 SBH Goes Global!
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Dr. Richard Hartman Presents TBI Research in China
In May, members of Loma Linda University's Center for Brain Hemorrhage Studies (Drs.
John Zhang,
Jiping Tang,
Andre Obenaus,
William Pearce, and
Richard Hartman) visited China to present their research on biological and behavioral phenotypes following traumatic brain injury (TBI), intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The Center is funded by their Program Grant led by Dr. Zhang. The group first visited universities and hospitals in
Suzhou and
Hangzhou, two cities near Shanghai that are often referred to as China's "paradise on Earth" and each famous for their local variety of green tea (
spring green snail and
dragon well, respectively). The team then visited medical schools and military hospitals in
Chongqing, one of the world's largest cities, in southwest China.
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| Psychology Professor Dr. Richard Hartman, presenting TBI research in China. |
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Community Engagement
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Social Work Phi Alpha Honors Society Wins National Award
The LLU Phi Alpha Chapter recently received the national Phi Alpha Chapter Service Award for 2015! This is the second time in three years that our Chapter has won this award! The
Phi Alpha Executive Board was impressed by the LLU chapter's "...participation in several community activities to better the lives of others through monetary funds or services..."
The Phi Alpha annual Poster Board Presentation was held at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting in Denver, Colorado on October 16th, and allowed our Chapter to present at a National Meeting. The Chapter also
won second place in the poster contest! The financial portion of the award will be used to support community events.
The Phi Alpha officers for the 2014-15 academic year were Silvia Gudino (President), Tukia Vakalahi (Vice President), Emma Mefom (Secretary), Nicole Knapik (Treasurer), and Karina Santana (Sergeant at Arms). We are very proud of each of them for their dedication to service!
- Professor Froylana Heredia-Miller, Faculty Advisor for the LLU Phi Alpha Chapter
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| Left to right: Prof. Froylana Miller, Silvia Gudino, Tammy Hamilton (Coordinator, Phi Alpha National Honor Society), and Paul Baggett, PhD (Executive Director, Phi Alpha National Honor Society). |
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LLU Partners with Leaps n Boundz to Hold Family Resource Fair
On Sunday, April 26, 2015, the School of Behavioral Health joined other schools at LLU to partner with Leaps n Boundz, an organization dedicated to serving kids and adults living with disabilities. Early Sunday morning, students and faculty arrived at Redlands Community Park and pulled bright yellow "Leaps n Boundz" t-shirts over their heads before unloading cars and vans full of goodies. Soon the park was filled with colorful booths, festive music, camaraderie, and the smell of yummy food. By mid-morning, families arrived with their children, who eagerly ran from booth to booth while LLU students lovingly guided them in such activities as painting pictures with cool adaptive tools, making hand puppets with paper bags, participating in various games, and playing musical instruments. One poignant moment was watching the reaction of parents to their little boy with autism when he was addressed in Spanish and asked if he would like to make a hand puppet. It was a gifted SBH student who invited him into her world. His parents were astounded that he responded positively. At times like these, faculty and students are drawn together in service and reminded of the blessings that abound in this school.
- Dr. Cheryl Simpson, Director of the MS in Counseling, LPCC, and PPS Programs
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Translational Research
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Article: "Trans fatty acid intake and emotion regulation"
This study examined trans fatty acid intakes and effects on emotions and subsequent emotion regulation. Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study archival data on 1699 men and 3293 women were used to measure
trans fatty acid intake at baseline (2003-6) with the Adventist Health Study-2 food frequency questionnaire. Early work had found that trans fatty acid intake predicted less positive and more negative emotions. This study went one step further and examined positive, and negative affect and emotion regulation in 2010-11. The results showed that intake of trans fatty acid did predict more difficulty being aware of your emotions, clear about which emotions you were experiencing and use of coping strategies to regulate emotions appropriately. Finally, this trans fatty acid and emotional regulation relationship was fully mediated by positive and negative affect. In other words, consumption of processed foods that often contained trans fatty acids in 2003-6 lead to less positive and more negative emotions. These higher rates of negative emotions are more difficult to regulate at all levels, awareness, clarity and strategies to regulate. Emotional regulation is important because it allows us to maintain relationships and motivate ourselves to achieve goals.
- Dr. Kelly Morton, Professor in the Department of Psychology
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Student Scoop
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SBH Commencement 2015!
On Sunday June 12, 2015, 104 excited and expectant students of the School of Behavioral Health joined their family and friends in celebrating the completion of their respective degrees. Dean Buckles congratulated the graduates on their significant accomplishment and Paul Wangai, Jr, MBChB, PhD--an expert in international health, HIV/AIDS, maternal-child health, environmental health and nutrition from Kenya--presented the keynote address. The celebration continued after the conferral of degrees by President Hart. Forty-five graduates earned graduate degrees from the department of Counseling and Family Sciences. Similarly, there were 37 graduates from the department of Social Work and Social Ecology and 22 from the department of Psychology. We are extremely proud of the class of 2015 and we remain confident that they will continue to excel as alumni of SBH.
- Dr. Colwick Wilson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
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| Lorraine Thomas at the SBH Town & Gown Ceremony, 2015. |
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| Left to right: Deirdre Parkinson, Yarely Torres, Cristina Leal, Michele Bourbonnais, and Mary Catherine Marquez. |
Best wishes to our graduates!
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3rd Annual CFS Student Research Conference: 
Families, Communities, & Health
On May 8th, 2015, the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences hosted a Student Research Conference with a theme of "Families, Communities, & Health."
Professor Froylana Heredia-Miller
delivered the keynote address and spoke on the "Community Resilience Model (CRM)."
Over the course of the day, the conference hosted twenty-eight different poster and paper presentations with over one hundred registrants in attendance. Graduate students from both the Psychology and Social Work & Social Ecology departments at
Loma Linda University
worked in collaboration with the CFS department and also as presenters. All those involved in the organization of the conference were extremely pleased to host graduate students from several universities around Southern California as they presented their varied research. Students presented multifaceted examinations of how communities are related to the mental health of families and individuals.
In addition to research, students had the opportunity to participate in interactive mentoring sessions. Mentors were comprised of faculty members, clinical directors, and various county employees. Panel discussions were also interspersed throughout the day. The first panel focused on "Communities and Health," with Kent Paxton, Director of the San Bernardino Mayor's Office of Community Safety, serving as one of the panelists. The closing panel examined "Community-Engaged Practice" with J.C. Belliard
(Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health in the LLU School of Medicine), Joshua Morgan (Research & Planning Psychologist at the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health), and Lena Bradley (Associate Director of Clinical Services at Catholic Charities) all serving as panelists.
Overall, the conference was a wonderful way for students to prepare not only for other local conferences, but for national research conferences as well. It also facilitated student networking with potential employers and helped them to develop a more focused vision as they plan their futures beyond the gates of Loma Linda. It was the wealth of knowledge exchanged between students, faculty, and members of the community that made the conference invaluable.
- Lauren Foster, MFT, MFTI, CFS doctoral student
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Psychology Department Attends 2015 Western Psychological Association Convention
The
Western Psychological Association (WPA) was founded in 1921 to facilitate the exchange of scientific and professional ideas and to enhance interest in the processes of research and scholarship in the behavioral sciences. Their annual conference is an opportunity for students and professionals alike to come together and share their research throughout the western United States. Previous WPA conferences were held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, and Cancun. The 2015 WPA Convention was held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the beautiful Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa and featured presentations from distinguished speakers such as Dr. Felicia Friendly Thomas and Dr. Phillip Zimbardo.
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| Clockwise from top left: Natalie Do, Katherine Dautenhahn, Clint Norseth, Christina Moldovan, Natalie & Christina, Maleia Mathis, and Dr. Kelly Morton. |
The research of various students and faculty from the Department of Psychology in the School of Behavioral Health were featured throughout the poster sessions.
Dr. Kelly Morton, from the Department of Psychology and the Department of Family Medicine, was also selected to give a presentation at the conference. SBH students and faculty also hosted a booth during the conference. Students from colleges and universities near and far were introduced to the cutting edge research and leading programs coming out of LLU. Undergraduate students from other Seventh-day Adventist universities expressed particular delight in seeing LLU represented at the conference and students in general expressed excitement at the opportunity to learn more about LLU directly from the students and faculty. The Western Psychological Association's conference was both educational and fun and offered students and professionals the opportunity to learn and share from others in the field.
- Maleia Mathis, Clinical Psychology PhD student
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Alumni Alcove
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Lori Delagrammatikas
On behalf of Dean Buckles and faculty and staff in the School of Behavioral Health, we would like to congratulate social work alumna Lori Delagrammatikas for her recent appointment to the position of adult protective services (APS) program liaison for the State of California!
Lori works within the California Department
of Social Services as the only full-time employee within
APS at the state level. Her job duties in part entail coordinating regulations between counties within California, updating state regulations with input from various county personnel, and providing liaison services between the counties and the state office. Lori was recently invited by officials of the Singapore government (
Ministry of Social and Family Development) to provide support for setting an APS system of care. While there, she also spoke at the annual Family Violence Conference as one of the keynote speakers and conducted workshops on hoarding and self-neglect among the elderly.
Ms. Delagrammatikas has been involved with senior issues for many years. Prior to graduating from the LLU Department of Social Work and Social Ecology in 2009, she had previously worked for Riverside County as a Medi-Cal worker, then as an in-home supportive services social worker, and subsequently as an APS program specialist. While completing her graduate degree, she worked part-time for the
Academy of Professional Excellence headquartered at San Diego State University.
Lori was instrumental in helping to develop twenty-three core competencies for APS workers through her involvement in the
National Adult Protective Services Development Committee. She also helped secure a Victim of Crime grant that partially funded training modules for social workers.
While attending LLU, Ms. Delagrammatikas was very appreciative of the training she received as a policy major. She enjoyed the "individual attention, small class sizes and the knowledge of the faculty in the area of policy and gerontology." Her field placements at the
Public Guardian's Office in Riverside and the
Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse & Neglect at UC Irvine added to the richness of her education and training.
Ms. Delagrammatikas sees a growing need for the identification and provision of needed services to the elderly. Figures show that 15% of all seniors in the United States reside in California! Further, over the next two decades the population of people over sixty years of age will double. There is a strong demand for medical personnel and clinicians to meet the needs of seniors.
Given the dramatic increase in demand for senior services, Ms. Delagrammatikas believes incoming students should take every opportunity to pursue a career in working with the elderly and volunteering to assist those in need.
- Terry Forrester and Lynn Neuenswander
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Updates!
Mary (Greenham) Bergman ('02) has been working in Santa Cruz County child welfare for the past ten years. During this time, she has worked as line staff and supervisor, and is now the Senior Staff Development Trainer. "I am grateful for the education and support that LLU offered me," she says. "As a direct result I have a career that I thoroughly enjoy. My work is meaningful and has impact."
Bambi Berker ('09)
is enjoying caring for her two sons, Peyton (age 7) and Jensen (age 2) at home. She misses her friends and colleagues and thinks of them often!
Blanca (Cerne) Codina ('12) wrapped up her required clinical/supervisor hours for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences in August!
Joanna (Graham) Dockstader ('10) spent three years working in the Division of
Developmental Disabilities with the State of Arizona, and has been working for the past year and a half in the state's Rehabilitation Service Administration. In her current position, she works with students who have disabilities and helps them transition from high school to employment.
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Joanna Dockstader with husband David, on the occasion of their marriage in 2012.
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We'd love to hear from you! Send your updates here.
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Publications, Presentations, & Awards
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Faculty
Publications
Freeman, K.R.,
James, S
., Klein, K.P., Mayo, D. &
Montgomery, S.B.
(2015). Outpatient Dialectical Behavior Therapy for adolescents engaged in deliberate self-harm: A focus on conceptual and methodological issues.
Child & Adolescent Social Work,
DOI 10.1007/s10560-015-0412-6.
This review article examined conceptual and methodological issues related to the use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) in treating youth who self-harm. Results indicated several inconsistencies in the literature including the mixing of various forms of self-harm; variations in diagnostic inclusion/exclusion criteria, insufficient use of standardized self-harm outcome measures, variable lengths and intensity of provided treatment, and inadequate attention paid to DBT adherence. Recommendations for for improving the quality of future research was provided.
Herbozo, S., Flynn, P.M., Stevens, S., &
Betancourt, H. (2015). Dietary adherence, glycemic control, and psychological factors associated with binge eating among indigenous and non-indigenous Chileans with type 2 diabetes. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 1-7. doi: 10.1007/s12529-015-9478-y.
This study extends previous research conducted in the U.S. with predominantly non-Latino White patients to explore the implications of binge eating among indigenous (Mapuche) and mainstream Latino type 2 diabetes patients in a Latin American country.
Dr. Sigrid James has been appointed Editor-in-Chief for the journal
Residential Treatment of Children and Youth! Alongside this and among many other accomplishments and publications in 2015, she has published the following refereed paper (other SBH authors are linked below):
James, S., Freeman, K., Mayo, D., Riggs, M., Morgan, J., Schaepper, M.A. & Montgomery, S.B. (2015). Does insurance matter? Implementing DBT with two groups of youth engaged in deliberate self-harm. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42 (4), 449-461. DOI 10.1007/s10488-014-0588-7.
This list is a sample of recent publications by faculty in the School of Behavioral Health.
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Students
Awards
Desiree Azizoddin (Psychology, PsyD):
- Azizoddin, D.R., Racaza, G., Mariko L. Ayeroff, J., Draper, T., Sumner, L., Ormseth, S., Weisman, M.H., & Nicassio, P.M. (2015). Reserve Capacity: Explaining the link between socioeconomic status and depression/anxiety among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Paper accepted for presentation at the American College of Rheumatology Conference, San Francisco, CA., November, 2015.
Carizma Chapman (Family Studies, PhD):
Congratulations to Dr. Carizma Chapman who was awarded the prestigious Health Policy Leadership Fellowship at
Morehouse Medical School in Atlanta, Georgia. This fellowship is housed in
The Satcher (former Surgeon General) Health Leadership Institute and focuses on developing the expertise of awardees in a number of areas such as leadership, health policy and health equity. Dr. Chapman is a 2015 DMFT graduate of the School of Behavioral Health. We are confident that Carizma will continue to excel as this opportunity is another outstanding accomplishment in an exciting and productive career.
Allyson Davis (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
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Allyson Davis (center), with her award,
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Allyson was awarded one of two Student Research Awards for Division 33 at the American Psychological Association Convention in August. This recognition was for her paper on the five facets of mindfulness in parents of children with developmental delays.
Denise Tran (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
Denise, who just completed the first year of her program, is the recipient of the
American Legacy Foundation 's nationally competitive 2015 Dr. Alma S. Adams Scholarship for Outreach and Health Communications to Reduce Tobacco Use Among Priority Populations.
Association for Psychological Science RISE Award:
- Nuñez, E., Emerson, N.D., Flynn, P.M., & Betancourt, H. (May, 2015). Fatalism predicts less cancer screening intention in Anglo and Latino women. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, New York, NY.
- Ung, S., Betancourt, H., & Flynn, P. (2014). Cultural beliefs and self-efficacy influence nutrition adherence among type 2 diabetics. Poster presented at the 26th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.
Publications
Natacha Emerson (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
Emerson, Natacha D.,
Morrell, Holly E.R.,
Neece, Cameron. (2015). Predictors of Age of Diagnosis for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of a Consistent Source of Medical Care, Race, and Condition Severity.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(8).
The study examined predictors of age of initial autism spectrum diagnosis in children with and without a consistent source of medical care. The authors found that, while Caucasian children with regular medical care were diagnosed earlier than their peers, the reverse was true for African American children. Differences in both physician practices and parent behaviors may explain this racial disparity.
Christina Moldovan (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
Moldovan, C. P.
, Marinone, M. E., & Staack, A. (2015). Transvaginal retropubic sling systems: Efficacy and patient acceptability - beyond the abstract.
UroAlert - Bladder Management Weekly and www.UroToday.com.
Supplementary commentary piece on review article published in
UroAlert - Bladder Management Weekly and www.UroToday.com.
Presentations
Dr. Holly Morrell's Lab:
Dr. Morrell's lab presented the following poster at
APA in August 2015 (SBH student names in green):
Mathews, C.L.
,
Morrell, H.E.R.
, Molle, J.E., Mathews, D.L.,
Artinyan, E.
, &
Johnson, B
. (2015, August).
Video game addiction, ADHD symptomatology, and video game category reinforcement level.
Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.
The purpose of this study was to determine if level of game reinforcement places gamers with greater ADHD symptom severity at higher risk for developing video game addiction. Results indicated that individuals with ADHD reported more severe video game addiction symptom severity regardless of video game genre preferred or played the most.
Gabriela Bolivar (Psychology, PsyD):
Bolivar, G.,
Herbozo, S., Menzel, J., & Thompson, J. K. (2015, May). The influence of exercise motivation and frequency on body appreciation in college women. Paper presented at the Loma Linda University Counseling and Family Sciences Student Research Conference, Loma Linda, CA.
This presentation was part of graduate research on the predicting ability of exercise motivation and exercise frequency on body appreciation. Results indicated that weight management and appearance-based exercise motivation predicted a decrease in body appreciation in women. In addition, positive health and enjoyment as a motivation for exercise significantly predicted an increase in body appreciation. This was consistent with prior research indicating that women who exercised for non-appearance-related reasons (e.g., better health) had higher levels of body appreciation and than those who exercised for appearance-related reasons (e.g., weight and shape).
Meredith Dennis (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
Dennis, M. L. &
Neece, C. L. (2015, August).
Investigating the Relationship between Marital Satisfaction and Parent Child Relationship Functioning: Outcomes from the MAPS Project. Paper presented at the 123rd American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Toronto, Canada.
This project looked at the relationship between parent-child relationship functioning and marital satisfaction among families with children affected by developmental delay. Outcomes suggested a bidirectional relationship between these dyadic processes such that parents who were more satisfied with their marital relationships were more satisfied with their parent-child relationships and vice versa.
Blake Hilton (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
Hilton, B., Finlay, M., McDonnell, M., &
Morrell, H. (2015).
The effects of income, education, and poverty on binge drinking in the American Indian population. Poster presented at the 27th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science in New York, NY.
This research, utilizing data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), identified sociostructural variables that may help explain elevated rates of binge drinking observed in the American Indian population.
Michelle McDonnell (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
McDonnell, M., Abeyesinhe, S., Hilton, B., Whyte, R., Owen, J. (2015). Cognitive deficits in the alcohol addiction treatment population and the possible impacts on treatment completion. Poster presented at the 123rd American Psychological Association Annual Convention in Toronto, Canada.
This research has been conducted as part of an ongoing collaborative research project with the Loma Linda Behavioral Medicine Center. It is evaluating the cognitive deficits as well as cognitive changes in patients receiving outpatient alcohol treatment in the chemical dependency department.
This list is a sample of recent awards, publications, and presentations by students in the School of Behavioral Health.
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 Faculty Appointments
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New Faculty Member:
Dr. Colleen Brenner
The Department of Psychology welcomes Dr. Colleen Brenner as our newest faculty member! Dr. Brenner completed her BA at
UC San Diego, her PhD at
Indiana University, her Internship at the
VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and her Postdoctoral Fellowships at Indiana University and
Purdue University. Prior to coming to LLU, Dr. Brenner served as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology for seven years at the
University of British Columbia, where she served as a mentor to clinical psychology graduate students. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards for her academic and research work, and is also a licensed psychologist in British Columbia.
Dr. Brenner's work spans cognitive and clinical science and employs neuropsychological, behavioral and electrophysiological measures to investigate the interaction between sensory and cognitive functioning in healthy individuals as well as those experiencing psychopathology. She is interested in continuing her study of the neurobiological basis of serious mental illness, as well as the effect of medically-based treatments such as ECT and TMS. She is also a seasoned instructor and clinical supervisor, and is looking forward to mentoring students in both research and clinical work.
Dr. Brenner and her husband, Chris, are both natives of Southern California, and they are excited to be moving back to the area. They are also parents of two children, their daughter Amara (age 7) and their son Miles (age 4). We are so thrilled that Dr. Brenner has joined our department and SBH family!
- Dr. David Vermeersch, Interim Chair of the Department of Psychology
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New Faculty Member: Dr. Bryan Cafferky
The Department of Counseling and Family Sciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Bryan Cafferkyhas accepted the position of Assistant Professor. He is no stranger to these parts as he spent some of his early years at
Loma Linda Academy
, where his mother served as a teacher.
Bryan Cafferky received his BS degrees in Biblical Languages and Theology from
Walla Walla University
in 2004, his MDiv from
Andrews University
in 2009, his MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from
Northern Illinois University
in 2012, and his PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from
Kansas State University
in 2015. His dissertation was a meta-analysis looking at a variety of substances (alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, etc.) associated with the perpetration and victimization of physical intimate partner violence (IPV).
Bryan engages in qualitative and advanced quantitative methodologies to pursue his program of research on how at-risk families respond to crisis and trauma. His current research projects focus on military families and on families who experience violence. His most recent accepted publications are both meta-analyses: one looking at the intergenerational transmission of violence, and another examining risk factors associated with IPV in military vs. civilian populations.
Bryan recently served as the Director of Mental Health at
Community Health Ministry
(Wamego, KS), which is a rural nonprofit (completely grant and volunteer funded) medical/mental integration clinic, where he worked with predominantly underinsured, uninsured, and underprivileged clientele. Bryan clinically gravitates toward intergenerational theories, internal family systems, and experiential approaches when working with couples and families. Bryan has over ten years of improvisational theater experience and has traveled nationally and internationally to perform and teach improvisational theater, including the training and consultation of seven improvisational theater troupes. Improv has woven its way into his teaching and clinical work.
Bryan is married to Jenny Tillay, who has been a hospital chaplain for 10 years. In their free time, Jenny and Bryan enjoy traveling, cooking, and watching football (Go Seahawks!). We hope that his taste in football teams will change along with his location. This is a great moment for our department and we expect that Dr. Cafferky's influence, as a teacher, researcher, and mentor will be very impactful as he serves a faculty member and a great team player.
- Dr. Curtis Fox, Chair of the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences
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Caroline Dyer and her two daughters, Denise and Marcie, receiving a floral arrangement honoring the memory of James Dyer.
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In May, the Department of Social Work hosted a reunion of alumni to celebrate the twenty-year anniversary of the program as well as the five-year anniversary of the James Dyer Fireside Chapel. Alumni from the first graduating class attended, along with Dr. Beverly Buckles (Department Chair and Dean of the School of Behavioral Health), social work faculty, staff, and volunteers. Alumni had the chance to reconnect with their fellow classmates as well as with faculty who were instrumental in their graduate program. A collage of Professor Dyer's photos was shown and then presented as a gift to his family. And perhaps best of all, several alumni presented some wonderful, heartfelt testimonials of the influence of Professor Dyer on their lives.
- Terry Forrester
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Social Work Field Supervisors Appreciation Breakfast
The Department of Social Work and Social Ecology held its annual Field Instructor Appreciation Breakfast last Wednesday, May 13, 2015. This event gives the department a chance to honor and thank the field instructors for all they do to provide supervision to our MSW interns at their practicum sites. Graduating students also attend along with their supervisors.
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| Left to right: Field instructor Rose Versace with MSW/MS Criminal Justice dual-degree student and Social Work Student Government President for 2014-15, Adelaide Aplin. |
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Exploring Forgiveness
In January, four Counseling MS students--Griselda Garcilazo, Chelsea Knight, Courtney Whitaker, and Marina Haroon--presented on "Exploring Forgiveness" at the University Church with Cheryl Simpson, PhD. This seminar, a part of the Winter Wednesday series, invited the community to explore the meaning of forgiveness. The students presented a guide to the phases of forgiveness and provided tools to assist individuals with beginning the process within themselves. The students encouraged the community to challenge themselves with the process and presented the healing power that forgiveness can have on an individual's physical and mental health, as well as the sense of personal power that can be restored in the individual.
Forgiveness is a willingness to abandon one's right to resentment, negative judgment, and indifferent behavior toward one who unjustly injured us, while fostering the undeserved qualities of compassion, generosity, and even love toward him or her.
- Joanna North
May we all challenge ourselves to find the ability to forgive so that we may always be whole.
- Griselda Garcilazo, Counseling MS Student
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| Left to right: Counseling MS students Griselda Garcilazo,Chelsea Knight, Courtney Whitaker, and Marina Haroon. |
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Students for International Mission Service
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Alejandra Kim-Arredondo's Trip to Bolivia
The Bolivia SIMS trip has been one of my best experiences as a student at Loma Linda University. As a Child Life Specialist MS student, I had the opportunity to apply child life concepts in a different cultural context. The SIMS team and I were able to partner with the
Adventist University of Bolivia to host health fairs in four different cities around Cochabamba.
The purpose of the health fairs was to promote a healthy lifestyle by the use of natural remedies. The health fairs had a great turnout. Many people from the local community participated in the health fairs. In addition, I had the opportunity to co-lead two Teddy Bear Clinics with my clinical coordinator, Alisha Saavedra. The purpose of the Teddy Bear Clinics was for children to learn about "going to the doctor" in a fun, yet educational way. During the two Teddy Bear Clinics, about 400 children (ages preschool to 5th grade) attended. Six different stations were organized, including: information on height and weight, the lungs and breathing, the heart and exercise, medical play, dental hygiene, and a "Color Your Feelings" activity. All of my teammates from the SIMS trip led different stations.
It was great to see how different disciplines were able to come together to serve a community. To me, this was the most memorable part of the trip. I was able to witness how play is truly a universal language for children and to apply my professional skills in a new context. Most importantly, I was inspired to keep expanding child life on a global scale.
- Alejandra Kim-Arredondo, Child Life Specialist MS student
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Book Recommendations
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From Beverly Buckles, DSW, Dean:
by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
This book transforms our understanding of how trauma not only affects the biology of our brain and bodies, but also the lives of our family members.
From Miriam Domingo, MBA, Associate Dean for Finance & Administration:
by Hilary Tindle, MD, MPH
In Up, a practicing physician and NIH-funded researcher draws on her research and experience to show that our outlook on life--our unique patterns of thinking and feeling about ourselves, others and the world--may be the key to how well and how quickly we age. From wrinkles to cognitive decline, our outlook affects our health at every level. Drawing on a wide range of research, she examines the impact our mental attitude can have on our health and aging, right down to the cellular level. It's well worth reading even to those already sold on the importance of a positive outlook in general. It's engaging, interesting, and makes a compelling case for applying her ideas for the betterment of a larger community.
From Susanne Montgomery, PhD, Associate Dean for Research:
by Donella H. Meadows
In the book Thinking in Systems, the author draws on a variety of disciplines to explain the field of complex system analyses to the reader. It is an approachable introduction to how systems influence behavior and how we can use this knowledge to design better policies drawing heavily on socio-ecological systems thinking. In the field of behavioral health such thinking is critical, especially as the individuals we seek to serve all live in systems and are heavily influenced by them with respect to individual, family, and group level changes.
A clear, fun to read synthesis that will help diverse readers everywhere to grasp and harness how your complex world really works.
From Colwick Wilson, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs:
by Greg McKeon
This book challenges my attempts to define and pursue the essentials of life; my life. In particular, it pushes me to think and act in ways that allow for greater efficiency and productivity. It is a call for a more balanced and fulfilling life.
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