PSYCHOLOGISTS: UNRECOGNISED AND UNDERRATED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Psychologists are mostly unrecognised and underrated in a world where psychiatrists and pharma companies rule the roost as far as mental health is concerned.

In terms of payment, psychologists are usually paid less than the psychiatrist. In most mental health settings there is a pecking order with the psychiatrists on top. At most mental health service internship cites, psychiatric interns would be paid for their services, most psychology interns wouldn’t be.

When some mental health issue comes up, media will contact the psychiatrist and get their opinion. Even though on an average the psychiatrist spends three minutes with their patients and psychologists fifty.  The psychiatrist will treat the symptoms of disease with medications, and the psychologist will seek to discover the roots of the disease and deal with the emotional implications, which no drug can treat. Psychiatrists know more about disease, psychologists know more about the person. The psychiatrist knows better the workings of a drug, the psychologist knows better the emotional dynamics that often trigger and maintain the disease.

The other day (June 23) an article appeared on the Editorial pages of The Hindustan Times in which the author discussed the Bill on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, passed recently by both the Raja Sabha and the Lok Sabha and which is awaiting consent of the President.

The author noted that there is need for “wide ranging national debate” on the bill (which by the way should have happened, and did not happen before it was passed by the two houses of parliament) and wrote: “Not by politicians or NGO’s but by parents, principals, psychiatrists, paediatricians, other stakeholders like parents and guardians, and the teens themselves….” (p.08). Notice the conspicuous absence of the mention of psychologists!

Yet, it is the psychologist who deals with the impact of the abuse on children and helps them to move toward healing. Drugs and paediatric care cannot do that. It is the psychologist who has a better understanding of the contexts and dynamics that lead to abuse. Yet, the psychiatrist and the paediatrician are invited to the debate but not the psychologist. Any debate on the Protection of Children from Sexual Abuse has to involve the psychologist who has a significant and irreplaceable contribution to make.

And it is time, the media woke up to the existence of psychologists and their expertise in the treatment of mental and emotional illness, particularly in the treatment of trauma that results from abuse and neglect.

TEACHERS’S WORKSHOP AT SOUTH CITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, KOLKOTA

I was invited to facilitate a Workshop for the High School teachers of South City International School in Kolkata on 14-15 June.

The school building is impressive and its infrastructure and facilities state-of-the-art with central air-conditioning. The school is only 4 years old and has had a very impressive growth. Starting with about 100 students in the first year, today the school has more than 1000 students and about 70 teachers. The high school section has 35 teachers, many of them with prior experience in other schools.

On the first day, the  Workshop was organised  around the theme “Enhancing Institutional Excellence.” I used structured exercises, videos and latest insights from organisational psychology to present the crucial ingredients that contribute to institutional excellence and helped the teachers to assess the dynamics at South City International that contribute to and stand in the way of institutional excellence.

The explorations on the second day centred around the person and functions of the teacher and focused on the theme of “The Emotionally Sensitive Teacher.” Starting with Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligence, the Workshop used the concepts of basic emotional needs from Self Determination Theory, and of Mirroring and Idealising from Self Psychology to help the teachers look at the level of their emotional sensitivity and provided tools and approaches to enhance it.

The teachers were extremely satisfied with the Workshop. A number of them said this was “the best of all the workshops” they ever had.  It had helped them to “enhance cohesion” among themselves, “open up communication channels” and create “greater connectedness and trust” and “be more aware of and sensitive to of the emotional needs” of students and colleagues.

“The workshop has touched us not only professionally but also personally. Its effect goes much beyond our life in the school.” This was another common sentiment expressed by the teachers as they reflected on their experience of the workshop. 

50th ANNIVERSARY RE-UNION AT BANDEL BASILICA

Thirty five of us from Kerala and two from Mangalore – all 12-13 year olds had landed at Our Lady’s House School ( a strange name for an all-boys’ seminary) at Bandel, next to a 400-year old church on the banks of the River Hooghly, about 40 kms north of Calcutta (now Kolkata) with dreams of becoming priests. The date was 7^th April 1962, Saturday before Palm Sunday. Later we were joined by 11 boys from Bengal, mostly from the diocese of Krihnagar in Nadia District.

From 15^th to 17the Arpil this year 14 from the 1962 batch gathered at Bandel Church (now raised to the status of a Basilica to mark the 50^th anniversary of our arrival there, to pray together and share our stories. Those who made to the occasion: CJ Sebastian, Daniel Beck, KM Jacob, KP Cyriac, KT Thomas, K. V. Paul, Lukas Biswas, MK Kurian, Peter Gomes, PJ Mathew, PJ Michael, PO Jose, Leonard Gomes and VJ John (who joined our batch later), and VM Sebastian. Four of our superiors from that period were also present: Fr. Strocio Rozario (who was our Rector for about a year), Fr. Bertie Fernandes, Fr. VV Mathai and Most Rev. Lukas Sirkar, Archbishop Emirus of Calcutta, who were then clerics and our teachers, . We were very glad that they had taken time to be with us. Swapan Gregory, from the batch before ours, joined us. He is living close to the Church.

Besides sharing our stories since we left Bandel, we also retraced some of our rituals like gathering before the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, the grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, saying our Rosary in procession up to the Balcony where we had the mass celebrated with Fr. Bertie Fernandes presiding (on the 16^th evening). We also had Mass in the Basilica on the 17^th morning at which Fr. Mathai presided.

We decided to meet again in Kerala before Jubilee year ends on 7^th April 2013. We are hoping to contact more from our batch before the next Reunion.

The following are the 47 from the 1962 batch of seminarians at Bandel Church:

AJ Thomas, AP Francis, Daniel Beck, Anthony Biswas, Francis Biswas, Lukas Biswas, Wilfred D’Cruze, Gabriel Gomes, Nicholas Gomes, Peter Gomes, Pius Gain, KA George, KA Joseph, K I Jose, KJ Anthony, KJ Peter, KL Chandy, KM Jacob, KP Cyriac, KS Joseph, KT Thomas, KV Paulose, MJ George, MK Kurian, MS Joseph, NP Kurian, Francis Noronha, PG Joseph, PJ Mathew, PJ Michael, PJ Sebastian, PK Varghese, PL George, PL George, PL Paulson, PO Jose, Pascal Rodrigues, Roy Anthony, TC Joseph, TT Thomas, UM Mathew, VA Raymond, VJ Devassia, VM Sebastian, VM Sebastian,VS Felix, VT Joseph.

Please get in touch and help to get in touch with others.

SEMINAR FOR BISHOPS ON PSYCHOSEXUAL INTEGRATION AND CELIBATE LIFE

I was invited to address the Catholic Bishops of India at a seminar on “Priests for Our Times- the Role of Bishops” organised by National Vocation Service Centre, Pune from 17^th 21^st October. The topic assigned to me was “Psychosexual Integration and Celibate Life.”

There were 33 bishops from all the three Indian Rites.

The topics I explored with the Bishops included: Some contemporary challenges such as general immaturity among priests, celibate loneliness, clericalism, sexual harassment and sexual abuse, healthy formation process and environment, rethinking vocation recruitment, assessment and accompaniment of candidates to the priesthood, training of formators, spiritual direction and the need to put in place policies and procedures to prevent sexual abuse by the clergy, to deal effectively with allegations of abuse and to care for victims of abuse.

The workshop helped the Bishops to address more seriously the issue of Psychosexual and Celibate Integration priests and candidates to the priesthood.

SEPTEMBER OUTREACH

September 5-10.  Programme for Formators - Puri

I facilitated a five-day programme for formators of the Orissa region at Ishopranti Ashram, Puri, Orissa. It was entitled “Healthy Formation Environment and Some Challenges.” There were 19 participants including rectors of seminaries and novice mistresses.

The programme began with a reflection on how participants felt about their ministry of formation and the formation process in general. The person of the formator, the formation environment, healthy psycho-sexual and celibate integration were some of the topics explored.

“The programme helped me to look at myself. I received helpful information and insights about myself and the formation process,” observed one participant.

“The topics were very well presented,” commented another.

“All formators should undergo a programme like this” was a suggestion made by several of the participants.

September 12-14. South Asian Formation Commission Meeting - Kolkata

I was an invitee at the Meeting of the South Asian Formation Delegates from the various Salesian Provinces. Besides the delegates, the meeting was attended by Fr. Francesco Cereda, the Salesian General Councillor for Formation, Fr. Chrys Saldanha from the Formation Department at the Salesian Generalate in Rome, Fr. Loddy Pires, the Chairperson of the South Asian Formation Commission and Fr. E. A. Thomas, the Salesian Provincial of Kolkata.

On 13^th I explored the theme “Psychosexual Integration and Celibate Maturity” in an interactive workshop. I presented some of the current challenges in the area of psychosexual and celibate integration and pointed out implications for formation.

The programme was held at the Salesian Provincial House in Kolkata.

September 19-24. Retreat for Priests- Varanasi.

 Facilitated a retreat for priests at Nav Sadhana, Varanasi from September 19 to 24. There were 36 priests from the diocese of Varanasi, Jamshedpur and Gumla.

The retreat focused on the identity and ministry of the priest as “Bearer of the Mystery of God and Doctor of the Soul.” The retreat – content and format - was much appreciated by the participants. 

ON THE BANKS OF THE BRAHMAPUTRA

I had the opportunity to visit the North-East recently. I left Jeolikote the day after the Midlife Transition and the Spiritual Journey programme concluded on the 31^st July. I had been invited to do two workshops, one for the staff and the other for the MBA students at Don Bosco Institute in Guwahati, located on a picturesque hill on the banks of the Brahmaputra. Don Bosco Institute has become a premier institute in the North-East offering a variety of services for young people of the region. It has been graced by visits from the Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi, who have left very appreciative messages and which are displayed at the Institute entrance named after the Prime Minister.

The day after I reached there, that is on the 4^th August, I was able to make a trip to Tura, a major town in Meghalaya. The Salesians of Don Bosco run a Teachers Education College there. The College has been doing extraordinarily well. Last year (I believe the very first year it sent students for the University exams) it bagged seven of the first 10 ranks in the University. A remarkable achievement!

The trip to the North East gave me an opportunity to spend some time with a few of my friends from my Novitiate days: Archbishop Dominic Jala of Shillong, Fr. Stephen Mavely, currently Vice-Chancellor of Don Bosco University, Fr. V. M. Thomas, Director of Don Bosco Institute, Guwahati, Fr. V. A.  Cyriac, former Principal of Don Bosco College, Tura and currently with the Don Bosco University, Fr. C. A. John, Pastor at a small town in Assam, the name of which I unfortunately do not remember. The six of us spent a few hours together on the banks of the Brahmaputra, sharing experiences and recalling the old days. I was also later able to meet with another old friend, Peter Paul Haunar, who is also with Don Bosco University currently.

I was very happy to make a trip to Siloam, an Institute for Transformational Leadership run by another friend and fellow psychologist, Fr. George Palamattam, at Barapani, a few miles before Shillong. It’s a lovely centre, with very picturesque scenery all around.

I got back to Jeolikote on the 16^th August. The Kumaon region has been badly affected by continuous rain this last month. Train and road services were badly disrupted. It took me 8 hours to reach Jeolikote from Lal Quan where the Ranikhet Express was terminated at 5 am because the tracks were flooded. Normally the train would have reached Kathgodam around 5.20 am from where I could have reached Jeolikote in half an hour.

On the 17^th evening we began another Midlife Dynamics and the Spiritual Journey programme at Sumedha Centre. It will conclude on August 31^st.

1OO DAYS OF WAR!

Today marks the 100^th day of NATO bombing of Tripoli with little to show that the millions if not billions of dollars spent by the Western Alliance has brought any gains. 

The war in Libya raises some questions. The UN authorised NATO to “take all measures to protect civilians in Libya.” And the means that the Western Alliance found to do that was to bombard Tripoli – killing in turn civilians (NATO has acknowledged its bombs killed civilians) and destroying Libya’s infrastructure.

Protecting civilians is no longer the objective. It is to oust the Libyan leader Qaddafi. And the bombings are targeting him and his family. But he continues to stay in Tripoli, defying Western efforts to oust him or kill him.

The bombing has not succeeded in either objective – in 100 days!

So, what is the aim of the bombardment? In 100 days, with hundreds of sorties each day, the Western military warehouses must have been emptied of a lot of bombs and other military hardware. I guess these have to be replaced. The arm merchants must be wringing their hands in glee! I don’t see any other reason for the bombing.  You think, the Western Alliance, with all its might could not get their man if they wanted. Or, destroyed his army? They might get him one day. But before that they will make sure a whole lot of bombs will be dropped, and Libyan infrastructure will be destroyed – to be rebuilt by Western companies, as it happened in Iraq.

By the way, the UN came into existence on the slogan “ War No More!” With the number of wars it has been authorising, albeit such authorisations wrung out by western arm-twisting, that slogan lies in shambles! It’s mockery of the founding objectives of the UN.

Back to Libya.  With the bombings not making much of a dint, today the Western Alliance got another weapon in its war against Qaddafi. The ICC has declared him a War Criminal and an international arrest warrant has been issued today. How come the Western nations who are terrorising other nations, killing innocents, arming rebels and provoking dissent and uprisings as the USA is acknowledged to have done and continues to do in the Middle East, not declared war criminals and arrest warrants issued against their leaders?

There is reason to seek new ways to get Qaddafi.

One hundred days into the campaign of air strikes, Britain and its NATO allies no longer believe bombing alone will end the conflict in Libya, reports the Guardian newspaper from London.

"No one is envisaging a military victory," said one senior official who echoed earlier warnings by Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, head of the navy, that the bombing cannot continue much beyond the summer.

I guess the statement is confession that enough space has been created in military warehouses for the time being, to replenish the arsenal!