New TEDx talk by Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona

Congratulations to Dr. Patricia E. Zurita Ona, PsyD, 2008 graduate of the Wright Institute's Clinical Psychology Program, on her new TEDx talk.

Do you spend hours in your head thinking about something that happened, could have happened, or might happen? Have you ever thought of a situation, over and over, trying to come up with the best decision but didn’t take any action? How often do you over-prepare so you don’t make any mistakes? When was the last time you postponed a project because it wasn’t good-enough? Do you minimize your needs so you don’t rock the boat in a relationship? We all play-it-safe by thinking in a particular way or acting in a particular way; it’s cozy and familiar to do what your cautious mind pushes you to do. The challenge is when those playing-it-safe moves take a like on their own.

In this talk, Dr. Z describes why you play-it-safe, identifies the look, feel, and sound of the most common playing-it-safe moves, and teaches you three ACT micro-skills to check whether those playing-it-safe actions help you to be the person you want to be or not.

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Terry Kupers

“I go inside the jails and prisons as an expert witness doing investigations and see the awful things happening: the large number of people who have mental illnesses, the racial disparities, the use of solitary confinement, the lack of medical care, the sexual abuse perpetrated by prison staff, and the brutality and torture that goes on,” explained Dr. Terry Kupers, Professor Emeritus in the Wright Institute’s Clinical Psychology Program. “Then I come out, testify about it in court, and announce it to the public, opening doors for people to see into those dark areas they don’t normally see.” Through his work, Dr. Kupers has opened the eyes of many and his research and testimony have led to significant changes in the carceral system.

Dr. Terry Kupers, Professor Emeritus in the Wright Institute's Clinical Psychology Program, was published in the Los Angeles Daily News this week. His opinion piece, titled "The impact of solitary confinement on safety in prison and in the community," is a commentary on the detrimental psychological and physical effects of solitary confinement as a bill that would severely limit solitary confinement has passed both houses of the California legislature, but is currently under review by Governor Gavin Newsom, who vetoed a previous version of the bill.

"Governor Newsom acknowledges that solitary confinement causes immense psychological damage, but argues that its use is necessary to maintain order in the prisons. He is very wrong about that," writes Dr. Kupers. "A substantial amount of research evidences no decrease in prison violence when a significant proportion of prisoners are consigned to solitary confinement, and an impressive decrease in prison violence when the population in solitary confinement is substantially reduced."

Congratulations to Wright Institute Faculty member Dr. Philip Keddy! He and his collaborators had an article on the relationship between H. Rorschach's Inkblot Test and C.G. Jung's Word Association Test accepted for publication in the journal Rorschachiana this past fall. The title of the article is "The Most Obvious Development of the Basic Idea." Here is a link to the abstract of the article.

Dr. Keddy also wrote a profile of Bruno Klopfer (1900-1971) that was published in the Bulletin of the International Society of the Rorschach and Projective Methods (Vol. 33, Issue 2, November 2023). Klopfer was an early and influential teacher of both the Rorschach inkblot test and Jungian psychology in California.

The work of Wright Institute Alumna Amalia Mesa-Bains is being showcased at El Museo Del Barrio in New York in an exhibition called "Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory."

"Born in 1943 to a Mexican immigrant family, Mesa-Bains has been a leading figure in Chicanx art for nearly half a century. Her practice explores intersectional feminist themes, environmentally centered spirituality, and cultural diversity to counter the racist and gendered erasures of colonial repression. On view May 2 to August 11, 2024, the exhibition features over 40 works including the artist’s large-scale altar installations, as well as prints, artist books, and codices. Anchored by the multi-chapter “Venus Envy” series, Archaeology of Memory is a rare opportunity to view three decades of Mesa-Bains’s genre-defying artworks, many of which are on display together for the first time."

Read the full article here.

Alumni Spotlight: Monica Alejandra Noriega

“I had some great clinicians growing up, but I never had an experience of feeling fully seen by my clinician,” shared Wright Institute Clinical Psychology Program graduate Monica Noriega. “It didn’t allow me and my family to grapple with how legacies of violence impact how we view ourselves, others, and the world, and more specifically how we process our emotions with our children.”

Student Spotlight: Gessica Ni

“My desire to say yes to every opportunity is fueled by my genuine enthusiasm for personal and professional development,” explained Gessica Ni, a third year student in the Wright Institute’s Clinical Psychology Program. “The harsh reality, however, is that there's only a finite amount of time available, and the challenge lies in navigating these abundant opportunities within the constraints of a 24-hour day.”

Gessica is a first-generation Chinese American. She grew up in San Francisco with her parents and younger sisters. “As a child, my parents enrolled me in many extra-curricular activities, including piano, violin, figure skating, ballet, Chinese school, and art classes,” she recalled. For her early education, Gessica attended a “small catholic school with a majority Asian student body.” At the end of eighth grade, she was offered and accepted a scholarship to a prestigious local high school.

Faculty Spotlight: Professor Jenna Robinson

“I really like teaching at the Wright Institute because it isn't an art space, so it’s really special when I bring arts into the classroom,” explained Professor Jenna Robinson, a part-time core faculty member in the Wright Institute's Counseling Psychology Program. “I get to invoke something in people and show them that, even if they’re not dedicating themselves to being an expressive arts therapist, they can still bring art and play into their work as therapists.”

Dr. Jack Daniels Honored with Local Award

Dr. Jack Daniels, a 1986 graduate of the Wright Institute's Clinical Psychology Program, was honored on January 4th, 2023 as a recipient of the Madison, Wisconsin City-County Humanitarian Awards honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The three recipients are community members who reflect the values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Since graduating from the Wright Institute, Dr. Daniels has had an impressive career in higher education and is currently serving as the president of Madison Area Technical College. According to the City of Madison website, "His visionary leadership has reshaped the college's response to its diverse communities, propelling its transformation into a culture deeply rooted in principles of equity and inclusion."

Dr. Daniels has clearly dedicated himself to making his community a better place and we congratulate him on this honor.

Student Spotlight: Morgan Booker

“I think I always was interested in psychology and was fighting it for years. The real question is: what made me switch to theatre when I knew in the depths of my heart I wanted to be a therapist?” asked second-year Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program student Morgan Booker. “I didn’t want to be someone who studied the human condition. I wanted to be interesting. I wanted to be fascinating to others. I think after a while I just let go of trying to be the most interesting person in the room and decided to be who I really am.”