Five Wright Institute Students Receive CAPIC/MHSA Psychology Intern Stipends

We are proud to announce that five Wright Institute students are awardees of the California Psychology Internship Council/Mental Health Services Act (CAPIC/MHSA) Stipend Program for 2013-2014 (Year 6). The students are:

• Nicholas Hack
• Stanley Markowski
• Robyn Matlon
• Franziska Ronquillo
• Brooke Welch

Thirty-five FTE stipends totaling $727,000 were awarded to 37 recipients from 17 California doctoral programs. This CAPIC/MHSA psychology intern stipend program is funded by the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63).

Wright Institute Graduate, Ofer Zur, Offers 20% Discount for Wright Institute Students, Faculty, and Alumni for Zur Institute Online Courses

The Wright Institute has been granted a 20% discount for students, faculty and alumni who would like to take advantage of the excellent online courses at the Zur Institute.

In addition to all of the licensing pre-requisite courses at http://www.zurinstitute.com/prelicensingca.html, this discount applies to over 170 online CE courses (http://www.zurinstitute.com/homeonline.html), and on all of the Zur Institute's Private Practice Materials at http://www.zurinstitute.com/catalog.html).

Dr. Ofer Zur, a distinguished graduate of the Wright Institute has made this generous discount possible.

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.