Wright Institute Commencement Held on Sunday, June 8, 2014

Fifty-eight students graduating with doctoral degrees from the Wright Institute in the past academic year were honored at the Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 8, 2014. Following the welcome and opening remarks from President Peter Dybwad, JD, and Dean Gilbert Newman, PhD, respectively, the commencement address was delivered by Mardi Horowitz, MD.

Dr. Horowitz is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. He is certified in Psychoanalysis by the American Psychoanalytic Association and is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. A prolific author, he is past president of the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute, the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, and the Society for Psychotherapy Research.

Terry Kupers, M.D. is quoted regarding inhumane prison conditions

How Solitary Confinement Destroys Women by Sarah Shourd thebea.st/1tvPw9m

The rate of female incarceration is increasing rapidly, mostly for crimes driven by poverty and abuse. Then solitary confinement compounds the trauma.

"I always felt unsafe is solitary," said 53-year-old Jacqueline Craig, who was incarcerated at age 16 for a drug offense and went on to spend 20 years of her life in prison, roughly six or seven of those in "the hole," or solitary confinement. "I had to put on this bad-ass persona. I got more confrontational and ended up with more and more time in solitary."

The Greater Good Gratitude Summit: A Day of Science, Stories and Inspiration

UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center presents:

The Greater Good Gratitude Summit: A Day of Science, Stories & Inspiration

June 7, 2014 | Craneway Conference Center, Richmond, CA or via live webcast

Gratitude is a key—perhaps the key—to feeling more satisfied with your life.

At this groundbreaking event, scientific experts and spiritual leaders will illuminate the importance of gratitude to our health and happiness and offer research-based strategies to cultivate more of it in your life.

Keynotes by

Brother David Steindl-Rast, Interfaith dialogue pioneer, co-founder of Network for Grateful Living

Oakland Veg Week invites Dr. Milena Esherick, MA Program Director, to speak about the benefits of a plant-strong diet

Dr. Milena Esherick, the Director of the Wright Institute's Counseling Psychology program, was the kick-off speaker for this year's Oakland Veg Week. Veg Week is a weeklong celebration of a plant-strong diet and its benefits on human health, animal welfare, and the environment.

Alum's work with Bay Area Community Resources Commended

Master's Program alum and Multicultural Awareness and Sensitivity course co-instructor, Katherine Bruce has received an achievement award through her work with Bay Area Community Resources. The annual award is given for "contributions to the mission and values of BACR and commitment to practicing and modeling BACR's best practices". Katherine's work is profiled here.

Katherine Bruce approaches her work as a Mental Health Counselor at King Elementary School in Richmond with warmth, initiative, and commitment. For instance, recognizing that many of families in the Gateway counseling program struggle during the holidays, Katherine organized a successful gift drive to help make the holidays a little brighter for her clients.

Faculty to offer training at Alternative Family Services

Full-time Master's Program Faculty member Dr. Bernadette Torrez will give a training with Alternative Family Services' Gathering Place Center in Oakland on Thursday, April 24. Dr. Torrez will lead a discussion on "Differential Diagnosis for Children and Adolescents."

Wright Institute Participates in Annual California Psychological Association Convention

Several Wright Institute faculty members and students participated in the California Psychological Association Annual Convention, April 10-13, 2014 in Monterey, CA. This year's theme was: Innovative and Inspiring Practices in Psychology.

Dr. Gilbert Newman, Dean, presented on "Integrating Psychologists into Healthcare Settings in Your Backyard: Lessons and Visions from Thought Leaders in California." Other participants on this topic included: Christine Nicole Runyan, PhD, ABPP, Dept. of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worchester, MA; Michael G. Ritz, PhD, clinical psychologist, Irvine, CA; Lori A. Futterman, RN, PhD, psychologist/clinical researcher, San Diego, CA; and Susan McDaniel, PhD, Director, Institute for the Family, Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.

Program Assistant Nominated for Book Award

Alli Warren, Wright Institute Master's Program Assistant, has been nominated for two book awards for her poetry book Here Come the Warm Jets, published by City Lights Books in 2013.

MA Student Beth Greivel Petitions CAMFT

Beth Greivel, a second-year Master's student at the Wright Institute, has garnered 850 signatures for a petition to the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (CAMFT) to denounce sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) like reparative or conversion therapies that attempt to change the sexual orientations and/or gender identities of LGBTQIQA individuals. Ms. Greivel plans to present the petition at CAMFT's September board meeting in Berkeley.

Among others, the petition has the endorsements of Gaylesta, the LGBTQ Psychotherapy Association, and the GLBT National Help Center, and has been signed by the Deputy Executive Director and Director of Communications of PFLAG National. Over 500 of those who have signed are licensed Marriage & Family Therapists, interns, or trainees. Ms. Greivel is currently seeking additional endorsements from educational institutions.

Dr. Milena Esherick, speaks at the East Bay Women's Conference

The Wright Institute's Counseling Psychology Program Director, Milena Esherick, Psy.D., was a featured speaker at the eighth annual East Bay Women's Conference. The aim of the conference, which was attended by over 500 people, is to "provide women an opportunity to come together and participate in a program of personal and professional enrichment, development and networking activities and provide the tools they need on their journey to their personal best as individuals, team members and leaders in family, community, political and business arenas." Dr. Esherick's presentation, "Extreme Networking," was an interactive session designed to inspire conference attendees to connect with their female peers on a more substantial, genuine level.