Podcast on! Listen in on Neil Brown’s interview of Dr Burdick

Neil Brown, LCSW extraordinaire interviews Dr Burdick (aka The American Psychologist) traveling the world and sharing views on sharing of cultures, travel and living overseas. What the family needs to survive! Mandatory listening for anyone who is planning or finding themselves in a new community away from home! Here’s the link: Enjoy! https://goo.gl/51QuqX

A Day In The Life of an American Psychologist

Thanks Jared for signing your new book, "Kissing Frogs" -- interesting title, great read

Thanks Jared for signing your new book

The last two days I’ve spent meeting with private schools in the area, and collaborating to assist their students and families. Thank you to the International School of Amsterdam for allowing me to provide support to multinational families in need of resources.

Today, is a SKYPE multinational day of communication between Utah, Amsterdam, Czech Republic, and Kiev in assisting a family with their son in treatment in the US. I must say as cautious as I was at first recommending this course of program, it has really paid off for the family in substantial and impressive ways. Thanks to RedCliff Ascent for all of their support. Thank you to CIS for providing translation and the opportunity to work with them.

In the last weeks, I met with Brehm, Richard Collins to check on a young man I placed with them from Stockholm. Again, a tremendous relief for the mother who needed to find a solution for her son in a program that made sense.

Next, @ NATSAP in San Diego I discussed with others opportunities to expand service business to the international market. I was pleased to see many colleagues in Torrey Pines before continuing on to the next stop: Geneva, Switzerland to present at an international agent conference. Life is about mission, and mine is to guide your success.

This week in London: Ed Psychs Unite!

St Pancreas

St Pancreas

SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disability) is the ‘buzz acronym’ heard at the DCEP (Division of Child and Education Psychology) conference with local authorities giving more instruction to how ed psychs, social workers and mental health providers must act collaboratively as stakeholders in UK special needs work.

This is done through use of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. In this way, the UK moves closer to US model of special needs delivery system in serving the those with both learning disability and mental health requirements.

In moving forward from years of ‘bullying’ as being of primary focus, profiles of youth with anxiety and attention & concentration deficits are getting much more attention with important differences from the US models.

Sami TimimiStrong professional advocacy exists in ‘un-labeling’ the UK student, in promoting less biased terms, and calling for a far less stigmatized approach to special needs population. Sami Timimi, Psychiatrist (shown in the side photo) in particular called for caution in manner of diagnosing autism and other ‘lifelong’ labeling.

In addition, prescription medications have come under attack by members of the DECEP as the ‘wrong’ approach, and in fact, calling for the dismissal of drugs as the ‘go to’ remedy by identifying lack of research, yet high returns for pharmaceutical companies. What I experienced was a clear, mature dialogue between practitioners who clearly ‘care’ about the student and family populations that they serve.

APA 2015 Toronto: New Perspectives

Barry Anton, APA President

Barry Anton, APA President

Barry Anton (left and below center), APA President  spoke of the ‘painful’ yet ‘necessary’ changes within APA in response to the recent outside consultant evaluation of the APA relationships with Washington DC. Fortunately, the blemish doesn’t overshadow the terrific work APA continues to do in setting up scholarship and training for doctoral students in accredited centers of health, education, and vocation. Barry introduced this year’s winner of the outstanding lifetime achievement award, Jonathan Kellerman, Psychologist/ Author. A terrific high school jazz band played for the enormous crowd of practitioners and professors who listened intently.

International work is what I do. APA provides me to mix with the international members, and this year new contacts with Peter Kinderman (on right), president elect for the British Psychological Society, and Dr Aceves and Dr. Cervantes from the Mexican Society of Psychology. APA sponsored an international get together with Mary Bullock as host. There is such a tremendous wealth in making relationships with psychologists from different countries. I am proud to be an APA member, as well as BPS member, and Toronto was perfect in bringing together psychologists from all over the world.

Barry Anton, APA President & colleague. TorontoPeter Kinderman, BPS President Elect.Mexico Psychological Society

Summer 2015– Welcome to My World of International Engagements

Tales From The Woods

Tales From The Wood

It's A Small World After all-- & Getting Smaller!

It’s A Small World After all– & Getting Smaller!

Shayne Gallagher Wingate and Dr Mark Burdick BPS

Shayne Gallagher Wingate and Dr Mark Burdick BPS

This is a summer of exciting professional growth. In speaking at UKESAD (UK/European Symposium on Addictive Disorders), my audience of 300+ in-house and 40,000 BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) internet practitioners. I spoke to a full house of addiction / recovery and mental health professionals who attended to hear my talk on “Tales from the Wood” sponsored by Wingate and Four Circles (CRC) wilderness treatment programs. Along with Shayne Gallagher, executive director from Wingate, the audience was mesmerized by what they learned and experienced on the topic of recovery through wilderness treatment intervention. Wilderness treatment’s time has come to residents of the UK / EU.

Next, I spoke at the British Psychological Society (BPS) in Liverpool on expanding practices between the US and UK / EU, and what that will look like in the years ahead. My talk “It’s a Small World After All, and Getting Smaller” may have been a take off on Beatles song, “It’s Getting Better All the Time”, and / or Disney ride — who knows! My client roster includes those who reside in both the US and UK / EU, and I’m pleased we brainstormed this with my colleagues Susan Van Scoyoc and BPS President Jamie Hacker Hughes.

Next, European Council of Psychology July 7-10 in Milan and XXXIVth International Academy of Law and Mental Health in Vienna on July 12-17. Together, we’re bringing about change via international collaboration, and it’s exciting!