Tag Archives: Professional Development

Gary Howell

His Love of Advocacy Made Him a Guardian of Psychology

Gary HowellI am Gary Howell, an early career psychologist licensed in Florida and Illinois. I am truly honored to receive the inaugural “Guardian of Psychology” Award from the APAGS Advocacy Coordinating Team.  While I have so many varied interests in our field, I have found my niche working with the LGBT community.

As an openly gay psychologist and professor, I have committed to making the world a better place for students, psychologists, community leaders, as well as clients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

My love of advocacy began as a college student in a very rural town north of Dallas.  I attended an honor society convention and saw Jeanne White deliver a touching keynote address highlighting her pain and loss of her young son, Ryan White, who died while battling HIV/AIDS following a blood transfusion.  Her story hooked me in and led me to volunteer at a local AIDS Service Organization that served 7,000 square miles in Texas.  I served as president of a student HIV/AIDS advocacy group on the Austin College campus around the time Matthew Shepard was beaten to death.  The anger and pain we all felt as we huddled around the television in the Student Union building to hear if he survived or not ignited my passion for social justice.

The path to graduate school

Prior to entering graduate school, I spent two years teaching at a therapeutic day school. I was settled in and comfortable with my job, but I felt as though a significant part of me was fading away. I was informally looking at graduate schools and was scheduled to interview at one in NYC around the time of the 9/11 tragedy. As I sat helplessly in Dallas trying to help my young students make sense of the tragedy, I knew it was time to make a change in my life and find a way to reconnect with advocacy.  I interviewed at the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago and knew it was a perfect fit for me.

I was settled in and comfortable, but I felt a significant part of me  fading away.

By the time I left graduate school, Adler began to infuse diversity and social justice throughout the program. I found my footing again and quickly got as involved as I could in all things related to advocacy, social change, and public policy – a course I later taught at Adler. My mentor Dr. Gregory Sarlo urged me to get involved with the Illinois Psychological Association, so I did. It changed my life, gave me a new platform, and truly catapulted my career in ways I had not imagined for an early career psychologist. I served two elected terms as the chair of IPA’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity section. I was able to advocate and secure support of IPA to publicly endorse the removal of Gender Identity Disorder and Gender Incongruence from the DSM-5 in its early stages of development. I am very grateful that Drs. Armand Cerbone and Randy Georgemiller also noticed my passion for advocacy. Their mentoring was and continues to play an integral role in my pursuit of leadership within Division 44 and other divisions.

Organizing for psychology and LGBTQ youth

While serving this role, the entire country began to see the ugly face of homophobia, bullying and suicide surface with the September Kids in 2010. I could not sit by and watch our community wait for others to take the lead again. I organized an emergency call to action and town hall discussion for psychologists, graduate students, religious leaders, and community organizers. I took the talking points from the evening and organized a full-day symposium on anti-gay bullying, homophobia, and suicide among the gay youth population, and created the LGBTQ Youth Taskforce to begin a grassroots initiative to make the journey from the schoolyard to home safer for gay youth.

Teaching and leading by example

I moved to Tampa, Florida in 2011 to begin teaching as a core faculty member at the Florida School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University.  I am proud of our accredited program because we keep it relatively small, with great student-faculty ratios for all courses.  I am able to mentor students, get involved with extracurricular research projects with my students, and share my passion for advocacy. My students and colleagues know that I will do all I can to recruit others in supporting advocacy. I convinced a group of students to do the Smart Ride from Miami to Key West last November, and we are doing it again this year.  I ride for those I have lost to HIV/AIDS, for those who are still very much living the reality of HIV/AIDS, and to prevent some from having to live with HIV/AIDS. I aim to lead by example and wholeheartedly believe all psychologists should.

We can do so much more than just provide psychotherapy and assessment services. Graduate students have the world ahead of them to create their own path in our field. There is a look I see in my students’ eyes, one that truly warms my heart, when they connect the importance of advocacy and the opportunities it affords us as clinicians.  I see in them a sudden desire to ‘do’ or be a catalyst for social and systemic change.

Graduate students have the world ahead of them to create their own path. There is a look I see in my students’ eyes when they connect the importance of advocacy and the opportunities it affords us as clinicians.

I am terrified when I occasionally encounter ignorance and intolerance among psychologists — especially their lack of awareness regarding diversity and its pervasive impact on clients they see in practice. Sometimes we have to make easy choices, but many times we have to make difficult choices in our profession.  For me, sitting silently by and watching opportunities to affect broken systems disappear is not an option.

Editor’s note: This is an invited blog post. Before Dr. Howell knew he had received the Guardian of Psychology award from the APAGS Advocacy Coordinating Team, he appointed his advisee Krista Kovatch to a leadership role in the Bay Chapter of the Florida Psychological Association, where she will serve as the Social Responsibility Chair. Dr. Howell noted, “This same talented clinician and student nominated me for this amazing award.”

Present Your Work at APA Convention in Toronto!

IMG_2105Psychology graduate students: Now is the time to start thinking about presenting your work at the prestigious 2015 APA Convention in Toronto, Ontario!  The deadline to submit a proposal is December 1, 2014. APA Convention is August 6-9, 2015.

Why submit a proposal directly to APAGS?

  • Gain valuable knowledge and experience for professional development.
  • Have access to a national audience for sharing your ideas and insights, and gain professional contacts.
  • Earn a gem for your CV!
  • Chair a session in your own right, without needing sponsorship from a full APA member.
  • As a first author on a posters or program, all APAGS members have their Convention registration fee waived.

Steps for submitting a proposal:

  1. Choose a topic that has broad appeal to many psychology graduate students. Focus on timely issues and present the most current information.
  2. Develop and refine your ideas by talking to your colleagues and advisors about topics and format. Ask reputable students and/or psychologists to present with you.
  3. Be sure to include contact information and affiliations for all presenters. Review your proposal for clarity and polish, and make sure that your proposal is complete.
  4. Submit your proposal electronically. The first question asks you to “Select the most applicable division for submission of this proposal” from a drop-down menu. Choose “GS- APAGS” to make sure your proposal gets to us.
  5. Submission deadline is December 1 but we recommend submitting early to avoid any last-minute complications.

Proposals will be reviewed and scored by the APAGS Convention Committee and selected presenters will be notified in early 2015. For more information, contact Heather Dade or visit the APA Convention website.

Do you know what to expect as you transition from college to graduate school in psychology?

Being an Undergrad Isn’t Like Being a Grad Student

Do you know what to expect as you transition from college to graduate school in psychology?

Do you know what to expect as you transition from college to graduate school in psychology? (Source: “Graduate School of Social Service Diploma Ceremony” by Bruce Gilbert on Flickr. Some rights reserved. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.)

There is a lot of advice out there about the transition from high school to college. What I have rarely seen is any discussion about the many changes students face when they transition from college to a Master’s or Doctoral program in psychology. Here, I provide some personal reflections on some of those changes.

Commuter life
Living on campus as an undergrad, I had the opportunity to become involved in many extracurricular activities, stay out late around campus, get out of bed just in time for classes — and with luck, still be an “A” student. As a graduate commuter, there seemed to be less of an opportunity to feel as connected to individuals and even the college as a whole. I had to really put in effort to get to know people outside of class. It was easier then to just grab a cup of coffee with someone after class or possibly run into them in the residence hall. While my graduate school cohort made a conscious effort to get together throughout the year, it many times took a lot of planning!

Program Size
As a graduate student, there was also a feeling of being such a small presence on campus. In college, I attended a large state school with over 20,000 students. Later, I had to get used to only about 60 people total in my program or only 7 in my cohort. I was no longer one of thousands of undergraduate students. I’m not saying that one is better or worse but it was definitely a shift!

Workload
My undergrad schedule consisted of mostly large classes where we completed many readings, took multiple choice exams, wrote 2-3 page papers, and had the very rare group project. Conversely, I like to think of most of my graduate school classes consisting of the 3 P’s: papers, projects, and presentations. I have had greater opportunity to collaborate with others which can be hard to coordinate due to vastly different schedules. In terms of papers, if your writing skills aren’t up to par before you start graduate school, they will definitely be developed by the end! Writing a 10-15 page paper doesn’t feel like such a daunting task as it once did. Graduate school isn’t about being able to memorize rote facts towards an exam anymore. Being in graduate school is one step closer to being in the profession: So much of what is learned in the classroom is directly applicable to the future.

Being in graduate school is one step closer to being in the profession: So much of what is learned in the classroom is directly applicable to the future.

Work-Life Balance
In grad school, I’ve struggled the most with work-life balance and maintaining relationships. Trying to juggle 2-3 days of externship, working part-time as an adjunct at a local college, taking 4-5 classes per semester, and conducting research really made it difficult to even begin to have any type of social life! When I was in the earlier years of my program, my friends would always invite me out and most of the times I had to decline. As the years progressed, the invitations came less frequently, which was a bit disheartening. Having social support is really important and I’ve come to learn other ways to keep in touch with friends while also getting my work done.

As a minority student
One of the interesting aspects I’ve gotten used to is being more of a racial and ethnic minority in school. Although in my head I knew the statistics about the representation of students of color within graduate psychology programs, it still felt surprising to me how salient my minority status has become to me. Being a Black graduate student, it has become more important for me to get involved with issues of diversity than it did as an undergrad. While I had been involved in diverse student groups, I felt more compelled to become active in groups such as the Association of Black Psychologists and APA Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race) in order to receive support, network, and develop both personally and professionally.

Overall Advice
My suggestion is to put in the effort to maintain your relationships, hobbies, spirituality, and your sense of self in graduate school. While getting into a program is a great achievement and deserves your best, you can only give your best when you feel at your best so it’s important to do whatever needs to be done to stay on top of your game!

Allyson Regis

Editor’s note: Allyson Regis is a fifth-year counseling psychology doctoral student at Fordham University.  For more on the leap from undergraduate and graduate training, read this article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. To participate in a November 6, 2014 webinar with APAGS on finding and evaluating the right graduate program for you, sign up here. 

Be the First Student Voting Member on this Professional Practice Committee

CAPP, the Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice is the main governance group over the Practice Directorate and the management of the APA Practice Organization, a 501(c)(6) organization that advocates on behalf of professional psychology. APAGS has typically appointed a liaison to attend CAPP meetings as a student representative. However, some structural changes were made to CAPP that will begin in January 2015, including the opportunity for APAGS to elect a graduate student member to serve and vote on CAPP.

This is an exciting opportunity for students interested in advocacy at the federal level, and this is the first time ever that an APAGS member has been invited to be a member of CAPP. This opportunity is to serve as a full member of CAPP, with voting privileges.

Responsibilities for serving on CAPP include the following:

  • Attendance at 3-4 business meetings per year, typically held at the APA building in DC or in a hotel in DC. Room, board, and ground transportation will be funded. Meetings are typically Friday/Saturday.
  • Attendance at State Leadership Conference, a 4 day conference in March, culminating with visits to your state’s Congressional delegation to advocate on professional issues in psychology.
  • Participation on the CAPP listserv, where business discussions occur between meetings.
  • Participation on conference calls that are scheduled on an as-needed basis.
  • Preference is for a two year term on CAPP. Term would begin January 2015.

Eligibility

  • Requirements for applicants:
    • Must be currently enrolled in a doctoral program in clinical, counseling, school, or combined/integrated psychology (a program that will allow the student to be eligible for a license in psychology).
    • Must graduate no sooner than May 2015.
  • Preferences for applicants:
    • Applicants from APA accredited doctoral programs.
    • Experience with advocacy in psychology (through APAGS Advocacy Coordinating Team, State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association, APA Division, or other group).
    • Interested in promoting professional issues in psychology.
    • Experience in leadership in psychology organizations.
    • Ability to speak comfortably/confidently among groups of mid- and late-career professionals.

Application Process

  • Please provide the following information in one file (Word document or a PDF):
    • Cover letter expressing interest in the position, eligibility and qualifications for the position, leadership experience, ability to commit to the responsibilities, your student status (when you anticipate graduating), and any other information you feel is important (750 words maximum).
    • Condensed two page curriculum vita, highlighting goodness of fit for this position.
  • Submit your application to Jessica Andrade, jandrade@apa.org.
  • Deadline for applications is NOON eastern standard time, October 22, 2014.

Selection Process

  • A group of 5 members of the APAGS Committee will review applications and provide up to three applications to the full APAGS Committee to vote on.
  • The 9 members of the APAGS Committee will elect one of the applicants at its Fall Business Meeting, October 31-November 2.
  • Notification of decisions will occur on or before November 7, 2014.

 

APAGS on the Road! California: 9/20 and 9/21

APAGS is coming to California in one week to offer a half-day workshop for students and recent psychology graduates.

In sponsorship with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and The Trust,  we will present sessions to help students and recent grads grapple topics such as:

  • Building a private practice — identifying different types of private practice, discerning what types of practice you might envision for yourself and developing a plan to start that practice.
  • Loan forgiveness — brief overviews of the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and NIH Loan Repayment Program.
  • Psychological services in the digital age — applying key ethical principles to evaluate risks, benefits and appropriateness of using electronic communication and social media in professional practice.
  • Preparing for the EPPP — best practices for studying for the licensure exam.

Advance registration is $15 before Sept. 15, 2014. On-site registration is available for $20. Follow these links to register:

See you in California!