Past Work Settings & Populations

Throughout my 50+ years as a psychologist, I’ve worked in diverse settings with many populations.

Corporate & Organizational

I have assisted over 60 major corporations, more than 50 health systems, hospitals and health and mental disabilities-related organizations, other faith-based not-for-profit organizations, and more than 40 public-sector entities in the following areas:

• Executive coaching/counseling.

• Change management consultation.

• Corporate and individual stressor and stress level appraisal and remediation consultation.

• Organizational creativity workshops.

• Confidential 360-degree assessments, attitude surveys and exit interviews including analysis of employee turnover

• Executive selection, assessment and succession planning.

• Design, administration and interpretation of employee feedback systems.

• Team building and group processes.    

Correctional Institutions

“In 2019 and 2020, I spent more than 12 months as a Senior Psychologist as a Senior Psychologist in correctional institutions in Missouri (men: 10 weeks) and Florida (women: 42 weeks). Duties have included individual and group therapy; case management; diagnosis and referral; pre-discharge assessment; super-vision of a specialty Self-harm Observation Status unit; psychological testing; and staff development. Applied research activities include development of the Correctional Inmate Stressor ScaleSM.

Outpatient

I have performed psychological evaluations and provided treatment in the following outpatient settings: private practice; group medical practice; general hospital inpatient and outpatient units; correctional institution; publicly supported substance use disorder clinic.

Telemental Health

While a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Harvard Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry in 1972, I was the first non-physician to participate in the US Public Health Service’s pilot telemedicine connection between Boston’s Logan Airport and Massachusetts General Hospital. Recently, I completed the Telehealth Training for Mental Health Professionals program leading to Certified Clinical Telemental Health Provider status.

Executives

Between 1986 and 2004 I worked as an executive coach with corporate executives as a component of our corporate consulting practice.  Recently I have been working with corporate executives in the South Florida (Palm Beach to Miami Beach) area on estate planning issues related to chronic mental illness and substance use treatment and recovery issues of financially dependent family members, including conducting confidential mental status examinations.

In my 13 years in high-ranking positions in State governments, I have had the opportunity to confidentially advise and otherwise provide psychologically-based counsel to high level elected and appointed officials.

Workplace Stress, Pandemic Stress

In my St. Louis-based consulting practice we conducted stress management training for many Fortune 500 corporations. A partial report of our work on employee stress/stressors can be found on my LinkedIn page: Stress or Stressors?

The COVID-19 pandemic has converted a number of ordinary activities of daily living into serious stressor events and generated many new stressors. In response we have developed a pilot stressor scale intended to tease out and rank specific COVID-19 stressors as an aid in treatment planning.

Intercultural Clinical Psychology

As a clinical and organizational psychologist with advanced training in international affairs (M.A., Washington University in St. Louis), I have a special interest in the ways in which living and working in a foreign culture impacts on one’s self, relationships and productivity.

Children, Adolescents & Young Adults

Originally cross-trained as child and adult psychologist, I was the only clinical child psychologist on active duty in the US Navy during my tour of duty (1969-1972).  This brought me into regular contact with pediatricians and other professionals dealing with children and their families.  While in Richmond, VA (1973-1979) I was in part-time private practice with 4 pediatricians, working with the children in their practice and these children’s parents.

From 1973-1975, I served as Director of Child Mental Health for the agency now known as the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Develop-mental Services.

Trauma Victims

Beginning in 1969, I have been engaged in the diagnosis, treatment and disposition of widely different categories of trauma victims.  In the (pre-PTSD) late 60s and early ‘70s, we referred to and treated returning Vietnam War USMC and USN personnel who were demonstrating combat fatigue.  Similar to PTSD, combat fatigue was characterized by: (1) hypersensitivity to stimuli such as noises, movements, and light accompanied by overactive responses that include involuntary defensive startle reactions, (2) easy irritability progressing even to acts of violence, and (3) sleep disturbances including battle dreams, nightmares, and inability to fall asleep.

Work with persons who are homeless and those who are incarcerated (especially women) brought to my attention a preponderance of clients who had experienced serious and persistent physical, emotional and sexual abuse, routinely documented by high scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) assessment instrument, as well as other post-childhood trauma. Based on my experience with trauma victims among female inmates, I am currently presenting an in service training program for correctional institution Mental Health Professionals on the subject of trauma and abuse.