Our summer season started with a great lecture by Dr. Mahtash Esfandiari who provided an engaging presentation on "How to Analyze Refereed Journal Articles for a Better Understanding of Psychological Research." Dr. Esfandiari was able to skilfully present a dry subject matter to a varied audience in such a lively fashion that captured their attention and caused them to participate with enthusiasm.
In August we had the Tea Affair that was successfully held at the beautiful Palos Verdes residence of our dear member Maryam Dalili, LMFT and her husband Majid Hassani, a very hospitable and welcoming couple. Our talented Planning Committee member Sheava Rahimi entertained the audience by playing music and singing nostalgic songs along with her friend Gaven. It was a great night that was highlighted by birthday celebrations for our dear board members Dr. Nader Nowparast and Dr. Sean Pakdaman.
We begin the fall season with our Annual Meeting on September 25th, when Pamela H. Harmell, Ph.D. Will present a class on Law and Ethics for psychotherapists. Dr. Harmell is a clinical psychologist and national lecturer specializing in legal and ethical issues in clinical practice. She is a Professor at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology and has written extensively in professional publications on ethical practice. Dr. Harmell is the Past President of the California Board of Psychology and the Past President of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA). She is the former Chair of the California State Ethics Committee and is the current Co-Chair of the LACPA Ethics Committee. She serves on the Board of Directors of the California Psychological Association and has a clinical psychology practice in West Los Angeles, California.
Moreover, changes are taking place in the makeup of the IPAA Board of Directors and the Committees. The new faces will be introduced at our Annual meeting and will be announced on this website. With best wishes for a wonderful new season.
We have passed the halfway mark of 2011 with successful events and accomplishments. In January we had the California Board of Psychology presentation. In March IPAA's Nowruz celebration gala had a great turnout and the event was highlighted by the special message of appreciation from the mayor of Los Angeles who thanked the IPAA for all its contributions to the community. At the same time our lecture series and monthly networking gatherings attracted mental health professionals and students alike while the membership sustained steady growth.
In June we had Stephanie Mihalas, Ph.D. who presented a class on "Bullying in the Systemic Context." Dr. Mihals is an adjunct professor at the Pepperdine University who conducts research on issues related to the mental health of children and adolescents. Her class was very well received by the attendees and she was asked by the audience to return for another lecture in the future.
Our July monthly meeting will feature Mahtash Esfandiari, Ph.D. a very lively and skilled presenter who will lecture on "How to Analyze Refereed Journal Articles for a Better Understanding of Psychological Research." Dr. Esfandiari has been a fulltime faculty member of the UCLA Department of Statistics since 1998. She is a distinguished professor who is loved by her students has been the author of many scientific articles and research designs.
As our membership continues to grow members of our leadership team advance in their academic pursuits. Last year our dear Board Secretary Dr. Niaz khani received her licensure as a psychologist. This year our very dear member of the Board of Directors Dr. Peyman Raoofi received his doctoral degree and began his post-doc aspirations. Some of our members achieved their milestones as well, i.e., Dr. Vahideh Gudeman became a licensed Psychologist and Fariba Rabizadeh is now a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. IPAA congratulates them all for their accomplishments and wishes them a great future filled with success and happiness.
The year 2010 was an active and special year for the IPAA. The sixth year of the organization began with a Law and Ethics class, presented by the California Board of Psychology executives. The presentation drew a large crowd and Robert Kahane, J.D. the Executive Officer and Jeffrey Thomas the Assistant Executive officer conducted a very lively and interactive continuing education workshop.
The Board's presentation was followed by an all out campaign by the IPAA to mobilize the Iranian-American community to stand up and be counted in the 2010 Census. The campaign was a big success as the governmental agencies reports indicated that compare to previous counts this year the number of Iranians participating in the Census were multiplied. The success of the IPAA efforts culminated in the recognition by the Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaragosa and the award of a certificate of appreciation by the US Census Bureau. On October 17, 2010 the Census certificate was officially presented to the IPAA by the Census Bureau representative Fay Fariba Hezar, Psy.D. I shall add here that throughout the campaign our beloved Board member Peyman Raoofi, Psy.D. Cand. worked tirelessly and was very instrumental in helping the project as a liaison between the IPAA and other entities such as the PAAIA and the Census representatives.
IPAA's attendance at the APA Convention in San Diego was another success story which resulted in closer associations between the IPAA and the APA. Several members of the APA leadership applauded the IPAA's attendance and promised to give lectures at our monthly meetings. In that respect the first presentation was held by the 2012 APA presidential candidate Donald Bersoff, Ph.D., J.D., a psychologist and an attorney. Dr. Bersoff's class on treating violent patients was very well received by all attendees.
In 2010 IPAA also had a new Board officer. The IPAA Board Secretary, due to other personal commitments, Dr. Sheri Nader had to resign and she was replaced by Niaz Khani, Psy.D. Dr. Khani had been a hard working and effective member of IPAA leadership for the past few years. IPAA welcomes her on board and we look forward to more fruitful years of working together in pursuit of the IPAA objectives.
In our first continuing education class on January 23rd, 2011 the California Board of Psychology will present another Law and Ethics Class for the IPAA. This time the Board's executives will be joined by its president Dr. Richard Sherman presenting on the laws regarding the supervision of psychological assistants as well as the latest updates on the laws regarding the practice of psychology.
Finally, I would like to wish everybody a very Happy Holidays and hope for a productive and prosperous New Year for the mental health community.
Our July monthly meeting was especially exciting since in addition to our continuing education class we were also busy preparing for the APA convention in San Diego. Our dedicated team of volunteers including, Niaz Khani, Psy.D.; Marmar Mehrpouyan, Psy.D.; Fariba Rabizadeh, MFTI; Sheava Rahimi, MFT Stu; and Peyman Raoofi, M.A., Psy.D. Cand., worked hard throughout the meeting and beyond to make sure everything went very well with our participation at the event.
As many of you already know, our event actually did go very well. We made a lot of good contacts, expanded networking possibilities with other professional organizations, and IPAA was recognized as the very first minority association that ever attended an APA Convention. IPAA’s booth attracted many visitors including the president as well as the CEO of the APA, both of whom have promised to attend one of our monthly meetings and give lectures. The Continuing Education unit of the APA also met with our representatives and discussed future collaborations.
At our continuing education class in July Dr. Richard Dunn who is an adjunct faculty member at the Pacific Graduate Institute, a post-doctoral analytic training graduate of C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles, and a clinical supervisor at the Maple Counseling Center presented a course on Dream Work in Clinical Practice. His work that was well received by the audience, focused on the interpretation of the dreams and the inclusion of the dream work into therapy.
Our September 19, 2010 gathering is our fifth annual meeting and we will have a busy schedule including among others the presentations of the annual reports and the Census Bureau’s announcements.
At our continuing education segment Dr. Donald Bersoff the candidate for the APA president will present on Treating Violent patients: Preserving Confidentiality While Protecting the Society.
As a NYU and Yale graduate, Dr. Bersoff has a 45-year history with outstanding achievements as a clinical psychologist, an attorney, and an academician. Dr. Bersoff is running for the president on platform of change including better future for professional psychology and independent practitioners.
The IPAA’s efforts as part of the Iranian American 2010 Census Project Coalition was a success and many Iranian-American members and non-members strongly supported our cause. The project was highly publicized and very well organized, especially with effective management of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA). At the end of the first phase the Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa highly praised our project and the hard work stating that as a results of our endeavors the city’s mail participation has significantly increased and is well above comparable cities across U.S. However, as the mayor’s letter indicates the job is not yet finished as the door-to-door census survey will begin on July 10, 2010 and it is very important that all Iranian Americans fully participate in the survey and make sure they are counted as such.
Also, we are getting closer to the APA Convention in San Diego and IPAA is excited about attending. As mentioned before generous contributions from Dr.s Homa Mahmoudi, Shirin Nooravi, Sean Pakdaman, and Ahmad Riahinejad IPAA made possible for us to reserve a booth(#1528) at the convention. Volunteers are needed to help with its organization and management. Those interested please, contact me or Mr. Peyman Raoofi to sign up. They will be representing the IPAA and will be able to attend the events as well.
As for our June monthly meeting, it was attended by a large crowd who came to see Dr. Moradi’s class on the Treasures and Perils of the First Love. His presentation was engaging and informative and was highly praised by the attendees.
Our next continuing education class will be presented by Dr. Richard Dunn who is an adjunct faculty member at the Pacific Graduate Institute, a post-doctoral analytic training graduate of C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles, and a clinical supervisor at the MapleCounseling Center. Dr. Dunn will present on Dream Work in Clinical Practice.
Our April meeting set the stage for the IPAA attending the 2010 APA Convention in San Diego, California. The price tag of a nearly thousand dollars for securing a booth at the Convention was a major hurdle for us. However, thanks to the generosity of three dedicated members, Dr. Homa Mahmoudi, Dr. Ahmad Riahinejd, and Dr. Sean Pakdaman, IPAA will attend the Convention in August. IPAA deeply appreciates their dedication and support. IPAA booth number is 1528.
At the onset of the meeting Dr. Modarressi introduced a new member Janet Roshanzamir, MFTI. Ms. Roshanzamir has earned her master's degree from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is completing her internship.
It was also announced that Dr. Danesh Foroughi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees will be talking about his new book The Psychology of Poetry at the May 2010 Seminar of the Society of Iranian Psychiatrists in North America. The event will take place on May 23rd in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Our continuing education class was presented by Harold Young, LCSW, the Clinical Director of the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Young lectured on recognizing and Understanding Manic Defenses. He is a congenial lecturer who is interactive and encourages audience participation. His speech was well received.
The next CE class will be held at our May 23rd meeting. Stephen Phillips, J.D., Psy.D., President-Elect of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association will present the “Therapy and the Gay Male Patient.” Dr. Phillips is a psychoanalytically trained psychologist and an attorney, in private practice in Beverly Hills, CA.
It is the springtime and our plans for the rest of the year are getting filled up with a great lineup of workshop presenters and events. The Nowruz Party was a great success and as most of you already know, attendance was so high that we had to move our Olympic Collection event to its more spacious Grand Ballroom. The event was attended by many of our own distinguished members as well as other well known clinician in the Iranian-American community including Doctors: Farhang Holakouee, Iradj Siassi, Foojan Zeini, Dorit Miller, Haleh Eghrari, and Members of the two Boards of the IPAA including Doctors: Homa Mahmoudi, Nader Nowparast, Sherri Nader, Sean Pakdaman, and Sepi Zarrinejad, who originally coined the name IPAA, along with all the IPAA Committees leadership and members in attendance.
Dr. Danesh Foroughi, cofounder and chairman of the Board of Trustees thanked the loyal donors of the IPAA. He then eulogized some the founding fathers of psychology in Iran. Specifically he extolled the contributions of Dr. Ali Akbar Siassi who contributed to the expansion of the scientific research in the field.
Dr. Alan Modarressi, co-founder and president of the IPAA thanked the Board members and praised the hard work that the Planning Committee members had put into making the Nowruz party a well organized event. He specifically thanked Dr. Marmar Mehrpouyan, the Chair of the Membership Committee, Dr. Niaz Khani, chair of the Ethics Committee, and Fariba Rabizadeh, Sheava Rahimi, Nazli Salimnejad, Samira Vafadar, and Noushin Zarini. Dr. Modarressi expressed special thanks to Peyman Raoofi, Psy.D. Cand., assistant Secretary and Representative of the student Body on the Board. He stated that dear Peyman works with utmost sincerity and dedication and his contributions are felt in all divisions of the organization.
Mr. Raoofi who is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Child Foundation invited the audience that in the spirit of the United Nations Millennium goals, support the CF and its child sponsorship program.
The rest of the evening was spent with all the guests having fun with dance, music, and celebration of the traditional Persian New Year. The Olympic Collection's food, service, and hospitality received high marks from the attendees.
Prior to our Nowruz party, during our February meeting, Ms. Nadia Babayi, Partnership Specialist for the Bureau of the Census, presented an informative talk for IPAA members. She emphasized the importance of full participation of the Iranian Americans in the Census survey in order to be counted as a major minority group.
In April we will resume our monthly meetings with a continuing education class presented by Harold Young, LCSW, the Clinical Director of the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Young has an extensive training in the theory and practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy. He has been training and supervising interns for many years. Mr. Young will present a class on Recognizing and Understanding Manic Defenses.
At our May 23rd meeting, Stephen Phillips, J.D., Psy.D., President Elect of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association will present a class on sexual orientation and gay and lesbian population. He is a psychoanalytically trained psychologist and an attorney, in private practice in Beverly Hills, CA.
I would like to extend my congratulations on another successful year to our dedicated volunteers. The Planning Committee that started with three young students working relentlessly alongside me, has grown into a 10-member-team that helps bring new ideas, innovations, and enthusiasm to help the IPAA with its mission to enhance the delivery of the mental health services according to the needs of the Iranian-American community.
Last year we continued to thrive in several areas such as providing quality APA approved continuing education seminars, enhancing our collaborations with the LACPA, and presenting educational programs in the media including, magazines, radio and television.
Finally, our unwavering commitment to excel resulted in collaboration with the California Board of Psychology that presented the first half of our continuing education class on the Laws and Ethics for the psychologist. Mr. Robert Kahane, J.D., Executive Officer and Mr. Jeffrey Thomas, assistant Executive Officer of the Board presented an update of the Laws and Regulations Relating to the Practice of Psychology. The presentation was well attended and well received by the enthusiastic audience. We had a large turnout who earnestly expressed their appreciations for the informative class and the very well-organized meeting.
Next month, I will present the second part of the Law and Ethics class. For this part, in order to make the presentation interactive, informative, and lively, it will be presented in a case study format. Several cases will be reviewed and explored in light of the latest ethical standards of the APA.
Also, in alliance with the Iranian American Coalition for Census, IPAA continues to encourage full participation of the Iranian-American community in the Census 2010. At our next monthly meeting we will have a representative from the Census Bureau to address this very important issue of social and political significance.
Furthermore, the IPAA is at the planning stage of a survey study of the needs of the Iranian-American community in regards to their psychological and psycho-social concerns. We will keep you informed as our research develops.
Moreover, in sympathy with the survivors of the grave Haiti disaster IPAA hopes that you will join our effort to make donations to the Red Cross to bring some relief to the affected. As you may already know the scope of this tragedy is tremendous and the extent of the need is enormous. Every little giving can help.
Finally, as always, please, call me with any questions, comments, or concerns.
The IPAA Annual meeting was held on September 13, 2009. Four years is passed and thanks to the unrelenting efforts of the leadership team, a lot has been accomplished over this span of time. Despite the tough road to our success our faith to pursue our goals was never wavered. In fact myriad of challenges only served to strengthen our mission to educate the public and to enhance the delivery of psychological services to the Iranian Community.
Our annual meeting was again well attended by a large number of clinicians and students including some American and non-Iranian psychologists. In my annual report I noted the success of our Norouz (New Year) party in March that was sold out shortly after the tickets were issued. In the past four years our membership has steadily grown and continues to expand. The accreditation of our continuing education program by the APA was another cornerstone of our accomplishments. Also, IPAA’s collaborations with the Los Angeles Psychological Association have been much fruitful and beneficial for both organizations. Moreover, during the past year, IPAA has been a solid source of public service by providing education and assistance through its website and by its presence in the media including television, radio, and the magazines.
Following the annual report presentation, Dr. Farahnaz Khaleghi the chair of the Community Development and Funding and in charge of the Election Committee along with Peyman Raoofi, Psy.D. Cand. tabulated the Board of Directors’ ballot election results. In addition to the current Board members there were also nominations for Dr. Homa Mahmoudi for president and Dr. Sepideh Zarinejad for Vice president but due to other personal and professional commitments they both respectfully declined. Thus, the Board of directors was re-elected to its post as follows: Dr. Alan Modarressi, President, Dr. Nader Nowparast, treasurer, Dr. Sherri Nader, Secretary. Also, Peyman Raoofi, Psy.D. Cand. will continue to represent the Students’ Committee at the Board of Directors. Other members of our committee leaderships include Dr. Marmar Mehrpouyan the Chair of the Membership Committees and Dr. Niaz Khani, Chair of the Ethics Committee.
In our continuing education program, Dr. Miriam Hamideh, the co-chair of the LACPA diversity Committee, presented a two-hour class on "Multicultural Family and Individual Therapy." Her presentation was well received by the audience and attendees poured in many positive feedbacks.
The book signing session by Dr. Danesh Foroughi, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, followed the continuing education class. First Dr. Modarressi, Dr. Pakdaman, Dr. Nowparast, and Dr. Mahmoudi each took turns and talked briefly about the book and Dr. Foroughi’s rich history of accomplishments as a psychologist and as a poet. Then Dr. Foroughi presented a summary of his hard work that culminated in the publication of his book “The psychology of poetry and poetry therapy.”
In our next continuing education class Dr. Richard Newman an emeritus professor of education and developmental psychology at the University of California at Riverside, will present a class on When children are bullied at school: How therapists and parents can help. Dr. Newman is a researcher and author of many books and scientific articles. Research shows that victims of bullying can suffer serious psychological consequences, including anxiety and depression. Dr. Newman will address these issues from evaluation to treatment to parent education.
Here, I would like to thank our hardworking team of Committee leaders Peyman Raoofi, Psy.D. Cand., Marmar Mehrpouyan, Psy.D. and Niaz Khani, Psy.D. for their dedicated efforts and creative styles that have helped IPAA to grow in a more organized and efficient manner. They work hard but they also, need all the help that they can get. I hope that other IPAA members would step up to the plate to help this fine team of young leaders who are bringing new innovative ideas with sincere enthusiasm.
Our July meeting hosted a large number of mental health professionals from across the state. It also included several American members of the LACPA who reported enjoyment and satisfaction with the two-hour CE class as well as the networking/social hour and the Persian food that followed. Dr. Vaisman presented a thorough and informative class on How to Create and Maintain a Successful Private Practice. His presentation was interactive and highly rated by the participants.
Our next meeting, set for September 13, 2009, is also our Annual Meeting. That means the results of the election ballots that were e-mailed to all the voting members will be presented and the election of the officers of the Board of Directors will take place.
The event will also include a book signing session by Dr. Danesh Foroughi, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Foroughi is a seasoned veteran psychologist with a long history of psychology practices both in Iran and the United States. He is also a poet who for many years used to write Farsi poems in major Iranian journals. Dr. Foroughi has recently published a book on how and why poetry can be used as a form of therapy for healing and personal growth. During our next monthly meeting, Dr. Foroughi’s book titled Ravanshenasieh Sher va sher darmani (psychology of poetry and poetry therapy) will be available for signing by the author in person.
At our continuing education program, Dr. Miriam Hamideh, the co-chair of the LACPA diversity Committee, will present a two-hour class on "Multicultural Family and Individual Therapy." The presentation will be focused on how to communicate effectively with clients that come from diverse cultural backgrounds, addressing the importance of non-verbal behavior and the implications of communication styles. Clinical examples will be presented and discussed in order to illustrate effective communication in contrast with misinterpretation in assessment and treatment of clients from diverse cultures.
Hope to see you all at our 2009 Annual Meeting. Also, please, feel free to spread the word and if you are bringing any colleagues to the event, please, let me know so that I can add their names to the Attendees List. Because of the full schedule, we will start EARLY, at 11:00 A.M. sharp. Please, be on time and let us enjoy a productive and fun day of education and networking festivities.
Last month I had a couple of great news from IPAA that also included the APA approval for IPAA to conduct continuing education program for psychologists. In turn we made the CE certificates free for all members.
This month I have more great news for the IPAA membership. First of all, as you see above, IPAA has accepted a two-hour interview by Ms. Suzi Khatami, on the KIRN Radio 670AM. During this program, the youngest members of the IPAA leadership team will present a summary of IPAA goals, mission, activities, plans, and its contributions to the community and the Iranian mental health providers. Special kudos goes to Peyman Raoofi, Psy.D., cand., the chair of the Student’s Committee, who made this to happen. He will be interviewed along with Marmar Mehrpouyan, Psy.D., chair of the Membership Committee and Niaz Khani, Chair of the Ethics Committee.
Another great news is that the IPAA listserv is up and running and the members who join the list can communicate with each other sharing information, news, and knowledge that can help facilitate better alliance and skill building opportunities. It is a powerful way to network with professional peers, learn about industry trends, resources, experiences, and ideas. This service is free for all members. To join all you need to do is to click on the link above and follow the instructions.
In our April meeting Dr. Amy Rosett the President-Elect of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA)presented a CE class on the Understanding Clinical Issues Specific to the Treatment of Older Adults. The presentation was well received by the audience and the class was vibrant and interactive.
This month Dr. David Jimenez will present a class on Evaluation of Child Sexual Offenders. This was the topic that was highly requested by several attendees during his prior presentation on Child Custody Evaluations at IPAA. Dr. Jimenez is a veteran forensic psychologist with extensive experience in this field. The class will be presented at our next meeting on Sunday May 31, 2009.
I have a few great news for you. First of all, in regards to our continuing education program. We finally received the sponsorship approval from the American Psychological Association (APA). This makes us the only Iranian body of psychologists in the United States with such recognition. As a result of this achievement it was decided to make our continuing education class certificates Free for all of our current (non-expired) members.
My highest appreciations and kudos go to our hardworking and dedicated member Mr. Peyman Raoofi, Assistant to the Board Secretary, who relentlessly worked with me throughout the project and made this dream to come true. As you most of you know, IPAA has already been approved by the Board of Behavioural Sciences to provide continuing education programs.
Another great news is that at our first Continuing Education Class presented under our own sponsorship from APA, Dr. Amy Rosette the President-Elect of the Los Angeles Psychological Association (LACPA) will present a class on Aging, assessment and treatment. This is an exciting time for IPAA as our approval from APA is coupled with our recent collaborations with the LACPA that were announced to you earlier on our website.
IPAA’s Norooz party was enthusiastically received and attended by our members, colleagues, and friends. Tickets were quickly sold out. The attendance of closer to one hundred forty guests by far exceeded our initial estimate of one hundred. I received many e-mail from attendees who expressed gratitude and appreciation for the event. I hereby thank all of them for their kind remarks.
The Planning Committee did a great job helping us put this traditional annual event together. Special thanks go to Peyman Raoofi, Psy.D. Cand., Mamar Mehrpouyan, Psy.D., Niaz Khani, Psy.D., and Shiva Kashani, Psy.D. Cand. The team worked tirelessly, as they always do for our other projects, and their recognition is well deserved.
Other news is that finally, after about six months of waiting the conference room at the Westside Pavilion is remodeled and ready for our monthly meetings. Our next meeting is on Sunday April 26, 2009. I will be sending you the directions soon.
Our February 2009 monthly meeting was held at IPAA’s new place in Westwood. Special thanks go to our member Dr. Daniel Sadigh who is providing this place for our monthly meetings. The PIE Center Lecture Hall on Westwood Blvd is a sizable well-equipped conference room that was very much liked by our attending members. Dr. Sadigh is putting together a multi-disciplinary specialty group in that location. During the meeting, Dr. Sadigh briefly introduced the center and indicated that PIE provides a variety of services including but not limited to psychotherapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, and alternative medicine.
Attendance was high and we had a few new members including some doctoral students. Some are looking for internship positions and I have been in touch with my colleagues for their placement. Also, anyone who has or knows of training opportunities please, contact me with the information.
In our continuing education class Dr. Davis Jimenez presented on Child Custody Evaluation and its implications for treatment. Dr. Jimenez is a frequent lecturer and Superior Courts appointee as a psychological expert on child custody. The class was well reviewed by our attendees and there were several requests for his future return as a speaker. Dr. Jimenez too, indicated that he was highly impressed by IPAA and its attending members.
During the meeting, Dr. Foroughi talked about our Nowruz party and Dr. Khaleghi emphasized that the seating is limited and tickets are sold on a first-com first-served basis. A large portion of tickets were sold on the spot and as I am writing these words on February 22nd, about eighty percent of the tickets are already gone. My prediction is that in less than two weeks they will be SOLDOUT.
Last, but not least we have a new T.V. program that airs on TimeTV channel. Time TV is a newly launched television channel that is owned and operated by Mrs. Simin Tehrani. Mrs. Tehrani is a highly motivated and dedicated individual that is aspiring to provide a different and better quality Iranian programming to the public. I have called this show that I am hosting as “Andisheh va Ehsas (Thinking and Feeling).” In accordance with the IPAA’s objectives, the goal of this program is to educate the public about psychological and psychosocial issues concerning the Iranian community. Our first episode was aired on Saturday February 21st. On February 28th. Dr. Foroughi will be my guest as we broadcast live at 11:00 A.M. PST. This program will be aired every week on the same spot.
Due to the Nowruz celebration we will not have a monthly meeting in March. Our next meeting will be held at the PIE Center on April 26, 2009. As always, please, call me with any comments or questions.
Story of Determination & Resilience
Here is an inspiring story of one of our members who rose up and fought against all odds. This is the story of Dr. Sheri Nader, the secretary of the Board of Directors of the IPAA, whose hard battle with a physical malady is known to many of you.
First, as I announced to you before, while she was struck by the illness, Sheri did not give up and refused to allow the woes of life prevent her from achieving her goals. She studied hard and passed her psychology licensing exams.
Then, she was appointed as one of the only three clinical psychologists in the entire L.A. Unified School District. And later, she accepted an appointment to the USC academic team as an adjunct clinical professor
IPAA congratulates Dr. Nader’s successes and wishes her the best of health, success, and Happiness in the New Year.
On September 21, 2008 IPAA held its third Annual Meeting. Attendance was up and the spirit was high. As IPAA enters its fourth year we wish to thank all of you who helped us grow rapidly from a nine-member group to the largest Iranian Psychological Association that follows APA membership guidelines. We could not have done it without the help of many of our members who supported us throughout our endeavor.
Dr. Modarressi reported that during last year, IPAA has been involved in multiple educational programs and community-based projects ranging from continuing education programs for our members to television programs aimed at educating the Iranian community here and abroad, about the substance abuse and addiction, its effect on the family and society, treatment options for the sufferers and the research based societal remedies. IPAA will continue to expand its educational projects for its members as well as the community.
Dr. Modarressi especially thanked those new active members who have helped bring more order and efficiency to the organization. Dr. Marmar Merhrpouyan was greeted for her relentless efforts to recruit new members and to help the organization with a variety of projects at her capacities first as the chairperson of the Student’s Committee and presently as the head of the Membership Committee. Peyman Raoofi our special assistant to the Board Secretary, has been working tirelessly on a variety of projects and has recently enhanced our website with several new features that in this age of Information SuperHighway, will help IPAA to broadcast its message and to accomplish its goals more effectively. Dr. Niaz Khani has helped us with a variety of tasks and projects and most recently she helped devise our Membership Feedback Survey that will help us make our monthly meetings more suited to the needs of our members. Dr. Modarressi also thanked Shiva Kashani and Dr. Yassi Zarrinsefat for their efforts and contributions to the Planning Committee that helps plan and accomplish our ongoing projects.
Dr. Homa Mahmoudi an IPAA co-founder and a member of the Board of Trustees, presented a summary of her global experiences in regards to the human sufferings around the World and ways in which some are able to overcome adversities and to endure life challenges.
Dr. Nader Nowparast IPAA’s treasurer and a member of the Board of Trustees, presented an interesting and informative continuing education class on Suicidalogy that was well received by the audience. Dr. Nowparast came well prepared and his presentation material was abundant and included the latest outcome research findings.
On July 20, 2008, with great appreciations and gratefulness , IPAA monthly meetings finally moved out of Dr. Homa Mahmoudi’s place where it had been held since its inception in 2005. Dr. Mahmoudi a co-founder and member of the Board of Trustees of the IPAA, has always been a driving force behind the organizations aspirations to serve the needs of psychology as a profession and as a source of promoting mental health welfare for our Iranian community in the U.S. IPAA Boards thank Dr. Mahmoudi for all her support and hospitality during the most trying times of our organization.
Our July 20 meeting was held at the Camden House in Beverly Hills and we had a great turnout. Thus, the banquet room of the Camden was a bit too cozy for our expanding assembly. However, the dining area was spacious and the food was plenty.
Dr. Sepideh Zarrin Nejad presented an interesting and informative continuing education class on Play Therapy with Children that was very well received by the audience.
We had some new attendees who joined the organization and the sign-in process went very well. Several members expressed high gratitude for the professional and friendly handling of the event. Special thanks goes to the Membership Committee chairperson Dr. Marmar Mehrpouyan, the Committee’s assistant Dr. Niaz Khani, and our non-tiring special assistant to the Board Secretary, Peyman Raoofi. The dedicated efforts of these individuals and others such as Dr. Yassi Zarrinsefat and Shiva Kashani have been much helpful in helping the Board to conduct its monthly meetings and to carry out its ongoing plans and projects.
IPAA’s June meeting was held on June 1, 2008. This monthly meeting, like the ones before that, was also held at our gracious host, Dr. Homa Mahmoudi’s home. Several new members were joined and the membership voted to change the meeting place in order to accommodate the increasing needs of our growing organization. Special thanks were extended to the IPAA cofounder Dr. Mahmoudi for her exemplary hospitality and ongoing support of IPAA since its inception. The details of the new location will be announced soon.
In our Continuing Education class, M. Javad Naficy, M.D., a psychiatrist who practices in Beverly Hills and Orange County, provided a lecture and video presentation of Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), Davanloo Technique. Dr. Naficy who has spent closer to thirty years of his life learning and mastering the techniques of ISTDP presented.
IPAA stands for the Iranian Psychological Association of America, a nonprofit organization comprising of graduate students, psychologists, clinical psychologists, MFTs, MSCWs, social workers, and others affiliated with psychology.
IPAA provides education on current issues and theoretical approaches in the field of psychology and networking opportunities to graduate students and other members.
To present at one of the IPAA monthly meetings, you need to meet the following criteria:
Be a licensed psychologist;
Have a topic of interest that is up to date with the most current research findings; and
Submit a request to present to the president of IPAA (Dr. Modarressi) for review.
According to Section 2903, “no person may engage in the practice of psychology or represent himself or herself to be a psychologist without a license….”
Section 2902 states: “A person represents himself or herself to be a psychologist when the person holds himself or herself out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words ‘psychology,’ psychological,’ ‘psychologist,’ ‘psychology consultation,’ ‘psychology consultant,’ ‘psychometry,’ ‘psychoanalysis,’ or ‘psychoanalyst,’ or when the person holds themselves out to be trained, experienced, or an expert in the field of psychology.”
According to Section 1010, a “psychotherapist means a person who is, or is reasonably believed, by a patient to be:
Authorized to practiced medicine and devotes a substantial portion of time to the practice of psychiatry;
A licensed psychologist;
A licensed clinical social worker;
A school psychologist;
A licensed marriage and family therapist;
A registered psychological assistant who is under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or board-certified psychiatrist;
A registered marriage and family therapist under the supervision of a licensed MFT, licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, or licensed physician certified in psychiatry;
A person registered as an associate social worker under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, or licensed physician certified in psychiatry;
A person exempt from the Psychology Licensing Law who is under supervision of a licensed psychologist or board-certified psychiatrist;
A psychological intern as defined in Section 2911;
A trainee as defined in Section 4980.03;
A person licensed as a registered nurse (Section 2700 and Section 2838); and
A person rendering mental health treatment or counseling services as authorized according to Section 6924 of the Family Code.
To qualify for licensure in California, you need:
To possess a doctoral degree in psychology, educational psychology, or in education with a field of specialization in counseling psychology or educational psychology from a regionally accredited or a BPPVE-approved academic institution;
To complete 1,500 pre-doctoral hours and 1,500 post-doctoral hours for a total of 3,000 hours;
To have “Live Scan” fingerprints for a criminal history clearance. Live Scan sites are located throughout the state at various locations within each county;
To submit evidence of completing coursework in human sexuality, child abuse, substance abuse, spousal abuse, and aging and long-term care. For further information about the specific requirements for each course, please review Sections 1382 through 1382.5 of the California Code of Regulations; and
To take and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the California Psychology Supplemental Examination (CPSE).
For more information, please visit the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards or the state psychology licensing board(s) directly.
The licensee must have accrued at least 36 hours of qualifying continuing education to renew a psychology license within the two-year period immediately preceding the license’s expiration date. If this is the psychologist’s first renewal and their initial permit was in effect for less than 24 months, the continuing education requirements are pro-rated at 1.5 hours per month or partial month. For example, if a license was issued February 15, 1998, and is due to expire on May 31, 1999, the license will be in effect for 16 months or partial months for a total of 24 hours of continuing education required for renewal (Section 2915 of the Business and Professions).
Any person applying for renewal who began graduate study before January 1, 2004, is required to take a continuing education course in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies during their first renewal period. They shall also provide written evidence to the board of completion of a course in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies. Equivalent teaching or practice experience may be submitted and accepted by the board of this requirement.
This course shall cover laws and regulations related to the practice of psychology, recent changes/updates in ethics codes and practice, currently accepted standards of practice, and application of ethical principles in the independent practice of psychology.
All IPAA members qualify for free CE credits.
For Psychologists: IPAA is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education programs for psychologists. IPAA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
For MFTs and LCSWs: IPAA is an approved provider of continuing education programs by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Provider #PCE 3811.
Section 2946 of the California Business & Professions Code allows a psychologist licensed in another state or province to practice in California for up to 180 days after submitting their application to become licensed in California or from the date they took up residency in California, whichever came first. Additionally, section 2912 of the Business & Professions Code allows a licensed psychologist in another state or province to provide psychological services in California without obtaining a license for no more than 30 calendar days per year.
IPAA stands for the Iranian Psychological Association of America, a nonprofit organization comprising of graduate students, psychologists, clinical psychologists, MFTs, MSCWs, social workers, and others affiliated with psychology.
IPAA provides education on current issues and theoretical approaches in the field of psychology and networking opportunities to graduate students and other members.
To present at one of the IPAA monthly meetings, you need to meet the following criteria:
Be a licensed psychologist;
Have a topic of interest that is up to date with the most current research findings; and
Submit a request to present to the president of IPAA (Dr. Modarressi) for review.
According to Section 2903, “no person may engage in the practice of psychology or represent himself or herself to be a psychologist without a license….”
Section 2902 states: “A person represents himself or herself to be a psychologist when the person holds himself or herself out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words ‘psychology,’ psychological,’ ‘psychologist,’ ‘psychology consultation,’ ‘psychology consultant,’ ‘psychometry,’ ‘psychoanalysis,’ or ‘psychoanalyst,’ or when the person holds themselves out to be trained, experienced, or an expert in the field of psychology.”
According to Section 1010, a “psychotherapist means a person who is, or is reasonably believed, by a patient to be:
Authorized to practiced medicine and devotes a substantial portion of time to the practice of psychiatry;
A licensed psychologist;
A licensed clinical social worker;
A school psychologist;
A licensed marriage and family therapist;
A registered psychological assistant who is under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or board-certified psychiatrist;
A registered marriage and family therapist under the supervision of a licensed MFT, licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, or licensed physician certified in psychiatry;
A person registered as an associate social worker under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker, licensed psychologist, or licensed physician certified in psychiatry;
A person exempt from the Psychology Licensing Law who is under supervision of a licensed psychologist or board-certified psychiatrist;
A psychological intern as defined in Section 2911;
A trainee as defined in Section 4980.03;
A person licensed as a registered nurse (Section 2700 and Section 2838); and
A person rendering mental health treatment or counseling services as authorized according to Section 6924 of the Family Code.
To qualify for licensure in California, you need:
To possess a doctoral degree in psychology, educational psychology, or in education with a field of specialization in counseling psychology or educational psychology from a regionally accredited or a BPPVE-approved academic institution;
To complete 1,500 pre-doctoral hours and 1,500 post-doctoral hours for a total of 3,000 hours;
To have “Live Scan” fingerprints for a criminal history clearance. Live Scan sites are located throughout the state at various locations within each county;
To submit evidence of completing coursework in human sexuality, child abuse, substance abuse, spousal abuse, and aging and long-term care. For further information about the specific requirements for each course, please review Sections 1382 through 1382.5 of the California Code of Regulations; and
To take and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the California Psychology Supplemental Examination (CPSE).
For more information, please visit the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards or the state psychology licensing board(s) directly.
The licensee must have accrued at least 36 hours of qualifying continuing education to renew a psychology license within the two-year period immediately preceding the license’s expiration date. If this is the psychologist’s first renewal and their initial permit was in effect for less than 24 months, the continuing education requirements are pro-rated at 1.5 hours per month or partial month. For example, if a license was issued February 15, 1998, and is due to expire on May 31, 1999, the license will be in effect for 16 months or partial months for a total of 24 hours of continuing education required for renewal (Section 2915 of the Business and Professions).
Any person applying for renewal who began graduate study before January 1, 2004, is required to take a continuing education course in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies during their first renewal period. They shall also provide written evidence to the board of completion of a course in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies. Equivalent teaching or practice experience may be submitted and accepted by the board of this requirement.
This course shall cover laws and regulations related to the practice of psychology, recent changes/updates in ethics codes and practice, currently accepted standards of practice, and application of ethical principles in the independent practice of psychology.
All IPAA members qualify for free CE credits.
For Psychologists: IPAA is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education programs for psychologists. IPAA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
For MFTs and LCSWs: IPAA is an approved provider of continuing education programs by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Provider #PCE 3811.
Section 2946 of the California Business & Professions Code allows a psychologist licensed in another state or province to practice in California for up to 180 days after submitting their application to become licensed in California or from the date they took up residency in California, whichever came first. Additionally, section 2912 of the Business & Professions Code allows a licensed psychologist in another state or province to provide psychological services in California without obtaining a license for no more than 30 calendar days per year.
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