Part Three: Challenging

Well, this was definitely a stretch for me. I have NEVER painted in my life, save for watercolors in elementary. And even better, these were oil-based paints. I found they did not wash easily, but I enjoyed the experience.

The theme throughout is "Murky". Thing are never crystal clear in psychology, it takes some time to sort through all of the layers that make up a damaged psyche.

Behind is the Psi symbol, representing the mind, while Chi, symbolizing cutting or a schism, is in the hands, dissecting the mind and guiding others towards fulfillment.

The hand contains a red beaker, signifying the incorporation of hard sciences into psychology. Medicine, chemistry(drugs), and even physics(ergonomics, bioengineering) are all present, with the study of them all pertaining to psychology.

Now, I am not an artist, but some may find this work to be one thing, while another may see something different. Reality, psychology, cognition, all the same. Treatments may fail, be marginally successful, or be complete successes. This, to me, looked nothing like what I had imagined, but I do still appreciate what went into this process: discovery, failure, completion, effort.

Part Two: Dreaming

This is a short story that I developed after spending a week doing hospice training at Hendrick Medical Center. I spent some time on the inpatient unit, witnessing all that went on with dying patients. I dealt with social workers, nurses, doctors and many other health professionals. I saw a lot of weird things during my time, and my experiences directly assisted me in the writing of this story.



An Average Day, One in a Million
Dreams interrupted by the buzz of an alarm I have heard so often I am almost used to it. Sheets pulled aside, feet hit the cold floor. What day was it again? It was a Monday, which meant a day for new client paperwork. I drag myself out from my bed and prepare for the day. I put on my tie; still can never figure out a full Windsor knot. The car rumbles to life as the garage door rises, showing me the first true sunlight all morning, reflected in my rearview mirror. As I drive along, I hear another talk show that takes callers dealing with personal life problems. The therapist on the end receiving calls rushes through the process, not giving enough time for healing. Whitewash. That’s all this world wants anymore. A quick fix, an external fix that they do not have to take responsibility for. Traffic is light, as it should be at 7:00. The hospital is only 5 miles from my house, but the beehive that is the parking lot, even for employees is a maze. After a quick check that my doors are locked, I walk into the side entrance, sliding my ID card. The door lets me pass, and I am immediately assaulted by a crowd of hustling doctors, nurses, social workers, volunteers, and even a few patients being wheeled around.
Once inside the sanctuary of my office, I close the door to dim out the noise from the hall. My assistant has already placed the paperwork on my desk for new patients; she’s the best. I turn on the computer, and begin to sort through hospital announcement e-mails, weight watchers groups starting up, and even notices of continuing education opportunities. Gloria, my assistant, walks in and leans upon the doorpost that connects our offices. She asks about my family, my new niece, and how my seminar last week went. I could not have hired a better assistant. She is a retired nurse who wished to do more than volunteer, so I said I would love to have her aid me in my ever-expanding practice within the hospital.
Gloria and I had worked together now for 6 years or so. Initially, I was just some psychologist that checked on patients, but now I was an authority, respected, in the matters of death and end of life. Gloria and I had become even busier as time went on, once we were recognized for our abilities and resources. Gloria picked up where my expertise ended. She knew more about how to keep a patient comfortable during my prodding and poking, so we made a great team. Her husband had died a few years back; oddly enough he was my first patient. Gloria and I had formed a special friendship, and it was not uncommon for Gloria to keep me in check. She reminds me to stay alive as an individual, to not work so late so I can have time for myself, and even scolds me for my power lunches consisting of pixie sticks and sprite.
Today’s stack of new files was more impressive than the last, and not in a good way. I hate taking so much time away from patients to look through generic admittance forms. I am bound by ethics to review everything the intake form discusses, looking for abuse, neglect, suicidal tendencies, medications, and family histories. I received a few nasty ones today. Nasty in that the patients were in really bad shape; what we in the hospital call “the imminents”. These patients had maybe a few days left to live. These were automatically made a priority because of the proximity to death. A few of them could not even fill out the forms themselves; usually the family member with medical power of attorney would fill it out as best as possible. This was a job full of uncertainties. I had helped so many families cope with the anticipatory grief that befell them, but I also was the expert on mental well being before the end of life. How many times I had created charts for dying patients, helping them cope with their pain, keeping the nurses attentive, and confronting eager doctors that ordered too many tests, lessening the quality of life near the end.
Reviewing the stack of folders on my desk, I began to wonder how this day would go along. Friday had been easy. I had a day full of patients that were having “good days”. Being able to sit down, look doom in the face, and have it smile and talk to you was so very encouraging. Mondays were always difficult. Having to meet new people all the time, and to be viewed as having surefire answers to everything was always difficult. I found that I kept very close friends in the hospital to avoid becoming spread thin in sometimes thankless situations. When a family member dies, the family may need you for a while, and then they disappear, just to be replaced by another family over and over again. The most enjoyable patients were the ones in hospice. Once we stepped in, treated them like human beings, and less like projects, relationships could form. Having a patient solid for 6 months also allowed families to get to know you. Case in point, Gloria. Her husband was in our Hospice inpatient unit for about two months. We normally wouldn’t hold someone that long in that unit at one time, but his condition was very unpredictable. Clock now showed 10:30, time to visit a few patients before lunch.
Lunch was a sacred part of the day. Lunch became almost spiritual for all in the hospital. Patients could fill a need themselves, regain some control, and receive comfort. Doctors, nurses, and other staff would meet with friends, and it was like a Christmas armistice came across the hospital. We all became equal; we all became human. War was ceased on disease for the moment, and stress went into hiding. Families could imagine the patient like old times, eating lunch brought back that connection to the real world. Narcotics, antibiotics, SSRI’s, IV’s, and even surgery wasn’t the universal medicine, lunch and Sabbath were. Everybody took a dose at the same time every day, but it could never last the entire time.
I was scheduled to meet with Mr. Jones, an elderly man with a wife, 3 kids, 7 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. In his form, which he was able to fill out himself, he indicated he had terminal prostate cancer. Throughout his form, he indicated that he had experienced depression, but nothing out of the normal for someone who was worried about dying. His wife, on the other hand, was a complete wreck. In a generation where women stayed home, and had little formal education, she was looking to be dependant on her children once her husband stopped working. She needed him, but not just for monetary needs, she needed the foundation she had always known. A shift like this was rarely kind to a woman of this age. I recommended she be evaluated for depression; I knew if it weren’t today, she would be diagnosed later. Mr. Jones was asleep when I entered his room. I had gently knocked to request permission, something I had instituted in hospital protocol to bolster the patients’ belief that they retained a measure of control and dignity, and was granted entry. Martha, his wife, was sitting in a standard chair that every room in the hospital had, holding her husband’s hand, watching him breathe as if it was their first morning waking up together, side by side. She couldn’t hide a quick scowl towards my direction when I approached. I had gotten used to frightened and confused people giving me looks. A lady of manners and sophistication, she attempted to be cordial towards me, but it wasn’t working. I let her know that I was there if she needed anything, and to give Gloria a call when her husband woke up. Long good-byes were never common, I excused myself and left as quietly as possible; he wasn’t going to wake up, I had seen it too many times to know better.
After a time of rest, enjoying leftover meatloaf, I was ready for a full afternoon of visiting patients, and consoling families. The next on my list was a patient that had been with us for about three weeks, and they had no family, save their daughter, a lonely woman herself. It never fully became normal to me to see a daughter or son of a dying patient that was 65 to 70 years of age. Sometimes, if the patient was still able to walk, I would get confused as to which individual was the one in my charge. The patient was in her bed, eyes closed, mouth open, chest heaving infrequently. The daughter was there, gently wetting her mother’s lips with a wet washcloth. There was something eerily calming about a person in a bed, completely still, no tubes and machines beeping all the time. I had never heard this woman say her own name, let alone her voice. Her daughter looked at me, past the point of anger, and flashed a smile that, if I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have missed completely. The daughter, Sharon, rose to her feet, and gently walked over to me. She asked me to tell her the truth about how long her mother had. I had asked other medical personnel their prognoses, and it wasn’t good. I whispered that she had maybe 2 days. She nodded quickly, almost trying to shake the spirit of sadness from her head. She asked if there was anything more we could do, I simply shook my head. Tears were never easy to stop. She had to just accept the inevitable. I told her about the grief support groups I supervised, and told her to embrace her feelings, leaving appropriately soon afterwards.
The imminents were taken care of for the day, thank goodness. Now I was on to the new patients. The thing about new patients was that they were like gambling, the reactions were unpredictable, and usually not in your favor. I was about to walk in to another room, but I heard loud exclaims and a hullaballoo. My knocks were not heard, but I entered the room. The patient was in his bed, laughing, with intermittent coughing, with a very large crowd surrounding him. This was the sight I always loved to see. Having families surround the dying loved one really made my job and life easier. I walked to his bedside, introduced myself, and told him I would come by tomorrow morning after he was rested to do an intake assessment. You could tell he didn’t want anything to interrupt this moment in time where he was happy. As I excused myself, bumping into the odd relative, I began to think.
Death has more of a pattern than life itself. The predictable ones were the family members. Once the novelty of a relative dying wore off, fewer and fewer would show up to be there for him. I always held the faith, but I chose to stay in reality to make sure that nothing could surprise me. Next was another new patient, but wires had been crossed. He was being wheeled into his room just as I arrived; this wasn’t a good time.
This day was the easiest in a long time. I was scheduled to meet a patient that had been in the unit for a week, to evaluate his acclimation to his new surroundings, and assess his levels of anxiety and depression. Mr. Williams was still very much able to speak, and even could take a short stroll down the hall at non-peak hours. I spent an hour with him, asking him questions, not to just assess him, but to get to know him a bit more. We finished our time together, and I began to leave. He turned to me, called my name, and thanked me for my attentiveness. I told him it was just what I did, and I would be available for a chat anytime.
The orange glow of the sun glinted down the west hallway, signaling the closing of a day. Gloria was on the phone, reminding the hospice volunteers of their patients they were to make contact with sooner rather than later. I walked to my desk, and slumped into the chair I hardly ever got to sit in. Insurance paperwork was such a pain. Every assessment, every appointment was at least an hour longer than the actual session due to the prep work before and documentation afterwards. I had to update the psych profile for the charts that each of my patients had. Mr. Williams was reaching dangerous levels of depression; I would have to do a more specific assessment as soon as possible. Gloria appeared in the doorway as she did earlier that morning, purse on her shoulder, keys in her hand as she turned off her light. She wished me a blessed evening, and reminded me to not stay too late. I promised her, but I knew I would stay a little longer to visit more patients that I knew needed some attention. I left at 7:00 that night, drove in relatively little traffic, and picked up Chinese food from a local place. I loved walking into places where people knew my name, and what I ordered. God bless fried rice.
The keys jingled as I turned the lock in my door leading from my garage to the rest of my house. I adjusted the thermostat; winter was on its way. That meant more patients, and more opportunities. I turned on the TV after I baked a few filets of tilapia, and the top story was covering the legalization of PAS. The media always would pick interviews that would make them interesting, and skew the truth. News wasn’t news anymore; it was closer to Ripley’s Believe it or Not. A kid gets left in a hot car and dies, that isn’t news, which is a tragedy. Is anyone going to learn from crazy news anchors squawking about it? Frustrated, I turned off my television, and began making my way to bed. I always thought on a particular phrase of a children’s song that dealt with the Black Death: If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. I never liked the idea of growing old and ill, especially when I knew how things worked. It will all be okay, though. I have a little while still left yet.

Part One: Preparation

This was a CV I created to secure an interview with the director if the CLinical Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine program at the University of North Texas. I spent over an hour talking to him, picking his brain about the program, and getting a sense of what a HealthPsychologist was. The interview was pretty much a bomb, the director was quite rude, calling me 4 hours late, talking down about ACU, and being a self-righteous jerk. I took it with a grain of salt, because I had walked in prepared, having read research of his and reading the handbooks that were given to students in the program. I learned that academia can be a very lonely and sad place, with no real knowledge of the outside world, or the ability to apply your knowledge in practical situations. This turned me off a bit, but I am still trying to contact other directors to get a better picture.



Kyle E. Anderson

Address: 122 McGlothlin Campus Center
ACU Box 27500 Abilene, TX 79699

Cellular Phone Number: (210) 289-KYLE (5953)

E-mail Address: Kea07b@acu.edu


Objective

Undergraduate student seeking to become more familiar with the CHPBM Consortium program at the University of North Texas. Interested in pursuing graduate work focusing on elderly and terminally ill patients, in addition to the well being of caregivers for such patients.


Educational Background

Fall 2008-Expected graduation date Fall 2011

Abilene Christian University-3.75 GPA

Honors College

Major: Psychology

Certificate: Gerontology

2004-2008 High School Diploma

Ronald Reagan High School-3.96 GPA

Gifted and Talented Program


Work Experience

Pruett Gerontology Center 2011-Current

Student Worker/ Aid

Duties: Updating database for community resource management, acting as an ambassador for the gerontology program, assisting professor with class preparation, creating conference presentation aids for speakers, assisting with creating SPSS data sets for over ten years of research done by director of the center.


Northside Church of Christ Summer 2010

Children’s Ministry Intern

Duties: Organizing camps, preparation for church-sponsored events, managing game nights that brought together senior citizens and youth, assistant director of vacation bible school, camp counselor at: Camp Comanche, Reading Camp, and Cooking Camp. Providing feedback to parents regarding development and was charged with observing behavior and assisting children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.


Cash America Pawn Fall 2010

Customer Service Representative

Duties: Assisting customers with small loans, inventorying stock, securing police reports, assessing the value of collateral goods, selling merchandise to customers. Witnessed individuals suffering from substance abuse in addition to the toll hard times can take on people.


Rimkus Consulting Group Summers of 2008 and 2009

Intern

Duties: Taking in, documenting, and reporting on status of evidence used in court cases. Assisting in electronic archiving of engineering reports, aiding in fire investigations, helping assemble reports and evidence for court cases. Learning detail-oriented tasks, and doing informal research on trucking companies that used the major highways running through San Antonio by doing field surveys.


Family Feast Fall 2007-Summer 2009

Prep Chef/ Manager

Duties: Preparing meat for use in meal creation, managing store by running a cash register, customer service, money handling, and catering operations. Assisting customers with food selection based on family size, allergies, and cultural tastes.



Achievements

Honors College Associate 2010

Honors College Study Abroad Scholarship 2010

Dean’s List 2009 and 2010

Awarded Leadership Training for Christ Scholarship 2008

Awarded San Antonio Claims Association Scholarship for 2008, 2009, and 2010

Awarded Lynn Cash McDonald Scholarship in 2008

Awarded John C. Stevens academic scholarship for SAT scores in 2008

Scored Magna Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam in 2007

Placed 5th in area, 2nd at state, and 12th in the nation in Latin passage interpretation at competitions organized by the National Junior Classical League in 2007


Relevant Experience

Certified Ombudsman

Became an Ombudsman November 29, 2010 after completing a six-hour course of training. This certification has me deal with as many individuals as possible on a personal basis to ensure proper treatment of residents in nursing homes and assisted living centers. I maintain this license through 12 hours of continuing education per year. If problems arise, I accept the responsibility of contacting proper authorities or engaging in mediation between the parties settling a dispute.


Certified Hospice Volunteer

After completing my training, I will be assisting patients in hospice at the Hendrick Medical Center and affiliated home care providers. Duties will be comforting the families and patients, providing a link to hospice resources, and being a support person through running errands or completing other chores that make the experience as comfortable as possible for all involved.


PALS Member

Senior PALS member that worked weekly with at-risk students at a local middle school while in high school. Assisted in creating presentations on drug abuse and bullying that were delivered at other middle schools in the local area. While on home campus duties were to report and inform individuals of bulling and drug use, in addition to goodwill projects for teachers at the school.


Peer Health Educator

Became a peer health educator in 2009 concerned with raising awareness on campus about health issues that commonly affect students. Organized and implemented an event termed “Wellness Week” where topics from sleep to alcohol awareness were addressed. Put on other small events that targeted certain risky behaviors at different times. Worked closely with “Sacred Relationships Week” to expose domestic violence and encourage safe-sex practices.


Volunteer at Oase in Leipzig, Germany

Observed and assisted rehabilitation counselor for 3 hours a week at a publically funded center for drug rehabilitation and career development during spring 2010. Worked alongside individuals recovering from substance abuse, planned parties, and learned a fair deal about the therapeutic process that East Germans subscribe to. Learned about alcohol abuse, as well at methamphetamine addiction. Observed individuals at every level of use, from currently using, to counseling, to seeking employment.


Research Experience

SWPA Presentation

Selected for poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association’s conference in April 2011. This was a team project, involving 5 undergraduate students. Our topic is Risk-taking as a Facet of Openness in College Students. An instrument was created and tested, reliability was calculated and adjustments were made before surveying a portion of the student body. Results were calculated, and found to be significant. This project was student run under advice of a professor, and will be presented in April.


Undergraduate Research Fair at Abilene Christian University

Submitted a proposal to present a similar project to the presentation being made in April, but with repeating the research to find if results will be consistent with repetition. Submitted an abstract, approved February 2011.

Individual Research Project

In the process of creating a survey instrument to better understand the relationship between religiosity and attitude towards legalization of physician-assisted suicide. Working closely with Experimental Psychology Professor at Abilene Christian University.


Data Entry and SPSS Proficiency

Job at Pruett Gerontology center affords me time to hone my abilities with SPSS (PASW Statistics 18) through creating of data sets for a decade of research collected by the director of the center. Data entered are pre and posttests given to his gerontology courses every semester for the past ten years. Responsible for creating a data set for all data presented which will be used in the future at a local conference on aging.


Presentation Aid Creation

Created a presentation that will be used for the West Texas Conference on Aging, hosted by Adult Protective Services in Midland, Texas. Used resources presented by the director of the Pruett Gerontology center to create a PowerPoint presentation covering ethics and scientific principals explaining the development of an individual self among a society, and how that relates to attitudes towards the elderly.


References

Mike Hartsell, D.Min
Senior Adult Minister
Northside Church of Christ
16318 San Pedro
San Antonio, TX 78232
Phone: 210.494.1907 ext. 209
E-Mail:

Cherisse Y. Flanagan, M.S., L.P.C.
Director, ACU Psychology Clinic
Instructor, Psychology Department
Abilene Christian University
ACU Box 28011
Abilene, TX 79699
Phone: 325.674.4838
E-Mail: cherisse.flanagan@acu.edu

Charlie D. Pruett, Jr., Ph.D.
Director, Pruett Gerontology Center
Assistant Professor, Gerontology Department
Pruett Gerontology Center
Hardin Administration Building Rm. 118
ACU Box 27793
Abilene, TX 79699
Phone: 325.674.2350
E-Mail: pruettc@acu.edu

John Casada, Ph.D., M.D.
Psychiatrist, ACU Medical Clinic
Associate Professor, Psychology Department
Abilene Christian University
ACU Box 28011
Abilene, TX 79699
Phone: 325.674.
E-Mail: jhc08a@acu.edu

Dickie Hill, Ph.D
Professor, Exercise Science and Health Department
Abilene Christian University
ACU Box 28084
Abilene, TX 79699
Phone: 325.674.2328
E-Mail: hilld@acu.edu

Interview with a Psychologist

>

What is your degree in, specifically?

Ph.D in clinical psychology, board certified in pain management with diplomat status(highest).

What was your inspiration for pursuing psychology in general?

Compassion to always help people, Christianity brought him to this. When he originally came to college was a bible major, decided wasn’t quite what he wanted. Pursued social work, wasn’t satisfying enough for him. Felt that paperwork dominated the occupation, wanted more one-on-one…picked psychology. Worked for a church in D.C., associate minister for ultra wealthy and impoverished all at once.

Why did you pick your specialty?

Stumbled into it. In Philly, private practice, variety of clients. Saw ad for a person specializing in pain in a medical center, was involved developing a new diagnosis for psychosomatic pain disorders. Picked pain management as his dissertation topic focused on this.

How does a typical day in your practice play out?

Thursdays, 5 people a week. Session runs 50 minutes, find out how many people per day. Starts half an hour before first session, reads session reports, and makes sure new intakes have been reviewed, along with medical history. Speaks with other healthcare to aid acquisition of knowledge. Requests information from primary care physician, monitors treatment by medical professionals.

What type of patients do you see?

Usually medically ill patients are taken in. Works with those who cannot manage pain on their own. Hyper vigilant to pain reduces ability to enjoy life and cope more efficiently.

What is your opinion of health psychology?

Professionally, has little contact with Health Psychologists, they are rare and “elusive”. They are more consulting oriented than practice oriented.

What is the difference between clinical psychology and the subspecialty of health psychology?

Licensure is state by state, must practice within specialty. Is your degree approved by the APA and other boards of certification? Preventative versus management.

What is most difficult about being a professional psychologist?

Just starting out is difficult, trying to build a client base. Giving up time to give depositions in court cases.

Have you ever lost a patient to illness or suicide?

Yes, a man at an assisted living center in town had heart problems, talked of suicide. Worked with this man for 6 weeks, and then died of his heart related condition. Purposeful overdose of pain medication has happened.

How does being a professional psychologist impact your family life?

Helps him to become a better parent. Becoming a more personable person. Models genuine and caring nature in all things through his training. Effective to being human or as a professional.

Do you find it difficult to differentiate between your professional identity and your personal one?

Is a workoholic, has to work very hard a balancing focus of life. His studies help him to view his world more clearly, and to interact with other people more effectively. Tools given through his experience aid him in dealing with personal issues.

How often do you utilize chaplains and spiritual aids?

As often as a person requests it. Is ethical to pursue ideas of individual concerning spirituality. Doesn’t impose values, helps to explore it if they wish. Encourages spiritual mentors that align with their personal beliefs. Had an interesting case where a young woman “could not be forgiven”. Worried about not being forgiven.

How would describe a stereotypical psychologist? What is your exemplar?

Caring and genuine

Female

Firm, holding somebody to reality

Originally, 50% had problems, very abstract

Get excited over little things.

Must posses a level of ambiguity and embrace that to be effective.

Being comfortable in being brutally aware of their own limitations.

Putting Things Into Focus.....Ba-dum-dum Psh!

I am going to focus on finding the truth about how my "entire" profession is represented. I am going to hold numerous interviews with professionals on what I consider "both sides" of this issue. Is clinical health psychology all that different from counseling psychology? Are the two siblings borne from the same parent of applied psychology? I will assemble stereotypes, as well as primary source information, then compare the two to see if there are any strands connecting them.

1. What is clinical health psychology all about?

2. Are stereotypes representative of this sub-field within psychology?

3. Would professionals in the differing fields of psychology say that they are ok with the broad stereotypes of the profession? Do they feel they are portrayed fairly, thoroughly, and consistently?

My Choice, Not the Media's

Helping individuals is always portrayed by the media, and can often be the butt end of many jokes/ parodies what have you. I know this is true, and it seems oversimplified.

The media is very quiet about the sub-field I wish to pursue, but I will always be lumped into the category of "psychologist". The media did influence me at a young age. A game, Twisted Metal: Black brought me into the realm of the psychopath, seeing their suffering and to understand that there were those out there who thought more strangely than myself.

I do believe the media is not as interested in success stories as they are in failures. A patient that walks free is occasionally the interest or focus, but the failures, the suicides, murders, tragic deaths are what people want to see. I won't give it to them.

I am happy that my profession is "underground", because I can avoid all of the slander/libel that other professions may have to deal with daily.

Group Members Cross-Referenced with Media

Media

+Finds the mind interesting

+Is patient

+Wants to help people

+Loves to analyze people

+Interested in people beyond just problems

Not Represented

Very perceptive of others

Not intimidated easily

Personal experiences fed into choice

Cares about the elderly

Wants to change the image of the profession

Straightforward and honest