by Gauri Savla, Ph.D. 

The soul is healed by being with children.

-Fydor Dostoyevsky

Dear SDPA Members and Guest Readers,

Welcome to the maiden issue of 2018! Since I took over as Editor of the San Diego Psychologist in 2016, I have had the unique privilege of having worked with three phenomenal SDPA Presidents—Dr. Ellen Colangelo, Dr. Annette Conway, and recently, our current President, Dr. Cynthia Cotter. Each of these women has influenced the evolution of the Newsletter with her unique vision and perspective; Dr. Cotter’s forethought and attention to detail led us to determine the themes of all four issues for this year, a more streamlined and navigable website.  Among other things, you may have noticed that it is easier to access past issues of the Newsletter by the year in which they were published and direct links to the SDPA website and upcoming events.

The Winter 2018 issue of the Newsletter is a companion issue to the upcoming Third Annual Critical Issues in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CICAMH) Conference, and features articles from some of the experts who will be presenting their work there. Dr. Mulvihill’s interview with Dr. Rowe, the Chairperson of the Conference gives a broad overview of the mission of this collaborative, and the agenda for this year’s meeting. Dr. Boesky, a Distinguished Speaker at the 2018 CICAMH writes about the often heartbreaking and important work she does in suicide prevention and research. Mr. Rich’s article on the Boys to Men initiative in San Diego County highlights this remarkable program that mentors fatherless boys. The interview with Dr. Giedd is a fascinating look into the teenage brain. Dr. Parks has written a passionate article about the stigma parents of children with eating disorders face, and presents some theories about why it continues to persist. The issue ends with two poems by Maya Salameh, a 2016 National Student Poet, and our very own Dr. Mulvihill. I want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Mulvihill for reaching out to the speakers and following up with them, a task that added hours to her already busy life.

Child with Calla Lilies by Diego Rivera

As a clinician (and erstwhile researcher) who primarily works with older adults, I have great admiration and respect for mental health professionals who work with children and adolescents. Their work is challenging and sensitive, but their dedication to this cause is unparalleled. As Dr. Rowe says in his interview, just as with other special populations, caring, competent professionals specializing in children’s issues are urgently needed to meet a rapidly growing need. Conferences such as the CICAMH not only bring allied professionals together, but hopefully, inspire new professionals just entering the field to consider working with this population.

Dr. Cotter, in her President’s Message, has highlighted the themes for the four issues of the Newsletter this year. We hope that you will feel inspired to write for one (or more) of these issues to share your work, expertise, or opinions with your fellow professionals. Submission guidelines may be found here.

I look forward to hearing from you. As always, questions and comments on the specific articles or the Newsletter in general are welcome.

Thank you for reading!