2022 Fall Edition NJ Psychologist

Fall 2022 | Volume 72 | Number 3

NJ PSYCHOLOGIST The Professional Journal of the New Jersey Psychological Association

Special Section: Industrial & Organizational Psychology

In this issue: CE ARTICLES Organizational Psychology: A Historical Perspective From the Garden State (1 CE) Using Future Search to Address Wicked Systemic Problems (1.5 CE) Bridging Research and Practice in IO Psychology: The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO) The Value of Work-Life Balance and How Organizations are Making it Work

Book Review: Mom Brain: Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood-and Relax into Your New Self Confidentiality and Informed Consent: Ethical Considerations APA Council of Representatives Report Ethical Practice in Research: Deciphering Fact from Fiction ..and more!

Executive Board President: Peter DeNigris, PsyD President-Elect: Briana Cox, PsyD Past-President: Daniel Lee, PsyD Secretary: Alexandra Miller Clark, PsyD Treasurer: Marc Gironda, PhD Parliamentarian: Bonnie Markham, PhD Members-At-Large: Elio Arrechea, PhD Daniel DaSilva, PhD Alex Gil, PsyD Sara Tedrick Parikh, PhD Aileen Torres, PhD Deirdre Waters, PsyD

Contents 2

President's Message

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NJPA Dues Renewal Time!

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Member News

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President-Elect Message

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Ethical Practice in Research: Deciphering Fact from Fiction

APA Council Representative: Rhonda Allen, PhD

Continuing Education Articles

Special Representatives: ECP Chair: Anna Urbaniak, PhD NJPAGS Chair: Co-Chairs: Jaclyn Hammond & Jared Hammond Affiliate Caucus Chair: Phyllis Bolling, PhD CODI Co-Chairs: TBD Executive Director: TBD Director of Professional Affairs: Susan C. McGroarty, PhD

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Introduction: Industrial & Organizational Psychology

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Using Future Search to Address Wicked Systemic Problems (1.5 CE)

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Organizational Psychology: A Historical Perspective from the Garden State (1 CE)

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The Value of Work-Life Balance and How Organizations are Making it Work

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Bridging Research and Practice in IO Psychology: The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO)

Affiliate Organization Representatives: Northeast Counties Association of Psychologists: Nansie Ross, PsyD (Inactive)Essex/Union County Association of Psychologists: Sara Tedrick Parikh, PhD Mercer County Psychological Association: Loraine Washton, PhD Middlesex County Association of Psychologists: Tammy Dorff, PsyD Monmouth/Ocean County Psychological Association: Lauren Gerardi, PhD Morris County Psychological Association: Sarah Dougherty, PsyD Somerset/Hunterdon/Warren County Psychological Association: Janie Feldman, PsyD South Jersey Psychological Association: Ange Puig, PhD Editorial Board: Editor: Aaron Gubi, PhD Homestudy CE Article Editor: Dennis Finger, EdD Editorial Board Members: Anthony Tasso, PhD Nathan McClelland, PhD Eric Herschman, PsyD Staff Liaison: Christine Gurriere

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Central Office: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Phone: 973-243-9800 STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION Executive Director: TBD njpa@psychologynj.org Communications: Christine Gurriere njpacg@psychologynj.org Membership/Foundation: Jennifer Cooper njpajc@psychologynj.org Continuing Education: Kaleigh White njpakw@psychologynj.org Director of Professional Affairs: Dr. Susan McGroarty Consultation Request (login required)

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Upcoming NJPA CE Programs

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Confidentiality and Informed Consent: Ethical Considerations

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APA Council of Representatives Report

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Book Review: Mom Brain: Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood and Relax Into Your New Self

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Welcome New Members!

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Join the NJPA Referral Network!

NJ Psychologist

Fall 2022

President's Message

By Peter DeNigris, PsyD NJPA President It is hard to believe that we are already in the fourth

More will be forthcoming about this in the coming

quarter of 2022 and have begun preparations for another leadership transition within NJPA. As I mentioned in

months and in 2023 under the term of our PresidentElect, Dr. Cox. By the time this article is published,

previous communications, 2022 was filled with a whirlwind of activities to keep our association moving

membership has been made aware that our current Executive Director, Justin Karmann, will be leaving NJPA

forward, particularly given the number of changes that occurred within the past year.

in December 2022. The Leadership Committee and Executive Board will ensure a smooth transition to a new Executive Director and continue its work dedicated

In my opinion, it is apropos that my final article for my presidential year coincides with the theme of Organizational Psychology. Although I am not an

toward its aforementioned restructuring visions.

organizational psychologist, I have had extensive

vision, and plan. I am pleased to say that, after many

training in systems theory. Without question, NJPA is a large organizational system that is comprised of numerous committees led by talented and dedicated

meetings, discussions, and revisions, our Executive Board approved NJPA’s Strategic Plan for 2023—2027 during its September 16, 2022 meeting. I am particularly

volunteers. Assuming a leadership role in NJPA entails being confronted with and adjusting to a very steep learning curve. When describing the process, I equated it to jumping on a fast-moving train that someone else had been steering and then suddenly turned over to you.

Fortunately, I had the guidance and support of our Leadership Committee, which is comprised of our PastPresident, Dr. Daniel Lee, and our President-Elect, Dr. Briana Cox. I am eternally grateful for their collaboration, collegiality, and perspective.

grateful to our Past-President, Dr. Lee, who began this process during his presidential term with our thenExecutive Director, Keira Boertzel-Smith, and our consultant, Dr. Randy White. Also, gratitude is extended to Mr. Karmann for furthering the development of this new plan and ensuring that we met our timeline goals.

We have many exciting initiatives that we are looking forward to implementing over the next five years as outlined in this new living document.

Any reputable organization is guided by a mission,

No organization can function effectively in isolation. As such, I am proud that NJPA has established a working relationship with New Jersey’s State Board of Psychological Examiners (BoPE) whereby monthly meetings with key personnel continue to occur. During 2022, NJPA also entered into a collaborative agreement with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM), which provides NJPA members with an opportunity to further their education into an area that

Tapping into my knowledge of systems theory, the primary focus of my presidential term has been on the restructuring of Central Office to ensure that it is functioning efficiently and effectively. The Leadership Committee continues to be involved in active communications with our Personnel and Finance Committees and Executive Board to make decisions that are organizationally needed and fiscally responsible.

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has become essential to clinical practice. In addition, I am looking forward to our new relationship with the Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness (CYSEW) at Rutgers’ Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) whereby we can serve as mutual resources for each other. Lastly, NJPA has already begun the process of resuming meetings with IMPAC, the Inter-Mental Health and Psychological Associations Coalition.

in Newark to discuss the benefits of joining state psychological associations. In September 2022, I was particularly honored to return to my alma mater at GSAPP to encourage their students to become members of NJPA. I remain in awe of the countless volunteers who donate so much of their time to NJPA and to those who have stepped up in 2022 for the first time to serve. NJPA simply cannot function without its volunteers. Each of you is pivotal to the success and longevity of our state association. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve NJPA as its 2022 president. Again, I am indebted to our Leadership Committee and am grateful to our Executive Board. I will remain on the Leadership Committee for one more year as Dr. Cox transitions into the role of NJPA’s 2023 president.

While organizations can thrive from the work of its committed and skilled members, especially those who can offer historical knowledge, growing the organization through the recruitment of new members is pivotal. In that vein, in July 2022, I was thrilled to meet with the newest cohort of psychology interns at Rutgers UMDNJ

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NJ Psychologist

Fall 2022

Member News In Memoriam: Neil Massoth, PhD

by Neal Litinger, PhD It is with a great deal of sadness that I want to inform everyone of the death of Neil Massoth, PhD last night (10/13/22). Neil was an outstanding force to be reckoned with in his personal and professional life. His death leaves a giant hole in the lives of countless peers and students whom he proudly mentored during his 45 years at Fairleigh Dickinson University and in his relationships developed through his roles in NJPA and APA. Neil’s warmth, caring, and determination to help/assist/push students to their fullest was respected and cherished by those with whom he worked. His dedication to honest relationships in his life and in the role of therapist with his own patients and those who worked under his supervision or in class was epic. Many will remember Neil for his chiding of the absurd nature of arrogance and pomposity in the profession and the world at large. His style of humor and directness will continue to bring a smile to the faces of those who knew and understood him.

He cherished his associations with his peers and was nourished by the relationships with his students. Nothing was more important to him professionally than his role as a mentor. He will be remembered warmly by many.

In Memoriam: Richard Klein, EdD; NJPA Member, 56 years

Kenneth Herman, EdD, a longtime member of NJPA (65 years!), was honored on his 95th birthday by the city of Wyckoff, New Jersey by a proclamation for his kind, professional, and extraordinary service to Wyckoff and the country. Dr. Herman, a board certified clinical psychologist, practiced in Teaneck, New Jersey for fifty years. He is the author of the self-help book Secrets from the Sofa. He served in the army in World War II in General Patton’s Third Army. In his retirement, he helped launch a free primary care medical facility BVMI, in Hackensack, New Jersey. He currently serves on the Advisory Board. He and his wife Benita have been married for 64 years and have four married children and 9 grandchildren. He credits his longevity to staying active and being altruistic.

Ruth Lijtmaer, PhD presented the paper: The Cruelty of Silence: The Bystander's Role in Social Trauma in the panel: Implicated Subject and Historical Community Trauma: Towards Acceptance and Transcendence. International Psychohistory Association, 45 th Annual Conference. Conference Theme: Group identity and the Sources of Conflict, 5-1922 to 5-21-22. On Line. Also: Panel: Unsilencing Unspeakable Socio-historical Trauma in Individual, Social, and Institutional Contexts. Paper: The unspoken in intergenerational transmission of trauma. IARPP. Conference Theme: Expanding Our Clinical Experiences: The Spoken, Unspoken and Unspeakable in Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. 6-16-22 to 6-19-22. Los Angeles, California. In Person.

Congratulations to Debra G. Salzman, PhD who was chosen as the recipient of a 2022 RWJMS Volunteer Faculty Award by the Department of Psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Each year this award is given to members of the volunteer faculty who have made significant contributions to advance the position of RWJMS toward excellence. Dr. Salzman has extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. She has a special interest in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, social skills deficits, Social Anxiety Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, past and present childhood sexual abuse, disruptive behavior disorders, depression, ADHD, coping with trauma, selective mutism, school refusal and training parents on behavior management strategies to improve child behavior. Dr. Salzman lectures extensively on these topics. Dr. Salzman is a field supervisor for the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and serves as a Volunteer Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Peggy Rothbaum, PhD had a personal essay published: The sewing baskets https://deadmule.com/peggy-rothbaummemoir-feb-2022/. Dr. Rothbaum's childrens' book Help America Heal: A story of hope for young people© is now available in 3 editions, including one in Spanish. It can be purchased from her website drpeggyrothbaum.com or online book sellers like Amazon. Also, her new Instagram account @belovedworldllc is used to promote her artwork and writing that benefit charities.

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President-Elect Message

By Briana Cox, PsyD NJPA President-Elect I am eagerly looking forward to the beginning of my

behalf of New Jersey psychologists to ensure that

presidential term, beginning in January. Admittedly, becoming the president of NJPA was not on my vision

telehealth continues to be paid at a rate commensurate with in-person services so that the people of New Jersey

board for 2023, and I was a little late assuming the position of president-elect in 2022, but I have been pleasantly surprised and sufficiently challenged by the

can continue to have access to quality care. Under my leadership, NJPA will closely monitor the Department of Health’s in-depth study of the utilization of telehealth

work of the association. I am grateful to be working alongside President, Peter DeNigris and Past-President,

and work towards having our voices and concerns heard in Trenton.

Daniel Lee, as well as our committed board members, committee chairs, affiliates, and Central Office staff. The

CE programming expansion: I believe that NJPA can and

collective dedication of our volunteers and staff is inspiring.

should become a leader in CE programming in the state of New Jersey. The overarching goal would be for NJPA to expand our CE offerings beyond our membership and

In 2023, I have four leadership objectives for NJPA: Central office transitioning and restructuring, telehealth pay parity, and CE programming expansion, all with a

beyond our state to broaden NJPA’s financial security. In line with our strategic plan, it is a goal for NJPA to develop a self-sustaining engine for continuing

focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

education, making NJPA a one-stop-shop for CEs and CE banking for New Jersey psychologists in the process.

Central office: By now the membership is aware that our Executive Director, Justin Karmann will be leaving NJPA in December. The Leadership Committee is already actively engaged in the important task of selecting a new ED and ensuring a smooth transition. In 2023, we will continue the restructuring work initiated by Dr. DeNigris with the goal of increased efficiency to meet our changing needs.

Last but not least, I remain committed to ensuring that NJPA honors its mission statement to “promote health and human welfare in an atmosphere that supports the diversity of its members and the society at large.” It is important that NJPA remain active in our equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. I will look to our Committee on Diversity and Inclusion to guide us in best practices.

Telehealth: I am committed to advocating for continued access to telehealth services. Pay parity for telehealth services remains in effect until December 31, 2023.

During my presidential year, NJPA will be advocating on

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Ethical Practice in Research: Deciphering Fact from Fiction

By Jaclyn Hammond, MA Chair, NJPAGS In recent news, that has sent shock waves throughout

investigation by Science was conducted (Piller, 2022).

The results yielded strong support for Schrag’s suspicions and gave rise to further questions regarding Lesné’s body of research. Most of Schrag’s findings were also reviewed by a leading independent image analyst and several top AD researchers, at the request of Science (Piller, 2022). The general consensus was agreement with Schrag’s overall judgements, casting doubt on hundreds of images, some of which have been described as being “‘shockingly blatant’ examples of image tampering,” including more than 70 images found in Lesné’s papers, many of which he was responsible for preparing for publication (Piller, 2022).

the world of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research, Vanderbilt University neuroscientist and physician, Matthew Schrag, is at the center of it all. His investigative report in Science determined that image slides included in a “highly influential 2006 paper,” first published in Nature, were falsified. The fallout brought on by this disclosure has led to increased skepticism in how researchers view the current theory and conceptions surrounding the development, progression, and overall impact of AD (Hart, 2022).

The lead author of the 2006 study in question, who also happens to have multiple allegations of image fabrication against him, is Sylvain Lesné of the University of

In a response to a 2012 paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience, Lesné replaced some of the images that had been labeled problematic by Schrag’s report, offering that the earlier versions of the images had been “processed inappropriately” (Piller, 2022). Schrag points out that the images that were corrected reveal several indications of significant discrepancy. While fraud or misconduct in terms of research cannot be proven without access to “original, complete, unpublished images and in some cases raw numerical data” (Piller, 2022), one wonders if the same can be said for fraud or misconduct surrounding the use and spending of allocated federal funds.

Minnesota (UMN), Twin Cities (Hart, 2022). This 2006 research, submitted by Lesné and his colleagues, states that the amyloid beta (AB) protein subtype appeared to generate dementia in rats, thereby demonstrating a causal link between the protein and cognitive decline (Lesné, 2006; Piller, 2022). The acknowledgement of this data as fraudulent raises several important questions about the research, in particular, concerns that the Ab protein clumps, known as plaques, found in brain tissue are key markers of AD (Hart, 2022; Piller, 2022). This question asks not whether the accumulation of these proteins is important, but if the plaque buildup alone drives the disease’s pathogenesis or if it is merely one piece of a larger puzzle that causes the degenerative disease (Hart, 2022).

Schrag’s investigation suggests that millions of National Institutes of Health (NIH) dollars may have been misspent on AD research and correlated endeavors. This past fiscal year alone, the NIH spent approximately $1.6 billion on projects that mention amyloids. Furthermore, it is suspected that the studies done by Lesné may have

As the concerns initiated by Schrag bring threat to “one of the most cited Alzheimer’s studies of this century and numerous related experiments” (Hart, 2022), a 6-month

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resulted in nearly 16 years of misdirected AD research.

As of July 2022, Lesné’s Nature paper has been cited in approximately 2,300 scholarly articles. With the exception of just four other reports published after 2006, this is more than all other AD basic research reports (Piller, 2022).

pull the research from public consumption entirely?

Where do we draw the line on deciding if it is problematic that anyone could still find this information through doing a simple Google search? And, how will the courts know that this research is no longer current and valid? For example, Stephen Hayes was part of the studies that led to the defense of conversion therapy (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, 2022). While they have issued apologies, their literature is still accessible.

How exactly does one go about trying to quantify the amount of wasted resources that were unduly expended over the course of this period of time; resources that can neither be refunded nor remediated? For those

Furthermore, is there even an ethical decision-making model for retracting or removing research with serious flaws and/or social consequences? While there appears to be databases that highlight various reasons for retraction of research from psychological journals, there doesn’t seem to be a standardized method for deciding which articles get retracted, and which get disclaimers (Retraction Watch, 2020). Ethical decision making models in this area are not readily accessible.

diagnosed with the chronic, degenerative disease, which is estimated to be tens of millions of people globally (Piller, 2022), and those who have and continue to dedicate their life to such research, the costs of such deceit are immeasurable.

In 2020, Lesné became a leader of the UMN’s neuroscience graduate program. Just four months following Schrag’s 2022 whistleblower report to NIH, Lesné was awarded a highly sought-after R01 grant from the agency (Piller, 2022). The Nature paper remains the basis for so many others; there continues to be a very

References Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (2022).

ABCT apology for behavior therapy’s contribution to the development and practice of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts: History and next steps.

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. https://www.abct.org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/06/Untitled-document-6.pdf

real and very serious threat that it may persist in potentially misleading future thought and research. So, where does this leave us now?

One solution is that the use of modern image-analysis technology is not, and has not been, included in the standard review process for journal submission (Hart,

Hart, B. (2022, August 1). Have scientists been wrong about Alzheimer’s for decades? Intelligencer. Retrieved September 15, 2022, from https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/08/havescientists-been-wrong-about-alzheimers-for-decades.html

2022). If this procedure had been conducted, there is little doubt that it would have led to a rejection of the original 2006 paper. Journals and granting institutions additionally fall short in their shared responsibility to thoroughly vet and analyze images with critical scrutiny, despite having access to a wide variety of readily available tools (Piller, 2022).

Lesné, S., Koh, M. T., Kotilinek, L., Kayed, R., Glabe, C. G., Yang, A., Gallagher, M., & Ashe, K. H. (2006). A specific amyloid-β protein assembly in the brain impairs memory. Nature, 440(7082), 352-357. doi:10.1038/nature04533

A greater issue is how this particular situation raises important concerns for ethical questions in other research and the future ethics of our community. How do we decide what our ethical responsibility is in instances like this one? Do we retract the research, submit a statement or disclaimer, or publish new research on top of it? Is an apology enough? Should we

Piller, C. (2022). Blots on a field? Science, 377(6604), 358-363. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add9993 Retraction Watch. (2020). Retraction watch database user guide appendix B: Reasons. https://retractionwatch.com/retraction-watch-databaseuser-guide/retraction-watch-database-user-guide-appendixb-reasons/

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Continuing Education Homestudy Section The content of continuing education is a crucial component intended to maintain, develop, and increase conceptual and applied competencies that are relevant to psychological practice, education, and science.

Special Section: Industrial & Organizational Psychology

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Special Section: Introduction

By Peter Economou, PhD Director, Organizational Psychology Programs Assistant Professor, Applied Psychology Department Rutgers University

One thing that has been clear in my practice of professional psychology, especially trained with an

There are similar curricula that are housed in various schools offering pathways to practicing IO psychology at

emphasis on multicultural competence and interdisciplinary practice, is that we work better in

the master’s and doctoral level, including Schools of Arts and Science, Business Schools, Management and Labor

teams. There are shared goals in the practice of professional psychology; to decrease suffering and improve wellbeing. In this regard, it does not matter

Relations, and others. Just as counseling psychology often finds itself in schools of education and clinical psychology in arts and sciences, IO psychology is often housed in

whether we are trained in clinical, counseling, school, or organizational psychology (and there are others). Some will believe it does matter, but I ask for us to consider

schools/departments of psychology. Similar disciplines yielding a profession in IO psychology include organizational development (in schools of business or

the notion of professional psychology, with the shared

HR), purely organizational psychology (like that offered at

goal of decreasing suffering and increasing wellness as a global practice with diverse specialties.

GSAPP), organizational management (also in schools of business or management/labor relations) and training in organizational communication focusing on leadership

That is the perspective with which I request you read this special edition. Let go of judgements and read this with an open mind and curiosity. The goal is to highlight the role of Industrial and Organizational (IO) psychologists, and various aspects of the practice and how the web we weave is larger than the couches in our private practice offices. Readers will be introduced to a variety of topics including the history of IO psychology within APA and beyond, Future Search as a method to increase cohesion and solve organizational challenges, the value of work-life balance and emotional intelligence in leadership and how to bridge science and applied practice. I want to also bring attention to one other nuance in the practice of IO psychology.

styles or communication arts (schools of communication and journalism). Rather than focusing on their differences, it appears that these diverse disciplines/specialties share a common goal of decreasing suffering (e.g., organizational challenges) and increasing wellness (the global initiative to improve workplace wellness).

This special edition will orient you to the specialty of IO psychology. As the reader, you have opportunities to earn continuing education credits and learn about a practice of professional practice of psychology that is adjacent to the work we do in our private practice offices.

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Using Future Search to Address Wicked Systemic Problems (1.5 CE)

By Jeffrey Axelbank, PsyD Earn 1.5 CE credit when you read this article and successfully complete the post-test. Purchase this CE activity here.

Abstract Most of the problems plaguing the world, including

defined wicked problems as “that class of social system

many facing psychologists, can be classified as “wicked problems,” that is, problems with so much complexity that they defy easy solutions. This paper will outline

problems which are ill-formulated, where the information is confusing, where there are many clients

Future Search (FS), a proven effective method that can be applied to wicked problems in a way that leads to

and decision makers with conflicting values, and where the ramifications in the whole system are thoroughly confusing” (Churchman, 1967). Note that the term

paradigm shifts, out-of-the-box thinking, and the building of new coalitions and relationships. These

“wicked,” as used here, does not refer to something evil, but rather as resistant to change or difficult to

benefits accompany the primary benefit of FS: helping an organization or community and their stakeholders move forward together to find solutions to wicked

understand. Others have since expanded the definition, and for those interested in precise criteria for how to

problems with high degrees of consensus and commitment. As an example, the impact that FS has on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is discussed.

Wicked Problems When we look around us at the world we live in, it is easy to feel despair. Issues such as poverty, the income and wage gap, affordable housing, rising healthcare costs, political polarization, discrimination of all types, intractable international conflicts, and climate change (to name just a few!) seem to have no solution, and no end in sight. Despite lots of experts, endless study, repeated attempts at new policy or laws, and training, deep and lasting agreement is rare, and the problems remain. These problems have no obvious solutions.

One way to categorize these types of conundrums is to classify them as “wicked problems.” The first known use of this label was in 1967, in an editorial in the journal Management Science, in which C. West Churchman

define a problem as “wicked,” I refer you to the Wikipedia page on wicked problems, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem.

Regardless of the formal definition, one can easily recognize a wicked problem as one that defies the typical approaches such as meetings, conferences, summits, commissions, laws, campaigns, training, hiring experts, new policies, etc.

A particularly poignant example of a wicked problem is that of civil unrest. In 1968, the Kerner Commission studied the urban rioting that descended on and tore apart American cities such as Detroit, Newark, Los Angeles, and others. One of the witnesses to the Kerner Commission was Kenneth B. Clark, who said, “In referring to the reports of earlier riots, I had read of the 1919 riots in Chicago, and it is as if I were reading the report of the investigative committee on the Harlem riots of 1935, the report of the investigative committee of the Harlem riots of 1943, the report of the Macomb commission on the Watts riot… I must again, in

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candor, say to you, members of this commission, it is a kind of Alice in Wonderland with the same moving picture re-shown over and over again: the same analysis, the same recommendations, and the same inaction.” (quoted in Cobb & Guariglia, 2021).

But in an attempt to make a problem manageable, traditional attempts at solutions focus only on one aspect of the system, thereby ignoring the interconnected complexity inherent in systems (Fig 2) (Phillips, 2022).

Though these examples have been taken from social issues, public and private organizations can also face wicked problems. Perhaps these don’t have the wide reach of the social issues mentioned above; nevertheless, for those toiling in an organization they are no less frustrating and maddening. Planning for the future in a turbulent economic environment, deciding on the design of a new product, merging two organizations, starting a new business – these can all present wicked problems for people in these situations.

There can be a vicious cycle when traditional

And focusing on only one aspect or one relationship in

approaches are applied to wicked problems. People who are components of the system suffering from a wicked

a system ignores reality (Fig 3) (Phillips, 2022).

problem can have reactions that end up making the problem worse. Grudging acceptance of a harmful status quo, sabotage, work-arounds that don’t address root causes, funding going to the wrong places, and plunging morale can all exacerbate wicked problems. Under these circumstances a solution may be found, and those involved often breathe a sigh of relief and move on to new fields. Those not involved have a sense of frustration, sometimes opposition, and even sabotage.

All of this sets the scene for recurrence down the road.

So, what is it that dooms traditional solutions? The easiest way to understand this is to look at the whole system (Fig. 1) (Phillips, 2022). As you can see by the schematic representation, and as we all know, everything connects to everything.

The major shortcomings of applying traditional approaches to wicked problems are the failure to consider the whole system, the error of not including all stakeholders to the problem when designing solutions, and the problem of telling people what the solution is rather than co-creating them with all the stakeholders. Future Search (Weisbord & Janoff, 2010) avoids all three of these fatal flaws.

Introducing Future Search Future Search (FS) was developed in the 1980s by Marv Weisbord, an organizational development consultant, and Sandra Janoff, a psychologist. Basing the method on group dynamics, systems theory, and social

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psychology, Weisbord and Janoff designed a process that “gets the whole system in the room” (Weisbord & Janoff, 2010) to discover the common ground that exists in

While not necessarily exhaustive, the handy acronym provides a good starting point at defining the system, and who the stakeholders are. People planning a FS

multiple stakeholders, and then harnessing this to spur these stakeholders to take action to address the wicked problem in their midst. Since its introduction, the method has been used hundreds of times, in sectors as diverse as business, communities, health systems,

need to ask themselves, who or what group will we wish were present if they were not? Whose input would be important to get? Whose view of the system is essential in crafting plans for the future? Whose involvement do we need if we are going to take some

human services, religious congregations, school districts, higher education, environment, and government.* In addition to a design for how to get stakeholders together for planning and action, FS also encompasses a facilitation style, based in part on the differentiation and integration theory of Yvonne Agazarian (1997).

actions? And maybe most important and most difficult: who is likely to resist any change if we don’t include them?

Future Search is based on four principles:

only know their own part of the system, they are blind

View the whole system before planning Typically, stakeholders are very knowledgeable about their part of the system. The common parlance is to talk about people being in their silos. But when people

1. Get the whole system in the room 2. View the whole system before planning 3. Focus on common ground and the future, not on

to causal relationships that are essential to the systemic ecology. They will find, to their peril, that such blindness will lead to unintended consequences,

conflicts and the past 4. Self-management and responsibility for action

and often strident resistance to steps they might want to take. The Indian parable of the six blind men and the elephant is a playful way to understand this problem

Get the whole system in the room It’s easy to say you have to get the whole system in the

(Fig. 4) (illustration by Hans Møller, used with permission).

room, but what does this really mean? How do you define the system and where do you draw the boundary?

When thinking about which stakeholders to include, who A.R.E. I.N.?

A – people with Authority on the issue (government officials, legislators, regulators, company leaders, decision-makers) R – people with Resources of money, time, energy (foundations and philanthropists, government funding sources, retirees, activists) E – people with Expertise on the issue (academics, scholars, researchers) I – people with Information on the issue (workers on the front lines, media, journalists, PR experts) N – people with Need around the issue (citizens, clients, customers

As you can see, the man touching the elephant’s ear, thinks he’s encountered a carpet. The one handling the trunk “sees” a snake in his mind’s eye. The one touching the tusk, a spear; the guy grasping the leg thinks it’s a tree; the one stroking the body imagines a wall; and the one pulling the tail thinks it’s like a rope. Each one is somewhat correct, but they are all fundamentally wrong – none of them can conceive of the whole animal, and how all the parts are connected. This is what happens when people fail to see beyond their own silo or turf.

* For examples in each sector, see https://futuresearch.net/sectors/. For a partial list of sponsors, see https://futuresearch.net/about/sponsors/.

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Focus on common ground and the future, not on conflicts and the past

all had a hand in creating it.

3. Action plans to implement each element of the common ground agenda.

One of the most common traps in tackling wicked problems is the idea that first you must resolve conflicts between stakeholders. But most of these situations include conflicts that have resisted resolution for ages.

Future Search envisions that these conflicts may not be

4. A structure to support the implementation of the common ground agenda.

5. A follow-up structure to insure implementation of the common ground agenda.

resolvable, but that it’s not necessary to heal past schisms in order to move forward. People looking at past conflicts get more solidified in their positions and have trouble thinking out-of-the-box and finding creative solutions. Instead, FS entails using the past conflicts as data, not to be ignored, but also not to be worked on. By keeping the focus on the future that everyone desires, creativity is unleashed, positions are softened, and

But there are also some important side-effects that naturally come along with the results above.

Participants learn how to conduct productive meetings.

Leadership is developed as participants take up leadership roles during the Future Search.

Coalitions that did not previously exist can develop.

Funding opens up, since funding sources were

people find they have more in common than they

included in the FS, and had a hand in creating the

realized.

Self-management and responsibility for action

common ground agenda.

All stakeholder groups will be heard and will have input, minimizing complaints about views being

Another thing that trips up well-intentioned approaches to wicked problems is the idea that “someone else will

ignored.

The structure provides an opportunity for people who don’t normally speak with one another to

do it.” In FS, the stakeholders manage their own involvement rather than project the need to act on their

interact and learn about other perspectives and initiatives they might not be aware of, enabling a

leaders, or on the facilitators. Many large group interventions require a large consulting or facilitation

great degree of creativity.

It builds the community and increases

team to cover all the stakeholder groups. Not so for Future Search. In general, two facilitators guide a planning group, and then facilitate the structure of the

interdependence between stakeholder groups.

Leaders love this method because they know the community is 100% behind them.

FS, setting the conditions for the participating stakeholders to do their best work. The philosophy is

By engaging in an exploration of the total system, stakeholders gain an expansive perspective of the

that when you create the right conditions for success, and provide emotional safety, large groups can accomplish amazing things. In addition, FS involves public commitment to specific actions, and there is a follow-up process that provides accountability, thereby providing the mechanism for stakeholders to take full responsibility for their plans and actions.

issue at hand.

What Happens in a Future Search?

A Future Search takes about 16 hours, spread over three days – typically the first day is an afternoon or evening, followed by a full day, and ending with the morning of the third day. Note that the design specifically calls for two “sleeps” between the days that come at very specific points in the process. These are strategically important to allow people to “sleep on it” at key moments (details on following page). The highly interactive and experiential conference is broken up into five parts: review of the past, survey of current trends, envisioning a desired future, discovering common ground, and action planning. In the process of engaging in these activities, participants meet in

If the four principles are followed carefully, at the end of a FS the results are profound.

1. A “common ground agenda” of usually 8-12 items to which everyone agrees (a unanimity model, not consensus or majority).

2. Complete buy-in to the common ground agenda and commitment to implementing it, so no need to go out and “sell” it to stakeholder groups, since they

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different types of small and large groups. In small mixed groups made up of representatives of each stakeholder group, each small group is essentially a microcosm of the whole system. They also meet in their stakeholder groups and as one large group.

Reviewing the past After introductions of the method and a chance for participants to get to know one another, they fill in with colored markers large blank timelines of the past (usually set at 30 years or so) hung on the walls, each about twelve feet long by 2 feet high. One timeline contains global events, another contains peoples’ personal events (e.g., marriages, children, graduations, deaths), and a third concentrates on the issue or

Each stakeholder group is assigned a color and given a strip of adhesive dots. The participants put dots on the mind map to indicate the current trends they think are

organization/community that is the focus of the FS. After these are filled in, the timelines are moved so that

most important for the group to address in their planning, and the result is a quantitative indication of

they are aligned on one wall, and patterns may become apparent in the relationship between global events,

the priorities of the system. In addition, the different colored dots give a detailed view of the differing

personal events, and the issue at hand. Mixed groups analyze the timelines to tell the story of their system in the past.

priorities of each stakeholder group.

As you can see from Figure 5, the mind map is quite

First focusing on the past and not yet looking to the

complex, reflecting the reality of the system.

Participants understandably may feel overwhelmed at

future, but rather sharing between stakeholder groups, fosters deep listening. This experience is at times

what they are facing. The first sleep happens at this point to give people a chance to refuel and renew their

transformational: “Wow! I had no idea. No idea of what it was like for you.” Such insights lay a foundation for a more compassionate and collaborative approach to the

enthusiasm, rather than get bogged down by the feelings generated by the mind map.

future. Participants from extremely diverse stakeholder groups find that they share common human challenges and face them with similar values. This emotional connectivity begins to form a sense of community on which to build common ground, providing a solid foundation for further work.

The following morning, stakeholder groups meet and analyze the mind map, looking in particular at where their colored dots have bunched up, signaling the priorities of their group. As with every phase of small group sessions, each group reports out their analysis.

Once the external current reality of the system is fully explored in this way, the next activity calls for the stakeholder groups to look at their own attempts to address the external trends. This takes the form of “Prouds and Sorries,” which can be the emotional turning point of the FS conference. The groups have a chance to both crow a little about what they are proud of, but also must own up to the ways that they feel they have fallen short. It’s a turning point because it acts as a great equalizer when people at the top of the system (those with authority), those at the bottom of the

Surveying current trends Once the timelines are filled in and analyzed, participants’ attention shifts to the present. The entire group of all participants creates a mind map of current external trends that are impacting their system. See Figure 5 for an example of a mind map of current trends from an actual FS.

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system (the clients or customers), and everyone in between have to admit their regrets. It changes the feeling in the room and equalizes the stakeholder groups in a way that nothing else can.

After the list is finalized as the common ground agenda, it is the end of the second day, and time for another “sleep.” The facilitators ask everyone to go home and “sleep on it,” and come back the third morning ready to decide which item on the common ground agenda they would like to work on.

Here, too, staying focused on the present and not yet what should be happening or could be happening in the future, continues to build a common listening, understanding, and appreciative foundation for the next step.

Action planning On the morning of the third day, the items of the

Envisioning a desired future

common ground agenda are posted on the walls around the room, and participants are instructed to “vote with

With a feeling of warmth generated by the Prouds and Sorries, the mixed groups meet over lunch to start

your feet” and go to the item they would like to work on. Thus, committees are formed as “action teams” to start planning how to implement these goals. They are

envisioning the future they desire for their system. They are given the assignment to make a creative

asked to come up with three things they will do in the first three months, and three things they will do in the

presentation of where they want their community or organization to be in, say, five years in the future. The planning committee has provided props for these

first three years. When they report out, they also ask for help from whatever other group’s involvement is needed, and they publicly announce when their next

presentations, so there is a buzz of activity as the groups dream of the world they want to inhabit and let the creative juices flow. Each group gets seven minutes to

meeting will be, so that others may join their action team.

perform their presentation (e.g., a skit, a song, a poem), while everyone else takes note of what common

About six to nine months after the FS conference, a follow up meeting is held at which all the action teams

elements appear in the future visions, as well as what is particularly striking or innovative, out-of-the-box, and

report on their progress, as well as what help they might need from others.

creative.

Applications Once all groups have presented, the mixed groups meet to share and compare the lists they have each made and collate them into one list. As the groups report out their

As you read these steps, it is likely that potential applications of FS are occurring to you, pulled from

lists to the full conference, these group lists are then collated into one list that reflects the desired future of everyone. This collated list becomes the seeds of the common ground agenda.

your own community or organization. It can be interesting to think about who the stakeholders might be, using the A.R.E. I.N. acronym. For examples of where FS has been used around the world, and in different applications and sectors, see https://futuresearch.net/sectors/. There you can read stories from sectors such as Business, Communities and Human Services, Congregations, Education, Environment, Government, and Healthcare.

Discovering common ground The whole group meets now and has what is called the “reality dialog” when the components of the desired outcome must be massaged into realistic goals. In addition, since the model is a unanimity model, everyone must agree to each component. This is where skilled facilitation becomes very important. If even one person presents objects to an item, then that goal is put on a separate list, “things we don’t agree on,” and it is no longer worked as part of the FS.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Perhaps one of the most wicked problems facing many organizations and communities is how to increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). How does Future Search address DEI? Inherently, when you “get the

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whole system in the room,” you are, by definition, insuring diversity and inclusion. But, how this operates in practice really depends on the FS Planning Committee. Along with inviting participants with an eye to functional diversity using the A.R.E. I.N. guidelines, it is important for the planning group to keep careful track

engaging in a solution that is not designed to address diversity, but rather to transform the system. But in so doing, they are meeting the three basic principles Dobbin and Kalev cite: engage managers in solving the problem, expose them to people from different groups, and encourage social accountability for change. These map quite well into the FS principles of getting the whole system in the room, and self-management and responsibility for action. People do not resist change that they design themselves, in contrast to the natural reaction to attempts to control them. This coincides with the core message of Weisbord and Janoff (2015): Lead more, control less.

of demographic diversity as well. Variables such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, and age are all important, but different situations may make some of these variables more or less vital for that specific application. FS facilitators can help the planning group pay attention to these factors.

In addition, as the planning group is assigning participants into the mixed groups, they can also take steps to see that each mixed group has identity diversity.

Pedulla (2020) seems to agree, saying, “… get managers and other leaders involved from the start. Often, organizations have experts design programs that are then deployed to the managers.

This strategy often lacks a reality check: Does this program fit into the way managers already work, or are managers now required to add something into their already complex days? Involving managers in the design process can increase buy-in and smooth implementation, making interventions more sustainable and long-lasting.”

In this way, the mixed groups are, as much as possible, microcosms of the system in terms of demographics, along with the functional diversity insured by the FS structure.

But FS goes further in promoting DEI. As corporations and communities have paid more attention to DEI issues, and have made attempts to raise consciousness to them, many interventions have been tried. But experience has shown that some work better than others (Dobbin & Kalev, 2016; Pedulla, 2020). Many of the

So, both by deliberate intent and action taken by the planning team, as well as aspects that are inherent in FS – exposing people to others in the system and involving them in designing changes in their own system – DEI goals are often achieved. And these wicked problems are addressed in a way that is fun, generates excitement and enthusiasm, transforms a system, and gets real results.

techniques used today include sending employees to DEI programs. Studies indicate that these efforts can be counterproductive, creating a backlash. As Dobbin and Kalev (2016) report, “Yet laboratory studies show that this kind of force-feeding can activate bias rather than stamp it out” (emphasis added). They hypothesize about peoples’ innate tendency to become oppositional to attempts at control, just to assert their individual autonomy. They go on to write:

References Furnished Upon Request

“… companies get better results when they ease up on the control tactics. It’s more effective to engage managers in solving the problem, increase their onthe- job contact with female and minority workers, and promote social accountability—the desire to look fair-minded. … Some of the most effective solutions aren’t even designed with diversity in mind.” (Dobbin & Kalev, 2016).

About the Author Jeffrey Axelbank, PsyD, is a psychologist working for over 25 years in both clinical and organizational consulting roles.

He has worked with schools, community groups, companies, and organizations on such issues as navigating changes and transitions, those struggling with conflicts between subgroups, companies wishing to address corporate culture, strategic planning, leadership development, and succession planning. Dr. Axelbank specializes in working with diverse large groups, whole system interventions involving multiple stakeholder groups, using methods such as Future Search, Open Space, and World Café.

When an organization or community uses FS to focus on the future, seeking to discover common ground, they are

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Organizational Psychology: A Historical Perspective from the Garden State (1 CE)

Jeanette Williams, MA

Luke Nathan, BA

Peter Economou, PhD

Earn 1 CE credit when you read this article and successfully complete the post-test. Purchase this CE activity here.

There are many paths to becoming a professional who

advising executives on personnel development and the

consults with large organizations, engages in personnel selection, or enhances workplace environments on

succession of goals within their organizations. While there are some truths to these portrayals, IO

various levels (i.e., individual, group, team, or organizational), and this can be seen in the practice of

psychology is utilized by myriad organizations around current issues surrounding diversity, equity, and

industrial and organizational psychology (IO psychology). IO psychology is a specialization within the professional practice of psychology and focuses on the

inclusion (DEI), developing assessment techniques for organizations in personnel selection of and for optimal employee functioning, and/or as a psychologist for a

scientific study of human behavior at all levels including individuals, groups, organizations, teams, and the workplace. The specialty focuses on applying this

corporation that may be in crisis or seeking growth strategies or changes in leadership. Through consultation, coaching, evaluation, interviewing, and

knowledge to the solution of problems at work and with

reporting findings, together with leadership, IO

other diverse groups (APA, 2022). IO psychology became prominent at the start of the 21st century and evolved from a confluence of precursors having roots in philosophy, psychology, and the sciences (Koppes, 2020; Landy & Conte, 2008). This article will focus on the historical context and attributes associated with IO psychology and highlight the practice within the New Jersey landscape starting in the 1980s.

psychology practitioners bring evolution and growth within settings. Within IO psychology there is also a need in small niche organizations, such as nonprofits or companies with as few as five employees, to facilitate some of the same interventions previously mentioned.

It is common for an IO psychologist to spend a year or more with an organization to assist in implementing changes for renewed and improved leadership (Spector, 2021).

IO Psychology has been sensationalized, as are many other professions and diverse identities, with popular series such as Billions and Law and Order, whereby factitious professionals are involved in diagnosing large companies, assessing their overall performance, enhancing individual performance within teams, and

According to the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), IO psychologists’ job demand and growth are expected to grow by 12.8% through 2028. In 2022, the projected growth was 53% for the United States market. The US Bureau of Labor

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Statistics also noted that there will be a 2.2% increase in IO psychology job roles throughout 2020-2030. It also predicted that IO psychology would be one of the fastest-growing careers, especially when compared to other specialties in the practice of professional psychology (Gurung, 2022). So, while there is a shorter history in IO psychology, the practice is small but mighty and can be seen locally as well as across the globe.

Locally, the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) has a mission to promote diversity as well. The NJPA formally created a Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (CODI), which examines issues around diversity and cultural competence. CODI is committed to creating multicultural awareness and inclusiveness within their own organization through the examination and research of challenging issues to continue to move the field of psychology forward (NJPA, 2021). Bringing attention to the role of IO Psychology in the practice of professional psychology provides an opportunity for cooperation between these important entities (e.g., CODI, SIOP; professional psychology and IO psychology).

APA, NJPA, and IO Psychology Before exploring the impact of IO psychology in the Garden State, let us first look at the American Psychological Association (APA) and how IO psychology was formalized in the United States. The APA recognized IO psychology as a Specialty of Psychology in 1996. APA’s Division 14 is the Society for Industrial and

IO Psychology Popularity and Presence

Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and “advocates the

The field of IO psychology is particularly poised to

scientist-practitioner model in the application of psychology to all types of organizational and workplace

assist with present and complicated dynamics regarding personnel selection. Through areas such as

settings” (APA, 2022). SIOP operates internationally and

recruitment, assessment, selection, and performance

focuses on the applied practice, as well as professionals engaged in research and other scholarly activities

management, IO professionals can make a key contribution towards these requirements. This process

related to IO psychology. The APA Division 14 hosts an

has been used across disciplines including finance,

annual SIOP conference, bringing together a diverse mix

professional sport, clergy, tech companies, and law

of IO psychologists around innovative and current trends within IO psychology, publishes a quarterly

enforcement selection. For example, with regard to law enforcement, psychological testing and assessments

journal, and engages in research driven work throughout

are needed to identify desirable candidates for hire that

the division.

will deal with the public harmoniously. IO practitioners are uniquely trained to assist in developing standards

As a mission-driven organization, and in alignment with DEI practices today, the APA is also committed to implementing DEI policies for their purpose and work.

This is another shared area of practice for IO psychologists and can be seen throughout the work within SIOP. The APA’s Chief Diversity Officer and Interim Chief of Psychology in Public Interest, Maysa Akbar, PhD, ABPP, studied community and clinical psychology. Akbar’s expertise and research in racial identity development, racism, urban trauma, and allyship places the APA in a position to move social justice and anti-racist practices forward. The APA is committed to creating a society that is founded on the principles of DEI, and much of that starts on an industrial and organizational level (APA, 2022).

needed such as redefining performance criteria as well as assisting in evaluating current training standards regarding de-escalation techniques and the adequate supports needed for these valued civil servants.

Occupational stress and cultural changes are significant influences on these systems from a diversity and equity lens and IO practitioners possess the skillsets to assist in shifting perspectives and helping to create new standards within policing (Spector, 2021).

Consider the years 2020-2022, which has dramatically increased the need for IO psychology. There was a global health crisis (i.e., COVID-19), there has been a deepening racial divide, a heightened awareness on racism, economic declines, and the beginning of a war

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in the east. This has created the need for organizations to respond to the subsequent stress that has impacted us all. Organizations have been charged with maintaining and delivering cultural competency training and expectations around DEI, as well as leadership humility within their own unique corporate

time in Europe and the Soviet Union as a Social Science Research Fellow and was also involved with the International Association of Applied Psychology where he was president from 1958 to 1968. He became an honorary member of the Italian Society of Scientific Psychology, the Spanish Psychological Society, and the

culture(s). This all while also managing and maintaining a diverse workforce, a rise in virtual and hybrid employment, and remaining viable and profitable in the face of these quickly evolving changes.

Psychological Society of France. He was also a member of the National Institute of Industrial Psychology of Great Britain (UPENN, 2022). This foundation paved the way for many practitioners in the field of IO psychology including what might be seen as the foundation of

A Few IO Psychologists

doctoral training in IO psychology here in the Garden State.

While there are hundreds of impactful IO psychologists to name, even though the field is relatively new (compared to applied psychology more generally), there

Cary Chernis, PhD

are a select number who have made instrumental impacts in the field of psychology. The most cited IO

As we moved into the 1980s, the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional

psychologist is Timothy A, Judge, PhD (Aguinis, 2017).

Judge has published over 150 journal articles, five

Psychology (GSAPP) program implemented the expansiveness and demand of teaching and evolving

textbooks, and has over 77,000 citations on his work in leadership effectiveness. Other notable top cited IO psychologists include Michael A. Campion, PhD, who

the field of IO psychology. After brief tenures at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the University of Illinois in Chicago, the Chicago Medical School, and the

has done extensive research on employment communication and analysis, as well as computerized

Illinois Institute of Technology, in 1983, Dr. Cary Chernis was recruited and chose Rutgers University as

text analysis and artificial intelligence for employment decision making. Frank L. Schmidt, known for his

his new academic home. He then helped create the doctoral program that exists today in Organizational

employment testing methods, PhD, Edwin A. Locke, PhD, who developed the Goal Setting Theory, Eduardo Salas, PhD, known for his research on teamwork and

Psychology at GSAPP. Dr. Chernis's research and expertise involved the study of emotional intelligence, work stress and burnout, leadership, and planned

team effectiveness, and Gary P. Latham, PhD, for his research on work motivation. It all began with one of the pioneers of IO psychology, Morris Viteles.

organizational change (Emmerling, 2022).

Dr. Chernis led the IO program to become a respected entity of the psychological landscape in New Jersey and across the nation. Dr. Chernis is a professor emeritus at GSAPP, continues to author books on the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in the workplace, and contributes to the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO). Dr. Chernis’s works published and amassed on EI have thoughtfully made significant contributions to the field of IO psychology. His work in the workplace found that EI is a main contributor to organizational effectiveness through building strong relationships. His model highlights how both formally arranged and naturally occurring relationships in organizations leverage EI.

Morris Viteles, MS Morris Viteles, German born and from the University of Pennsylvania, penned the first formal piece of modern literature on IO psychology in 1932, which became a beacon for IO psychologists for many years. Viteles (1932) noted economic (e.g., emphasis on efficiency), social (i.e., societal), and psychological (e.g., experimental psychology, study of individual differences) factors, served as the foundations of IO psychology (Koppes, 2020). From early in his career, Viteles espoused a broad international view, spending

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In his most recent work, Leading with Feeling: Nine Strategies of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership (2020), Chernis and Roche identified strategies for being and

Intergroup Relations (Alderfer, 1982) to understand, explain, and predict the affect, cognition, and behavior of groups and group representatives in organizational settings, especially the role that race and ethnicity played. This concept was introduced and conceptualized in the 1970s and 80s, long before

becoming effective leaders. This book is a culmination of years of research with experts in the field including Daniel Goleman, who is known for developing and furthering the theory of emotional and social intelligence.

conversation and dialogue had ensued regarding DEI. Alderfer believed through this theory that relationships were the key to creativity and growth (Berg & Smith, 2017) and explored the tensions that existed in groups and what one must give up of the self to be accepted as

Clayton Alderfer, PhD Clayton Alderfer, PhD was a key contributor in expanding the field of IO psychology in New Jersey as

a group member (Alderfer, 1998). This tension was a major theme within embedded intergroup relations,

well as across the nation. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1962 and a PhD in 1966 from Yale University (Archived Catalogs, 2014). Dr. Alderfer worked at Yale University

where Alderfer actively engaged in the conversation and study around racial discord, white identity, and privilege and how it impacted people of color within

for 24 years as a lecturer, researcher, professor, and

the workforce and within groups. Alderfer's work around diversity was the foundational basis of

program director before joining the faculty at Rutgers University in 1992. He served as the program director for the GSAPP organizational

embedded intergroup relations, with how group memberships both advantage and disadvantage

psychology doctoral program from 1992-2004 and became professor emeritus in 2012. Dr. Alderfer was the editor for the Journal of Applied and Behavioral Sciences

individuals and the difficulty society faces in openly and authentically talking about these issues. This foundational dive into what we know now deeply as DEI

while in membership with the Organizational Psychology community. These nuanced aspects of applied

language certainly has turned the corner. DEI is a key component to IO psychologists' responsibilities as they

psychology fostered Alderfer's search for manners of engagement based on these two scientific approaches to

assist organizations.

behavior; engaging Alderfer in a world of professional intersectionality (Berg & Smith 2017). Dr. Alderfer focused on studying human needs in organizations and

Conclusion

formulated his theory of existence, relatedness, and growth (ERG), which further developed Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Alderfer, 1969). One of the main subsets of motivation within the ERG Model is the concept of “The Frustration Regression Principle" suggesting that if an employee has not fulfilled a higherlevel need, the employee may regress to fulfill lowerlevel needs. Things to identify and work with an organization are Existence: Do your employees feel safe?

Relatedness: Do you have an employee who is isolated from the rest of the team, and Growth: Do growth opportunities exist within your organization? ERG proposes that for motivation to remain and function these three components must be met for employees within a work environment.

announced that IO psychology was officially recognized as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) field. This was the result of a culmination of advocacy efforts by IO practitioners across the country and will have a tremendous impact on STEM fields, especially as it relates to cultural competence and multicultural considerations in STEM professions.

With the recognition of IO as a STEM field (siop.org, 2022), more opportunities for this science practitioner model continue to reveal how IO may be applied in real world settings. With an ever-broadening diverse workplace, organizational structures, academic and otherwise, IO theories provide a broad solid foundation that we are charged to engage with today.

In January 2022, the federal department of education

Creative strategies were put into place regarding programing and learning across the world with the

Dr. Alderfer then developed his theory of Embedded

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onset of the global pandemic, positioning IO programs to pivot their training to online or hybrid; New Jersey was no different. Blended learning has taken on a new life of its own and IO study is poised for this new direction in developing IO professionals (Kraiger, et al., 2021). The practice of IO psychology has evolved

empowerment and change and identifies that we all inherently have the right to change, shift, and/or modify our story. Tennent’s of Contextual Therapy, her work is rooted in the belief of fairness, equality, morality, and balance. Jeanette is currently a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Applied Psychology

internationally, nationally, and in our very own Garden State, New Jersey. We housed several of the top scholars in theory and applied practice, and in an ever-evolving industry, are poised for growth and continued innovation. From the theories and beliefs garnered and

at Rutgers University’s organizational psychology program as she continues to pursue a study in systems frameworks from an organizational perspective.

developed by Vitelles and peers (1932), to present day incorporation of proven methodologies within

Organizational Psychology Doctorate Program at GSAPP-Rutgers University. Mr. Nathan just finished his

organizations, IO psychology is posed to assist multiple industries and frontiers. We are witnessing an expansion of IO thought and practice, especially surrounding the

career as a five-year student athlete with the Rutgers Men’s Basketball team. He is presently working towards completing his degree, with the goal of becoming a

health of our communities and the many groups that subside within; small businesses, corporations,

sports psychologist.

international organizations, academic institutions, nonprofits, governmental and legal departments, etc. As

Pete J. Economou PhD, ABPP is the director of the Organizational Psychology (OP) PsyD program, and is

the need for IO psychology expertise continues to expand, it is critical that this subspecialty of psychology is comprehensible, current, and accessible. Lastly, it is

the director of behavioral health and wellness for Rutgers University Athletics. Dr. Pete was trained in counseling psychology, is board certified in Cognitive

imperative that all specialties within the practice of professional psychology collaborate regularly across

and Behavioral Therapy (CBT) specializing in evidencebased and multicultural clinical interventions and is a

disciplines to foster diversity of theory and practice to meet the growing needs of the clients we all serve.

certified mental performance consultant (CMPC) through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology

References Furnished Upon Request

(AASP). Dr. Pete is licensed by NJ and NY to practice psychology and his research ranges several areas including multicultural psychology, third wave CBT,

Luke E. Nathan, is a second-year student in the

About the Authors

and performance psychology. He is an active member of state and national psychology associations, serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology since 2014, and is a contributor to media outlets and social media. Lastly, he is a Zen Buddhism teacher after studying at the Morning Star Zendo with Robert Kennedy, Roshi for several years, which informs his mindfulness practices offered through the third wave CBT theories.

Jeanette Williams, MA is the clinical director, and owner of Deeper Change: Personal Growth, Therapy & Counseling Group. She is a Systemic Psychotherapist licensed in Marriage and Family Therapy with offices in Union Square/ Manhattan and in South Plainfield, NJ. She specializes in anxiety, trauma, family issues, individual, and couples counseling. Jeanette draws from an integrative systems framework while merging elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Holistic Therapy, Contextual Therapy, and Narrative Therapy, which collectively promote intergenerational healing and reconciliation. She operates from a place of

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The Value of Work-Life Balance and How Organizations are Making it Work

Thor Mann, PsyD

Biage Alexandre

Victoria Valentin

According to the Cambridge dictionary, work-life balance is defined as the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend with your family and doing things you enjoy (Puri, 1995). Another definition is from Business News Daily where work-life balance is the state of equilibrium where a person equally prioritizes the demands of one’s career and the demands of one’s personal life (Sanfilippo, 2022). The common theme is balance and time.

ghSMART is one of the top leadership advisory firms and provides coaching, assessments and consulting work to Boards and CEOS. Priding themselves on highlevel work, this global company has managed to maintain a people-centered work environment for over 25 years. ghSMART not only values the caliber of work they provide to their clients but also the environment that their employees work in. One of their stated values is: “We enjoy the freedom of choice to chart the career and life that fit our highest talents and interests.”

Employees at ghSMART including principals and partners have similar experiences when it comes to work-life balance at the firm. One partner explained that work-life for them means having choice about location and intensity of work. Because ghSMART is a 100% remote company, regardless of location, consultants can work from the convenience of their home or where they feel comfortable. Additionally, being judicious about travel to meet with clients and colleagues has reduced the stressors and exhaustion that comes with traveling to multiple meetings that sometimes only last for an hour. ghSMART consultants are also able to choose the number of projects they would like to take on. If a consultant prioritizes money over time outside of work, they are free to put in the longer days that will let them achieve their financial goals.

With technology at our fingertips 24/7, work is always close by, and it may be difficult to set a boundary between, well—work and life. According to Finding Balance: Evidence-Based Strategies for Employers, the vast majority of American workers say that work-life balance is a problem, with 54% calling it a “significant problem.” Technology has fueled 24/7/365 work connectivity, and 57% of employees say it has ruined the family dinner, which is viewed as an important ingredient to balance. Over the last few years, if we look at the impact that the pandemic has had on our society, work-life balance has not become easier just because so many people were able to work from home. In fact, it exposed how tethered we are to our jobs, and balance seemed to be hard to find. On the other hand, it showed some things that people valued but had set aside because of their work demands. As we are transitioning to post-pandemic life, employees and employers alike are attempting to figure out what work-life balance looks like and what it means to have that balance while remaining productive and efficient. One company has managed to excel in ensuring that their employees have the work-life balance that they feel is right for them for where they are professionally and personally.

In the article, A Cross-National Study on the Antecedents of Work-Life Balance from the Fit and Balance Perspective, Haar explains the importance of employees having autonomy. Autonomy can be defined as self-governing, and in relation to the workplace environment, the freedom an employee has to do their job without being micromanaged by their supervisor.

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Job autonomy is an important factor that can help individuals attain their preferred level of work-life balance. For example, having control over one’s schedule can enable employees to manage their time thoughtfully and complete their work and non-work responsibilities more efficiently.

employees by disconnecting from electronics after certain hours (this includes waiting to send that email until the morning), providing employees the freedom to have a say on their own work schedule, and offering support for employees’ individual needs. In our more technologically advanced world where video meetings are nearly as effective as in person meetings, offering remote work options could be beneficial in improving employee attraction and retention. As ghSMART models, encouraging autonomy is a key factor in improving overall employee happiness and enhancing work-life balance.

Work life-balance for some can be the ability to spend time with family, travel, pursue other ventures, or do things that bring balance to a sometimes hectic work life. ghSMART has a diverse group of employees with various interests and commitments outside of their work that have been respected over the years (e.g. competitive triathletes, academic pursuits, music careers, fiction authors, and dedicated parents). Because it is an employee-run and owned firm, everyone has agency over their work and the outlook of their days and weeks. A ghSMART partner who has spent 14 years at the firm explained the importance of “freedom and flexibility” to employee retention and attraction. Having the autonomy to make decisions on the amount of work a consultant wants to put in each week and not having someone tell you what to do and how to do it is what makes ghSMART a good place to work for and part of the reason why he has stayed with the company for over a decade.

References Anonym. (2019, September 25). Finding balance: Evidence-based strategies for employers. SIOP. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.siop.org/ResearchPublications/Items-ofInterest/ArtMID/19366/ArticleID/3153/FindingBalance-Evidence-Based-Strategies-for-Employers Beauregard, & Henry, L. C. (2009). Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19(1), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.09.001

As people are shifting their perspectives about what it means to have balance, companies need to do the same to ensure that their employees are productive and satisfied. Overall, the pandemic gave many people the chance to reflect on what it means to have a healthy relationship with work and how it affects their mental health. The American Psychological Association's 2021 Work and Well-being Survey showed that since the pandemic, 59% of employees agreed that prioritizing their mental health has become more important. For some, working from home led to increased burnout, but for others, it led to an increase in work-life balance and productivity in the work-place. Reducing employee burnout and increasing work-life balance is at the forefront of challenges that organizational psychologists are working to solve. Helping managers focus on their output rather than their input has been shown to be helpful as well.

Puri, S. (1995). The Cambridge Dictionary. Sahni Publications.

Sanfilippo, M. (2022). How to Improve your Work-Life Balance. Business News Daily. Retrieved July 12, 2022, from https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5244improve-work-life-balance-today.html About the Authors Dr. Thor Mann teaches at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University and is a partner at ghSMART. He specializes in supporting Boards and CEOs select and develop high performing leaders and teams.

Victoria Valentin is a second year Organizational Psychology student in the PsyD program at Rutgers University and is currently interning at ghSMART. Her interests are in D.E.I and employee wellness in organizations.

Biage Alexandre is a doctoral student in the Organizational Psychology PsyD program at Rutgers University. Prior to that, she worked in higher education. Her interests are in professional consulting work and solving organizational challenges.

Companies need to step up to meet their employees where they are and want to be. Managers and supervisors can make WLB more accessible for their

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Bridging Research and Practice in IO Psychology: The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (CREIO)

Robert Emmerling, PsyD

Adam Ben-Hanania

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been defined as ‘‘the ability to perceive and express emotion, assimilate emotion in thought, understand and reason with emotion, and regulate emotion in the self and others’’ (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2000, p. 396). Since its original conceptualization, theories within the EI paradigm have expanded to include trait and behavioral approaches to emotional intelligence (Cherniss, 2010).

Headquartered within the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, CREIO was founded to facilitate applied research across a spectrum of theoretical orientations to better understand how EI can be applied to issues such as individual work performance, DEI initiatives, team dynamics and leadership, as well as other topics of interest to IO psychology.

study and practice related to emotions and emotional intelligence has seen a dramatic increase over the last 30 years. Yet with a dramatic increase in interest and excitement comes a responsibility to ensure that the promise of this developing field is grounded in science and research.

CREIO Mission Expanding research on EI and making it available for use by practitioners remains a fundamental goal of CREIO. The primary motivation for founding CREIO in 1996 was to ensure best practices and application of scientifically validated techniques in the area of emotional intelligence. To this day, the effects of the “affective revolution” (Barsade, Brief, & Spataro, 2003) continue to reverberate throughout the field of IO psychology, having a dramatic impact on research and applied practice. Once thought of as being antithetical to the logical and rational landscape of organizational life, the

Operating continuously since its founding in 1996, the longevity of CREIO speaks to the shared and lasting interest in the topic among researchers, practitioners, and organizations. Intended from its inception to be a collaboration between practitioners and researchers, the inclusion of organizational sponsors has helped ensure that the field pays adequate attention to the needs and interests of practitioners. Such partnerships are needed to facilitate better alignment of academic research to the needs of practitioners and organizations that become the ultimate adopters of theories and applied practice. Unfortunately,

About CREIO Individual members of CREIO represent researchers and practitioners with a distinguished record of research in the field of emotional intelligence in organizations. The membership is composed of over 120 members spanning 6 continents, thus working to ensure research on emotional intelligence includes diverse research sites and populations throughout the world and speaks to the truly global nature of interest in EI.

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2. Emotional Intelligence in the age of Artificial Intelligence: Rapid advances in technology and increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, coupled with the increasingly hybrid nature of work, will require a reassessment of which specific social and emotional intelligence competencies will be necessary to succeed in the tasks and roles of the future.

3. Factors that facilitate or inhibit the development of EI-based skills in the workplace: More focused research to identify individual, team, organizational, and cultural factors that facilitate or inhibit the development of skills and competencies related to social and emotional intelligence would be a welcome addition to the literature with significant implications for applied practice.

differences in organizational cultures and incentives of the academic versus the business community make such collaborations a challenge to manage. Academia typically rewards researchers for new and innovative ideas, often implicitly encouraging originality over utility (Corley & Gioia, 2011), while practitioners and organizations tend to value innovative ideas that lead directly to specific techniques and practices that can address practical concerns. It is this delicate balance between rigorous research and applied practice that CREIO has sought to navigate.

While engagement with organizational members has been an important source of research collaborations, CREIO has also worked to create a broader impact by establishing evidence-based best practices for training and developing emotional intelligence in the workplace (Cherniss, Goleman, Emmerling, Cowan & Adler, 1998) and summarizing and synthesizing research findings (Cherniss & Goleman, 2001; Druskat, Sala, & Mount, 2006). The identification and evaluation model programs that demonstrated scientific evidence of their efficacy have also been leading steps in this initiative (Cherniss & Adler, 2000). Central to constructs related to emotional intelligence is the issue of measurement, to which CREIO has developed a list of assessment instruments that have support for their reliability and validity in the peer-reviewed literature.

Mentorship program The need for a future generation of emotional intelligence researchers to address the myriad of questions in front of the field was the impetus for the development of CREIO’s mentorship program for early career researchers. This mentorship program seeks to pair early career researchers with individual members of the Consortium to support the career development of the next generation of applied researchers. Having members and CREIO leadership with ties to NJ, as GSAPP faculty and alumni have proven invaluable for students in IO programs, it is our hope to broaden the impact on the field through targeted mentorship initiatives.

Future Research and Consortium Initiatives More than 30 years of research in the field of emotional intelligence has helped us to significantly advance as an applied field within IO psychology, but has also left many questions to answer and emerging areas in need of research attention. The following three broad areas currently serve to identify and focus attention on key areas with significant applied implications.

For more information about CREIO or to sign up for our monthly newsletter, please visit our website at www.eiconsortium.org References Furnished Upon Request About the Authors

1. Emotional well-being, stress, and psychological safety in organizations: The COVID pandemic, combined with an increased focus on the negative role that racism plays in society, has highlighted the need to ensure that organizations as supportive, safe, and socially aware. This provoked the advent of best practices regarding overall well-being within organizations, stress reduction, and psychological safety for all, including emphasis on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI). The bridge between research and applied practices is seen within CREIO in all these areas and will be more explicit in future research.

Robert J. Emmerling, PsyD is the director and co-chair of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations and holds dual appointments in the Department of People Management and Organisation at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and within the Applied Psychology Department of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University.

Adam Ben-Hanania is currently pursuing his doctoral degree (PsyD) in organizational psychology at Rutgers University and works as an organizational consultant and executive performance coach. Additionally, Adam is a research assistant at CREIO, working under the supervision of Dr Robert Emmerling.

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Upcoming NJPA CE Programs New Jersey Continuing Education/ FAQs

What types of activities qualify for continuing education?

At least 20 of the 40 credits, if not all, must be completed by attending continuing education courses, in-person, on-line, or through reading and examination. Of the 40 credits, at least 10 credits shall be in approved courses or programs where there is opportunity for live interaction with the continuing education instructor. If you are taking an online course and have the ability to interact with the presenter, that is considered "live interaction."

For those psychologists involved in training, teaching, presentation, and scholarly activities, up to 20 of the 40 credits can be from completing a graduate course from an accredited psychology program, authorship of an article, presenting a new lecture or seminar, or teaching or developing the curriculum for a new course. All of these options must be related to psychology. Please carefully review the regulations to learn more.

Anger is a normal, healthy, human emotion. However, when the anger becomes explosive or destructive it can lead to problems in various facets of our clients’ lives. Children and adolescents may appear angry when they are managing feelings of anxiety, shame, frustration, sadness, or other uncomfortable feelings.

This training will introduce a variety of effective research-based strategies and interventions to address your clients’ disruptive behaviors.

Click here for more information

When it comes to dual relationships, we have an almost knee-jerk understanding that certain choices are just plain "bad choices." If our work is primarily clinical, our loyalty is to the patient. We aim to Do No Harm. If our work is forensic, our loyalty is to the truth. This program will teach attendees problemsolving skills for identifying and managing potential dual relationships in their professional practices, particularly as they relate to forensic and clinical work.

Click here for more information

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Confidentiality and Informed Consent: Ethical Considerations Here is a summary of important aspects of the regulations related to confidentiality: “A licensee may withhold information contained in the client record from a client or the client's guardian if, in the reasonable exercise of his or her professional judgment, the licensee believes release of such information would adversely affect the client's health or welfare.”

By Donald J. Franklin, PhD NJPA Ethics Committee

However, the record, or a summary, must be released to the client’s attorney, another licensed health care professional, or the client’s health insurance carrier (with limitations described within the regulations). In addition, client records shall be released, upon request of the Board or the Office of the Attorney General investigating a complaint, in response to a court order, and in certain other circumstances.

Confidentiality belongs to the client, and the client can allow release of their confidential information to other parties. There are also limits on confidentiality defined in the laws and the regulations governing the practice of psychology. The regulations also describe circumstances that would allow a psychologist to withhold the release of confidential records to a client or their representative, as well as when client information can or should be released against the wishes of the client. New Jersey law also now provides confidentiality to certain minors (age 13) seeking treatment for sexual assault, infection with a venereal disease, or HIV. The same law provides for treatment of minors, over 13, for the treatment of substance abuse or alcohol abuse. A minor who is 16 years or older can seek treatment for mental health or behavioral disorders, without adult consent.

The minor has confidentiality rights in these circumstances, unless withholding the release of that confidential information would be harmful to the minor or otherwise required by law. The laws governing confidentiality for minors were revised in 2015. If you treat adolescents, you should be familiar with the current laws.

Psychologists should be aware of the scope and limits of confidentiality as described in the NJ Regulations (Board of Psychology), the NJ statutes governing treatment of minors, Duty to Warn, and Reporting of Child Abuse. Links to these resources are found in the References. The American Psychological Association Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct also review confidentiality guidelines for psychologists. A link to that resource is also listed in the References.

Confidentiality must otherwise be maintained, unless there is a clear and present danger to the client or the public, there is probable cause that a potential victim of the client is in potential danger, or release of the information is mandated by law. Finally, confidentiality survives the death of the client.

Informed consent, as it applies to confidentiality, requires a treatment professional to explain to the client what information is maintained as confidential, and when confidentiality may be breached and why it may be breached. Informed consent also requires clients to be aware of what information can and cannot be shared about the treatment of minors, when parents or guardians bring a minor for psychological treatment or evaluation. An important aspect of informed consent

The NJ Regulations governing the practice of psychology allow a psychologist to refuse to release records to a client or a client’s representative under certain circumstances. The last revision to the Regulations took place on November 1, 2021. If you have not reviewed the Regulations in the past year, you may not be aware of changes that affect how you practice. It is good ethical practice to review the Regulations once per year, even if there have been no revisions.

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is that the laws/regulations governing the rights of minors receiving psychological treatment may vary from state to state. If you are providing treatment across state lines, you need to be aware of which laws/regulations apply regarding confidentiality. If you are providing psychological services through PSYPACT, you should verify what the rules are when providing services to minors across state lines. This article is not focusing on PSYPACT rules, I am only recommending that you verify how to manage the treatment of minors across state lines.

When beginning treatment, either with a minor or an adult, do not assume that the client understands the laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of mental health records. After reviewing the information above, and the NJ Regulations, you can understand that even professionals are not always clear regarding confidentiality rules and limits. Clients may believe that confidentiality is absolute, and it is not. Parents and adolescents may have different assumptions about the confidentiality of information discussed in treatment, and what can be, should be, or must be shared with parents.

Mental health services provided because of a DCP&P case, or a court order, may also have different confidentiality limits, or no confidentiality at all. Clients, and the parents of minor clients, need to understand how confidentiality is and is not protected.

At the onset of treatment, psychologists should review confidentiality limits, and discuss circumstances that may apply to the clinical services being provided. A psychologist can clarify to minor clients and their parents examples of information that would or should be shared, as compared to information that would remain confidential during treatment. This serves a dual purpose.

First, the client will feel more comfortable discussing problems with the psychologist. If a client wants to discuss a sensitive issue, the client will better understand how the psychologist will respond. Second, the client is more likely to discuss their concerns about confidentiality, if they want to discuss an issue that may be an exception to confidentiality. That discussion may lead the client to discuss an issue that may have remained secret otherwise.

clients and parents, and many clinical situations will raise questions that do not always have a definitive answer. The ethics of confidentiality is complicated. To practice ethically, you should be familiar with the resources listed below, but you must also recognize that many situations will be unclear. Consultation with professional colleagues and supervisors will assist you in making ethical decisions about confidentiality, as well as consultation with the NJPA Ethics Committee.

References 2015 New Jersey Revised Statutes. Title 9 - CHILDREN-JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS COURTS Section 9:17A-4 - Consent by minor to treatment. URL: https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2015/title9/section-9-17a-4 American Psychological Association (2017) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Url: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx NEW JERSEY ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 13 LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY CHAPTER 42 BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINERS. URL: https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapte r-42-Board-of-Psychological-Examiners.pdf N.J. Stat. § 2A:62A-16. Section 2A:62A-16 - Health care professionals, immunity from civil liability; duty to warn and protect. URL: https://casetext.com/statute/newjersey-statutes/title-2a-administration-of-civil-andcriminal-justice/chapter-2a62a-civil-immunity-foremergency-care/section-2a62a-16-health-careprofessionals-immunity-from-civil-liability-duty-towarn-and-protect State of NJ, Department of Children and Families. NJ Law - Reporting child abuse and neglect. NJ.gov. URL: https://www.nj.gov/dcf/reporting/links/ About the Author Donald J Franklin, PhD is a NJ licensed psychologist in private practice since 1987. His practice currently focuses primarily on forensic issues in family, civil, and criminal matters, but he also provides psychotherapy services to adolescents and adults. Prior to entering private practice, Dr. Franklin worked in public mental health, as an individual and family counselor for Catholic Charities, as a counselor attached to a halfway house for men recovering from alcohol issues, as a Senior Clinician running an

The APA Ethical Principles, and the Regulations and Statutes governing confidentiality, can raise as many questions as they answer. Professional judgment is required when explaining the limits of confidentiality to

Adult Partial Care program, and as Clinical Director of an Outpatient Mental Health Center. His practice is primarily in central New Jersey, but he provides services throughout New Jersey.

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APA Council of Representatives Report

rights, including the right to bodily autonomy. We have the charge, as psychologist leaders in the American Psychological Association, to improve the human condition. Complacency is our enemy.

ByRhonda Allen, PhD Council Representative (NJ) (2019-24)

We want to acknowledge and thank APA for the work it is doing to promote these concerns and to have these conversations and to advocate. We are asking that each of us present today take responsibility and act to protect and promote these human rights. The impact of recent decisions by the Supreme Court, as well as predicted decisions, cannot be overstated. When one of us is dehumanized, we are all dehumanized.”

The Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association of Representatives held a hybrid meeting, with most Council members convening in-person in Minneapolis, coinciding with APA 2022, the association’s annual convention on August 3 – 4, 2022.

APA adopts racial equity action plan, outlining next steps to operationalize racism resolution The APA Council adopted a Racial Equity Action Plan that outlines the next steps the association and psychology should take to prioritize and operationalize the commitments made in the association’s 2021 apology for its role in contributing to racism. Council approved the plan by a vote of 149 – 8 with 2 abstentions.

The following is a summary of the major decisions and votes at this meeting. Some of what is reported below is excerpted from a meeting summary provided to council members from APA. One of the first items presented was a request to add a New Business Item concerning Reproductive Rights. It was ultimately not added to the agenda because it did not receive the 2/3 vote necessary. However, following this vote was a statement was made by Dr. Jennifer Smith during which almost, if not all of the council, stood in solidarity and support, which was quite moving.

“The Racial Equity Action Plan affords the opportunity to utilize racial equity as a critical lens to drive APA’s strategic priorities and measure the magnitude of APA’s impact,” according to the agenda item introducing the document. “This plan allows the work of racial equity to be embedded and sustained throughout all aspects of the association’s work.”

Below is the text of her statement: “My name is Jennifer Smith and I represent Georgia. This is my 4th year on Council and my first time at the mic. I am here today speaking to you as the chair of the Women’s Caucus. We are asking people to stand, literally and figuratively, in support of the human rights of women of all backgrounds. You are welcome to join us right here if you want. If you are attending virtually maybe you can use your reaction buttons on Zoom to show your support, if you are not able to stand maybe you can raise your hand.

The plan is divided into five sections: Knowledge Production; Health; APA/Workforce; Training of Psychologists; and Education. Each section lays out priority actions and concludes with a summary of social impact and innovation. The full report is available on the APA website.

Task force report calls for psychology to transform education, practice, and research to address equity Psychology must take concrete steps to expose and

It is no secret that women and especially women of color, along with gender diverse people, are facing tremendous losses and potential losses of fundamental

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corroborate these findings.” The resolution notes that there are more than 3,000 laws and government regulations restricting the behavior and actions of people under age 21 in the United States, such as being legally permitted to buy alcohol or tobacco, obtaining a license for a concealed handgun, becoming a foster parent, or obtaining a credit card without a co-signer. The resolution may be accessed on the APA website.

mitigate the impacts of systemic and structural factors that affect physical and mental health, according to a report accepted by the APA Council by a vote of 161-2.

Structural racism, which influences the circumstances in which people live and work and is intensified by political, economic, and social influences, is a key driver of health inequities, according to a report from APA’s Presidential Task Force on Psychology and Health Equity.

Police reforms aimed at curbing use of force, protecting marginalized populations

The Task Force report lays out a roadmap for actions by APA, psychologists, and others to address health inequities in education and training, research, publications, and professional practice. Task force members were appointed by APA Past President Jennifer F. Kelly, PhD. The report recommends developing strategies to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of the psychology workforce to better address the mental health needs of communities of color – noting that more than 80% currently identify as white. It also calls for creating outreach and recruitment programs aiding communities of color, implementing more flexible training programs to support students with multiple life demands, and promoting culturally relevant methods and principles for health equity research in all psychology programs. The full report is available on the APA website.

APA adopts resolution limiting death penalty to offenders ages 21 and older The APA Council passed a resolution by 161-7, with 1 abstention to limit the application of the death penalty based on scientific research indicating that adolescent brains continue to develop well beyond age 18 (the current constitutional limit), and that people’s ability to exert good judgment in times of heightened arousal is not realized fully until sometime after the age of 20.

“There is clear evidence of prolonged development far beyond the age of 17 and into the mid-20s, so that the psychological capacity of members of the late adolescent class to exercise a mature sense of responsibility, and to resist outside pressures is still very much in process,” according to the “Resolution on the Imposition of Death as a Penalty for Persons Aged 18 Through 20, Also Known as the Late Adolescent Class.” “The significant structural and functional changes in the brain at this time

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APA Council adopted a wide-ranging resolution on policing that seeks to expand training programs to include de-escalation techniques, build stronger relations with mental health service agencies, minimize targeting of people of lower socioeconomic status, and encourage officers to restrict when they use force. The Resolution on Psychology’s Role in Addressing the Impact of, and Change Required with Police Use of Excessive Force Against People of Color and Other Marginalized Communities in the United States passed by a vote of 1651, with 2 abstentions.

In adopting the resolution, the Council noted it “is tied directly to psychology’s significant potential to contribute to the dismantling of racism and the promotion of racial equity, by helping to remediate conditions and situations that engage individual, systemic, and institutional sources of racism.”

“The overarching goal of this resolution is to promote the safety, health, well-being, and fulfillment of the human rights of those community members who are most vulnerable -- Black Americans and other people of color, and members of other marginalized communities who are affected by excessive use of force - and those who work in law enforcement,” it states.

The resolution commits APA to “advocate for the development, implementation, and evaluation of empirically rooted, culturally informed policies, programs, and practices that eliminate the use of excessive force by police against people of color and other marginalized communities” and “for law enforcement standards and practices within police departments to reduce the detrimental impact of police misconduct and use of excessive force, and to promote a healthy relationship between police officers and their communities.” The

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resolution is available on the APA website.

Psychology Week Council passed a motion designating the third week of April to be proclaimed Psychology Week, an annual celebration of psychology that includes “Psychology Day,” recognized by the United Nations community and certain other institutions. APA will share information about Psychology Week with the psychology community and broader audiences leading up to and during that week.

APA will also provide information and tools/visuals that other organizations can use to join the celebration.

Council approved the business item by a vote of 166 – 2 with one abstention.

Practice Guidelines adapted as APA policy Guidelines for psychological practice with women with SMI APA Council adopted as APA policy the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Women with Serious Mental Illness and approved December 31, 2032 as the expiration date for the Guidelines. The motion was passed by a vote of 158 – 1 with six abstentions. These practice guidelines serve to guide professional behaviors and decisions of psychologists who work with women with SMI, and provide a “culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach to clinical engagement” with a focus on offering equity of access and outcomes. Moreover, these guidelines strive to be “informed by recovery-oriented care models.” They offer support for treatment and efficacy considerations of “working with women with serious mental illness, who are particularly prone to the intersectionality of oppressive experiences and who are at disparate risk for marginalization and stigma.”

Council effectiveness and association operations Resolution to add a graduate student member seat to selected APA Boards and Committees

Membership Board will not add an additional seat and instead will allocate an existing seat to a Graduate Student. If the Bylaw changes are approved by the APA membership, beginning in 2025, graduate students would be seated on selected boards and committees included in the Bylaws changes. All APA members should be looking for an email from APA about this proposed bylaws change vote in early November. I encourage everyone to carefully read the accompanying “pro” and “con” statements and then vote to accept or reject this Bylaws change. Over the past few years there has been minimal participation in these votes and therefore your vote can literally determine the outcome. Two other Bylaws changes will also be up for a vote. One is to decrease the waiting time for Associate Members to be able to vote from five years to one year and a second is a proposed change to the mission of the Membership Board. As always, I encourage and welcome anyone to reach out to me with any questions about these proposed changes or any other APA matter.

Presidential Citations and Awards APA President Frank C. Worrell, PhD, honored two psychologists for their contributions to the field. Rosie Phillips Davis, PhD, ABPP, 2019 president of APA, received the 2022 Raymond D. Fowler Award for Outstanding Member Contributions. Jason Cantone, PhD, was presented with a Presidential Citation.

During the lunch break on the first day of council, there was an optional Healthcare Finance luncheon that I chose to attend. There is some potentially good news in that updates to CPT codes are underway that would include psychological interventions, such as smoking cessation and obesity management.

I look forward to representing NJPA at the next Council of Representatives meeting in February 2023 in Washington, DC. Until then I wish everyone good health and peace.

Council approved a series of motions to add a graduate student member seat to selected APA boards and committees. In accordance with the APA Bylaws, the amendment to the Bylaws will be forwarded to the APA Membership for a vote in November 2022. If approved by the APA membership, an additional seat dedicated to a Graduate Student will be added to the boards. The

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Book review

Mom Brain: Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood and Relax Into Your New Self New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Reviewed by Anthony Tasso, PhD Professor and Deputy Director School of Psychology & Counseling Fairleigh Dickinson University Nothing is more exciting, daunting, and overwhelming than entering the world of motherhood. The pregnancy process, home preparation, arranging for childcare, and work home life balance is exceedingly stressful and, and of itself, a full-time job. And these responsibilities do not occur in a vacuum. Motherhood does not relinquish the mom from non-mom duties. Mothers are still tasked with managing household budgets, maintaining the home, sustaining outside employment, and scheduling daily activities, to name a few. The excessive energy required to organize her life and the household can make even the most well-grounded mom feel unsettled.

All this, coupled with compromised sleep and finite time – wow! It’s a wonder how any mother survives, yet alone thrives.

principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which serves as the foundation of the text. Specifically, the author offers information on CBT concepts (e.g., distortions, overgeneralization) and discusses how to apply elements of mindfulness and acceptance perspectives in a manner that are easily comprehensible to the non-psychologist reader.

Dobrow DiMarco ties such ideas to numerous realworld mothering scenarios—a clear strength of Mom Brain.

No one questions the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood. Dobrow DiMarco describes how even pedestrian activities (e.g., dressing, phone calls) can require near-Herculean efforts with a newborn at your side. Mom Brain provides procedural methods for monitoring emotions and expectations, outlining mindfulness techniques, and advocating for selfcompassion as proactive counters to such distress while navigating motherhood. She also taps into the mom’s new, and possibly uncertain, identity. Dobrow DiMarco discusses common tweaks in a mother’s sense of self (e.g., more emotional, increased anxiety, radically modified priorities) and offers productive tips on how to accept and appreciate many of these motherhood-facilitated shifts.

Yet, many moms both survive and thrive. How they do so varies, and varies greatly. Thankfully, professional assistance is available for those who are struggling.

Mom Brains: Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood-and Relax into Your New Role (2021; Guilford Press) is an outstanding book to help mothers with their mothering brain. Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, PhD, authors an easy-toapply manual for mothers looking for assistance in keeping their maternal head above water, and does so with ease, humor, and compassion.

Worry can be an omnipresent experience for any new parent, whether or not the individual was a preparenting worrier. Dobrow DiMarco leans on research suggesting that mothers account for most of the family’s “worry variance,” regardless of their

Mom Brain opens with multiple cogent examples highlighting the unavoidable scattered and overwhelmed existence of the new mom. This is followed by a simple yet comprehensive introduction to a few of the major

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employment status or the level of support they receive at home. Mom Brain delineates between common, everyday worries (e.g., infant feedings, pediatrician appointments) and the manifestation of more deeply entrenched anxieties (e.g., disrupted sleep, compromised focus). The author separates relatively minor mommy angst from immensely distressing catastrophic fears such as injury, illness, or death of the child or parents, fears many parents encounter from time to time but can be all consuming for some. In this section, the text explores swift ways in which the hyperworried mom can identify when such processes cross over into the problematic domain while presenting applied approaches to cope with such experiences (e.g., exposure, autocognitive restructuring).

deprivation, increased laundry, late-night feedings, and doctors’ appointments along with the natural maternal preoccupation can inadvertently foster an atmosphere in which little to no time or emotional energy is left for the romantic dyad. Mom Brain importantly places the romantic relationship in a place of importance, yet does so without compromising the child’s needs. The author outlines the concept of DEAR MAN (Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, stay Mindful, Appear confident, Negotiate) as a means to stimulate dialogue between romantic partners. This, the author contends, should consist of a broad avenue for the parents to talk about the relationship at large along with other family-related issues (e.g., downtime, household chores, baby responsibilities).

Any new mother is painfully aware of the challenge of performing even the basic chores while attending to a newborn. Dobrow DiMarco explores the oftcomplicated, ongoing negotiations moms make when attending to their needs vis-à-vis their child’s. Here, the book tackles the practicalities of balancing maternal self-care (e.g., eating, showering, exercising) in addition to maternal “luxuries” (e.g., hair, nails, lunch with friends) with attentiveness to proclivities towards maternal guilt generated by prioritizing one’s own needs. Dobrow DiMarco also delves into the delicate topic of mothers comparing their lives to the purported lives of others and illustrates the ways in which this stimulates the belief that every other mother (as viewed through the lens of Facebook or Instagram) is living a life of ease, unencumbered with stress, worry, or angst. She discusses how this can lead to feelings of being “less than,” and thus perceiving herself as an inept mother (or person).

The arrival of a child frequently heralds the arrival of the extended family (commonly the grandparents), which can obfuscate the line between helpfulness and intrusiveness. Mom Brain offers guidance on the management of such relationships by explicating factors outside one’s control (e.g., personality styles, inlaw geographic proximity) from those that are controllable (e.g., discussions with partner, visit frequency and duration). This section nicely expounds on the importance of boundary setting, in addition to reassuring readers that the marital dyad does not need to suffer because of impinging others.

Friendships, with their unavoidable ebbs and flows, are sensitive to some radical changes during parenthood.

Mom Brain examines the new mother’s social relationships by tapping into simple yet comprehensive ways of assessing the value of existing relationships, and offers suggestions on how to sustain and nurture healthy relationships. Specifically, Dobrow DiMarco provides a checklist to assess the viability of a relationship (e.g., emotional effort, too little in common) along with practical ways to develop new relationships (e.g., moms’ groups, chat rooms, playground get-togethers). Mom Brain closes with useful information on managing holidays and family vacations. Dobrow DiMarco underscores how vacation and holiday disappointment are endemic in mothers harboring unattainable expectations. The author then helps the new mom set reasonable goals, not personalize putative shortcomings, and take pride in the entire process (successes and missteps) of these meaningful moments in time.

Maternal perfectionism is appropriately explored in Mom Brain. The author sets the realistic desire to be the best mom possible alongside the unattainable ideals of perfect mothering. Dobrow DiMarco skillfully provides a guide to assessing when perfectionistic yearnings are pronounced and describes how such aspirations inevitably lead to feelings of defeat and self-flagellation.

A laudable undercurrent of this section, and throughout the text, is the embracement of good-enough mothering —a foundation of Mom Brain.

The marital relationship can easily fall to the wayside when in the throes of parenthood. Here, Dobrow DiMarco illuminates how the “new norm” of sleep

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Mom Brain is a welcomed book for current moms or those planning to become one. While the lion’s share of related self-help books are geared towards mothering the child, Mom Brain speaks to mom herself. Dobrow DiMarco offers guidance on a range of topics germane to motherhood, and does so in an easily accessible, highly useful manner. As such, there is something in it for every mother.

thus, fostering greater empathy for the mom in their life.

Another group that would benefit from Mom Brain is psychotherapists. Dobrow DiMarco provides rich basic information along with procedural approaches throughout, helping the mental health clinician to develop a greater capacity to work with new moms. As such, Mom Brain is beneficial to the parents, psychotherapists, and especially mothers.

Although this self-help book is designed to support mothers, I believe that fathers, too, would benefit from giving this text a read. For one, many of the author’s pearls of wisdom apply to all parents, irrespective of gender or role in the family. Additionally, men who read Mom Brain would be in a better position to gain insights into what their wife/partner may be grappling with,

About the Reviewer: Anthony F. Tasso, PhD, ABPP is Professor of Psychology and Deputy Director of the School of Psychology & Counseling, Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also has a psychotherapy practice in Whippany (Hanover Township), Morris County, NJ.

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