...

Teens in Therapy - A Primer for Everyone
By Janie Feldman, PsyD

Teenagers. The very word evokes an immediate, strong reaction. What comes to mind when you read the emotion-laden word? Is it your own recollection of your coming of age? Or is it your
perception of a young person of your acquaintance? Whether your thoughts shift to yourself, your child, or someone you know, you will certainly react with personal connections to a period of development that, while the teenage years are a part of the normative transition from childhood to adulthood, it’s difficult for any of us to apply the term ‘normal’ to teenagers. read more...

Doubly Invisible: Shedding Light on Mental Health and Marginalization
By Marianne G. Dunn, PhD
www.drmariannedunn.com

I am a psychologist who studies and practices social justice advocacy in my professional life. I have observed all too often that members of marginalized communities struggling with mental health issues are doubly invisible. First, during conversations about health, people often forget about mental health, an integral piece of the wellness puzzle. As a psychologist, I agree wholeheartedly with the adage that there is no health without mental health. Second, when mental health issues are brought to the fore, marginalized groups (e.g., women, religious minorities, economically disadvantaged, racial/ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, undocumented individuals, LGBTQIA+, and indigenous communities) are left out of the conversation. read more...

How to Find Help Through Seeing a Psychologist
By the American Psychological Association

Millions of Americans have found relief from depression and other emotional difficulties through seeing a psychologist. Even so, some people find it hard to get started or stay in therapy. This brief question-and-answer guide provides some basic information to help individuals take advantage of outpatient (non-hospital) therapy. read more...

We Can Help You Find a Psychologist in NJ

The Emerging Field of
Sport Psychology
by Michael Zito, PhD

Kicking Old Habits
by Michelle Miller, PsyD

Announcements

From the desk of the editors-in-chief

Editors in Chief:
Michelle Miller, PsyD
Allison Dorlen Pastor, PhD

Staff Editors:
Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD
Susanne Breckwoldt, PhD
Marianne Dunn, PhD
Janie Feldman, PsyD
Marianne Herzog, PhD
Lynn Schiller, PhD
Michael Zito, PhD
Find more information on our contributors here.