In a time where social media has us collecting people as “friends” or “followers,” one wonders how many of these relationships are real and, perhaps more importantly, how many of these bonds are strong enough to really be considered relationships? There has been some debate about how strong these ties need to be in order to consider people as close to you.

Robin Dunbar suggests that most people have around 150 stable relationships, this has become known as “Dunbar’s Number.”  A stable relationship in this sense is described as knowing who the person is and how he/she relates to others in the group of stable relationships. So, I’ll issue an apology to those individuals with thousands of friends or followers before I say: “I don’t think so!”

Click on the following link if you’d like to hear an interview with Dunbar about “his number.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/video/2010/mar/12/dunbar-evolution

Cassandra A. Sturycz, B.A.
Psychology Practicum Student

Greenberger and Padesky (1995) explain in their book, Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think, that our expectations affect our behavior. People are more likely to try to do something and succeed if they believe it is possible.

For many years, athletes believed that it was absolutely impossible for a human to run a 4-minute mile. In track events all around the world, top athletes ran a mile in just over 4 minutes. Then a man named Roger Bannister, a British miler, decided to determine what changes he could make in his running style and strategy in order for him to break the 4-minute barrier. Bannister believed it was possible to run faster and put many months of effort into altering his running pattern to reach this particular goal. In 1954 Roger Bannister became the very first man to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. It was his belief that he could succeed that contributed to the change in the behavior. Remarkably, once Bannister broke the record, the best milers from all around the world also began to run the mile in under 4 minutes. Unlike Bannister, these athletes had not substantially changed their running patterns. The thing that had changed was their thoughts; they now believed it was possible to run this fast and their behavior followed their thoughts.

Just knowing it is possible to run this fast does not mean everyone can do this, of course. Thinking something is not the same thing as doing it. But the more you believe something is possible the more likely you are to attempt it and maybe succeed at it.

Reference: Greenberger, D. & Padesky, C.A. (1995). Mind over mood: Changing how you feel by changing the way you think. New York, NY: The Guilford Press

Cindy Geil, MA
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

Pictured from left to right are Cynthia Geil, Cassandra Sturycz, David Wright, and Danielle McNeill.

Cynthia Geil is an intern who hails from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University, in Schaumburg, Illinois. She has experience in substance abuse and chronic mental illness. She has been involved in research related to Reactive Attachment Disorder, and her dissertation explores the connection between religion, life satisfaction, and risky behavior in adolescents.

Cassandra Sturycz is a practicum student from Western Kentucky University.

David Wright  is an intern from   the American School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University, in Phoenix, Arizona. He has extensive clinical and forensic experience, and he is active duty career military, granted Guard status by the United States Army in order to complete his degree. Mr. Wright has worked over a decade in counterintelligence, and he has received the Military Organization Volunteer Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, three Good Conduct Medals, and a Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Danielle McNeill is an intern who comes to us from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, in Atlanta, Georgia.  She has extensive experience in assessment and diagnostics, as well as eating disorders and she has actively participated in the Human Rights Campaign in Alabama and Georgia.

WKPIC is happy to have you!

What distinguishes a talker from a great communicator, an effective communicator?

It is the ability to develop a keen external awareness that separates the truly great communicators from those who muddle through their interactions with others. Examine the lives of great leaders like Churchill, King or Roosevelt and you’ll find them all to be exceptional communicators. They might talk about their ideas, but they do so in a way which also speaks to your emotions and your aspirations. They realize if their message doesn’t take deep root with the audience then it likely won’t be understood, much less championed. For tips on effective communication, check out Forbes.com’s take on the communication secrets of great leaders.

David J. Wright, MA., MSW
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

The MATCH process can be an overwhelming experience for many students.  Perhaps students become overwhelmed because internship preparation represents the final hurdle and course requirement before life as a professional psychologist begins.  In many cases, students become overwhelmed having heard past horror stories from friends or read previous articles that highlighted frightening statistics about the lack of internship sites; especially APA accredited sites. Whatever the case, I’m sure you have heard your share of stories.  As a fellow student and current intern, I’m writing to share my personal experience with you. I am hopeful that my story will show how persistence, vigilance, and determination pays off despite what may appear as a hopeless situation.

I am an older African American male, married, with two sons. I decided to leave a career in the Military to pursue my dream of earning a Psy.D.  I was eligible to apply for the MATCH in 2010 for the 2011-2012 internship year.  As expected, I was thrilled to have reached that point in my clinical training.  Having gone through several internship preparation seminars/meetings,  I  followed the advice of faculty and submitted  an average amount of applications; approximately 15-20.  I was confident that I would MATCH in the first round. Gosh, was I wrong.  Although I was called for either in-house or telephone interviews at several sites, I still did not MATCH. I was angry, sad, worried, and lacked confidence. It was a hard pill to swallow knowing that my friends were selected and I was not. Despite it all, I re-applied for phase 2.  Again, I submitted an average number of applications and was anxious to hear whether I would receive invitations to interview.  Needless to say, I was invited to interview at only one APA accredited site.  I interviewed via telephone and was selected to begin internship on July 1, 2011. I was overwhelmed by excitement and again believed in my abilities.  I packed my belongings, kissed my wife and kids, and travelled halfway around the country eager to begin.  Initially, all went well on internship as I met the other interns and staff. After completing orientation, I was ready to meet clients.

Approximately 3 months into internship, the unthinkable happened. Family issues compelled me to resign. I was devastated, depressed, and thought that my future as a professional psychologist was over.  Although my internship site supported my decision to resign, I was embarrassed to inform my school’s clinical director and APPIC about the resignation. My initial thought was that I “blew it.” I would never be given another shot. Negative thoughts consumed me and I ruminated repeatedly over my decision to resign. I decided that family was more important to me than my career.  As an older student, I questioned my decision of returning to school. As family issues persisted, I experienced negative thoughts that I failed.  After contemplating my future, I expressed interest to my school that I wanted to re-apply for internship. I was told that I would not be eligible to apply for the 2012-2013 MATCH.

During my year off, I underwent several embarrassing committee meetings. The committee required me to write courses of action to ensure a successful internship experience if given a second chance.  Basically, I was under the microscope for one year.  During that year, I re-told my family’s situation over and over again to anyone who asked. I was told by individuals that “I gravely jeopardized my career as a future psychologist.”  I continued to write courses of action and re-told my story despite negative comments from professionals of various disciplines.

After one year, I received the endorsement from my school and was granted permission to re-apply for the 2013-2014 internship year. I updated my CV, cover letters, and application in the Aug/Sept 2012 timeframe. I submitted to 35 sites. Of the 35 sites, I received 11 invitations to interview; 8 APA accredited and 3 non-APA.  I was selected in the first round by a non-APA site.

Whether you are not selected in Phase I or Phase II, my heartfelt advice to you is to press on and not give up until you have totally exhausted all of your resources.  Also, I have found that students may become discouraged after being selected to a non-APA site.  I’m here to inform you that non-APA sites provide valuable skills and necessary tools that are useful to function as a competent and well-informed psychologist. Furthermore, being selected to a non-APA site is not  a negative reflection of you as a student or as a person.  It does not mean that you are a failure, inadequate, or not competitive among your peers. Rather, it means that you have made it to the next phase of your journey.  I’m hopeful that my personal testimony will instill persistence and faith in your abilities as you begin the APPIC process and ultimately completing your educational goals.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were almost 2,250,000 alcohol-related deaths worldwide in 2004.  In the United States, over 30% of male deaths between the ages of 15 and 29 were associated with alcohol-related causes.  10-19.9% of US males who drank alcohol within the past year had engaged in heavy episodic drinking.  Whereas, US females engage in heavy episodic drinking less than 5% of the time.

For more information about how the United States compares to the rest of the world, visit the WHO’s website.

Cassandra A. Sturycz, B.A.
Psychology Practicum Student

One thing many interns never consider is what kind of office space they’ll have. Will it be completely individual? Ever-shifting? Communal?

In the past, we have tried all three methods, and finally settled on communal at the state hospital rotation, and individual at the community mental health rotation. As the primary office space at the state hospital site, we renovated a large room and constructed four work stations to accomodate our interns and practicum students. Each work station has cubbies, bookshelves, a locking drawer, and a space to personalize. There are file cabinets for all, and office supplies.

Also, as you can see in the photo, students have their own printer–and a few perks, like a refrigerator and microwave. It wouldn’t do to have starving students. And along those lines, the beautiful space is also next to an entrance and parking lot (if you could see the size of the building, you would understand how wonderful this is)–and directly beside the cafeteria where students can still eat lunch for $1.00.

So far the reviews of the new workspace have been positive. Former students = envious and current students = happy! A win all around. We find that the space makes it easy for students to share information, learning, and resources. I think they also relax, socialize, and support each other, too.  Special thanks to the maintenance department at the hospital, and to administrative support Karen Forester, who employed her superhero design and decorating skills to make it lovely. Additional thanks to IT, for hanging upside-down like Batman to get the computer wiring done–and fast, too.

Life in 159 year old buildings is always a challenge. Consider this one met!

Stay tuned for more pictures in the future, as we attempt to catch elusive wild interns at work and play in their natural habitat…

It’s a week for big events for WKPIC students and alumni.

Completing a 7-year journey, Erik Marsh,  2012-2013 intern, has received his doctorate. Hooray, Dr. Marsh!  We’re thrilled that you stayed in the area to work at PMHC, and we hope you’ll join our internship faculty in the future. You’re a natural teacher and an all-around great guy.