Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

From CNN.com I am simply stunned by the hatred and violence toward those who have been shot and injured in Orlando Florida today. Words like outrage and horror come to mind. The picture of pastor Kelvin Cobaris hugging two people is the kind of response I would hope to see from more clergy, regardless of their faith. As a nation, we need to see religious leaders and secular leaders binding people together to help those in need and guiding all to replace the rhetoric of hated with the language of love and respect. The focus must always be on the survivors struggling to stay alive and those with months of rehabilitation ahead. And the families will need much support. There is little meaning to be found in such a powerfully destructive act. Some have wondered about the motives of the mass murderer. Some even say motives do not matter. There will be inquiries of course. And I do hope some information helps homeland security make the USA a safer place.

May 2016 represents the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day celebrations in the United States. According to history.com , 50-years ago the federal government designated Waterloo , New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day. Source, waterloony.com Previously, the day was known as Decoration Day—a day when people decorated the graves of soldiers with flags and flowers. It is a sad irony that the defense of freedom from aggression too often involves the loss of personal freedom when soldiers lose their lives.   Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery Belgium, G Sutton 2007 Parades include veterans who offer a living memorial of those no longer among us. Today we also remember others who have died. Amidst the celebrations and parties, it’s good to remember that freedom adds meaning to life and death. In the U.S., 3:00 p.m. local time is the official time of remembrance. My website www.suttong.com

Ten Ways Spirituality Promotes Emotional Health I was asked to write an article about faith and emotional health. As a Christian, I naturally focused on Christian spirituality. As a psychologist, I examined recent publications describing emotional well-being. In this process, I came up with ten Christian principles and virtues linked to psychological well-being. The complete article can be found in Vital Magazine online ( Sutton, 2016 ). In this post I will just list the ten items and refer you to the magazine article for the content. 1. Strengthen Faith 1 Corinthians 13 2. Nurture Hope 1 Corinthians 13 3. Embrace Love 1 Corinthians 13 4. Express gratitude Psalm 95:2 5. Practice Forgiveness Ephesians 4:32 6. Share Generously 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 7. Connect with Friends and Family Genesis 2:18 8. Share your concerns Matthew 11: 28-30 9. Manage Anger Ephesians 4:26 10. Enjoy a Sabbath Rest Mark 2:27 A quote from the article: "Emotional health goes ...

MICROAGGRESSIONS at WORK and SCHOOL Cultural Diversity Microaggressions are the harmful acts of host-culture members toward people considered part of a different culture. The acts communicate negative attitudes, insults, snubs, slights, and rejection. The acts may be intentional or unintentional but function to restrict the progress and freedom of those who are considered not a part of the host culture. Microaggressions accumulate and have the potential to cause significant harm. Therapists and organizational leaders need to be aware of common microaggressions. What’s in a name? A lot. Names are a primary component of one’s identity. Granted, when you first hear an unfamiliar name it can be a challenge to get the spelling and pronunciation right. Sensitive people make an effort. Perhaps you know someone whose name is often distorted? Some of us give up and adopt a spelling that can be pronounced by those in the host culture. When I was growing up I went ...

Power of Psychotherapy I was a psychotherapist for many years. Like others of my era, we went to conferences, watched demonstrations, and read books in an effort to become better therapists. Many of us had years of supervision during school and after graduation. We believed that new research would uncover effective treatments or new components of treatments that would help our clients get well. Several other factors came into play: medications and managed care. As  medications  became more specific for the treatment of common conditions like depression and anxiety, I and others began to wonder about the value of psychotherapy- especially if medication was better or equal to psychotherapy and cost less. In this light, I began to take courses in psychopharmacology in the hope that psychologists could prescribe medication. I worked with others to pass legislation before I decided to retire from psychotherapy. The second factor was the emergence of  managed car...

EFFECTIVE APOLOGIES What Works? Individuals and business leaders often find themselves apologizing or dealing with requests for an apology. Most are seeking forgiveness and many wish to make things right. But correcting mistakes is not always easy. Having an affair destroys most romantic relationships . Some partners do forgive and reconcile. Many do not. In an age of ubiquitous cameras, high speed internet communication, and hackers, odds increase that cheaters will be revealed to a wide audience. Of course, it’s not just the spouse or partner who suffers—children, relatives, and close friends hurt as well. Usually the small stuff can be handled with an “I’m sorry” as long as it appears genuine.  When the offense causes some difficulty, reputable businesses make amends. For example, after incorrect ticketing in China, I was moved to business class–too bad it was only an hour flight! Larger offenses cause more distress and law suits are costly. Church...

Mexican arrested by border patrol, from capsweb On the Psychology of Politics “You want to know what this was really all about?” he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” The forgoing quote is from John Ehrlichman in 1994. Dan Baum includes it in his April 2016  Harper's   article: "Legalize It All: How to win t...