Positive Clinical Psychology Division
Election 2018
Biography:
Willow Saloum Psy.D. is a Licensed Psychologist working for the Department of State Hospitals in Atascadero, California. She has worked with DSH since August 2011, when she began her clinical pre-doctoral internship. She received a doctorate from the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Clinical Psychology in 2012; her doctoral research interest was on schemas found in adult males with histories of childhood sexual assault. In post-doctoral work she has focused on treatment group program development with members of DSH-C Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) committee to develop treatment manual and utilize psychotherapy that encourages strength-based treatment within the Risk-Need-Responsivity model of sex offender treatment. Presently she works with forensic patients that are Mentally Disordered or Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. Her interests currently lie in forensic mental health treatment and positive psychology and innovating ways of bringing those together in a meaningful manner. She provides treatment to mentally ill offenders who are non-voluntary sent by the courts to inpatient facilities after they finished their prison sentences. She has run a positive psychology treatment group, in one form or another, within DSH since she was an intern. She has been working on formalizing a treatment manual and milieu interventions for the patients on their residential units. She continues to help her patients live the best lives they can, supporting reintegration into society after they are released, being able to live a life of meaning and purpose. She operates with the belief that everyone has strengths and positive qualities, and that it’s our job as clinicians to help each person reach their personal potential. She works from a perspective that includes a humanistic approach to the therapeutic relationship, using positive psychology interventions along with cognitive behavioral therapy and problem-solving skills to bring about sustained change. She has experience working with individuals who have experienced severe mental illness, personality disorders, thought/mood disorders, depression, sexual abuse, anxiety, sexuality and transgender/gender nonconforming individuals. She also has experience with clinical supervision, professional consultation, evaluation/assessment of adolescents and adults and forensic evaluations. She currently works in a clinical capacity. Her VIA-IS assessed Signature Strengths: Fairness, Leadership, Perseverance , Creativity, Curiosity, and Love of learning.
Statement of Interest:
Hello IPPA Clinical Division Members! I am seeking to gain your support for the position of President Elect. I have had the pleasure of serving the clinical counsel executive team for two years now as the division secretary. In this role I have had the honor of working with some of the most cutting-edge scholars and practitioners in the field of Positive Psychology and also have been present while the leadership team has worked diligently to create a member focused division that actively developed and sustains a platform where innovation, research, clinical best practices, knowledge and peer support are shared amongst the leadership team and division membership. My ability to remain organized, openminded, diligent, and flexible, while delivering a timely work product, balancing multiple priorities, as well as maintaining attention to detail are some of the qualities that I personally possess which I believe would make me an ideal candidate for a role as president elect with IPPA. I utilize these skills daily in my work with the California Department of State Hospitals as a licensed Clinical Psychologist as well as in my own private practice. Thus I would continue to use these skills to propel and enhance the role of Clinical Division within IPPA with the focus of serving and supporting our membership. I have learned a great deal by working with the current president, Dr. Tayyab Rashid, and I believe that we can collectively continue to grow the clinical division by energetically and consistently encouraging the thought leaders and practitioners in the field to share and contribute their knowledge and experiences with the leadership and membership; this is something I would love to be a part of accomplishing by serving as your Clinical Division President Elect.
Hi Willow,
I have a few questions:
1. Spanning the gulf between research and practice is central to the Division. What would a future where this gap is bridged look like? How can the Division help move us all there?
2. What has been your best experience with the Positive Clinical Psychology Division so far? (Could be a program, event, exchange, etc.)
3. Can you give an example of a time where you lead a team that created a successful outcome?
Hello Jenny,
1) The answer to this question is twofold I believe. First off recognizing that the real world is messier and more undefined than that of the research world and this can lead to frustration when applying research supported interventions within daily clinical practice. Secondly, I believe that clinical practitioners come up with meaningful questions and issues that they are facing daily in the field. These questions, when they emerge could directly impact evolving research topics. Thus, I would like to see a future where there is a platform that directly links researchers and practitioners which would allow researchers to provide feedback if the real-world situation encountered is more complex than the lab and practitioners to posit questions or suggestions on which they would like empirical data. This way the communication is flowing and linked between the researchers and clinicians.
2) The best experience so far has been serving for the last two years as the division secretary. I have so much admiration for the work that everyone is doing and being able to connect, at very least, monthly with the division and the ECC has been an amazing opportunity, this experience is why I would like to continue to grow and serve the division as president elect. Secondly, I really enjoyed the Avant Garde challenge last year at the World Congress. Reviewing the works of so many talented individuals and seeing the presenters on stage moved me in a profound way. I can’t imagine not being part of the division leadership and would be honored to serve as president elect.
3) I have had the pleasure of being the chairwoman for the Positive Psychology State Wide Work group for the Department of State Hospitals in Ca. I started using positive psychology interventions in late 2011 when I, as an intern, was tasked with developing a group for forensically committed individuals using the tenants of positive psychology. After the 2015 WC I decided that I needed to take my work to a larger audience and sought to bring it to all the state hospitals in California. As with any larger system it took a while to get off the ground and in late 2016 I was ready to launch. I have been the chairwoman of the work group ever since and lead monthly meetings and initiatives to a group of about 35 clinicians who work at the 5 state hospitals here in Ca. We have made significant changes to the way the Dept of State Hospitals views the utility of positive psychology in forensic settings and individually make a difference daily in the lives of the clients we serve. I have also recently began using Appreciative Inquiry workshops to help effect change in departments within DSH. The response to this has been well received and I am excited to see where the future of positive psychology in DSH heads.
Hi, Willow! I am so intrigued by your work and how you would offer a compelling perspective to this role. My question for you stems more from a personal curiosity – what has been the most meaningful experience in your career outside of the IPPA? Cheers to your work with societal reintegration!
Hello Hannah
I would have to say that the most meaningful part of may career outside IPPA has been the ability to work with some of the most difficult mental health cases that the field has to offer. In my work with forensically committed individuals I have worked with some of the most forgotten and severely marginalized people the we in Ca have. People who suffer sever and persistent mental illness and who are in and out of the mental health and criminal justice system are largely forgotten by society. If they are “locked up” somewhere, be that a prison or locked inpatient facility, then they are not in public view and are all but forgotten by society. When you work with these folks you often hear about all the horrible things they have done (crimes and such) but rarely the good things about them…. Thus it is my passion to bring a treatment to them that focuses not only on reducing the risk factors for recidivism but also enhancing their positive attributes (through my positive psychotherapy groups). Because, more often than not, they will be returned to their community and if they don’t have a solid foundation of strength based pro-social behaviors they are more likely to return to the criminal or mental health system and then more than likely impact their lives and the lives of those around then in a negative way vs. a prosocial way. If I can bring some hope and optimism to their lives through my focus on positive psychotherapy, then I feel that I am doing my job. I hope that answers your question.
Hi Willow, thank you so much for your sustained interest in serving the positive psychology community! What do you feel are the most critical aspects of the Division member experience? In what ways can Divisions become even more effective in their work engaging members?
Thanks for your consideration!
L
Hello Leona
I think on of the most critical aspects to a members experience is the ability to feel heard in an individual manner. At my work place we do this thing called “professional shares”; so at our interdisciplinary meetings one or two people offer to share what they do that they find meaningful to their work with our clients. I think that this would be a really neat thing to have as part of the new digital platform. We could invite 1-3 people per week to share what they do professionally and how they use positive psychotherapy in their work. They could be emailed a template of questions and they fill it out and send back. There could even be a Q & A section for other members to ask follow up questions. I believe that this would get more active participation from members and make the members feel like they can showcase their niche for others. I hope this answers your question.