MSPP and Boston College Psi Chi Club to Co-Host Conversation on Global Mental Health

Michelle Contreras, PsyD, Will Lead a Discussion on the Importance of a Global Response to Mental Health

BOSTON – April 15, 2015 – The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (becoming William James College), a leader in educating mental health professionals and the largest graduate psychology program in New England, announced today that it will co-host “Help Heal The World!,” a collaborative and participatory discussion on global mental health. Michelle Contreras, PsyD, Director of the Counseling Psychology Department in Global Mental Health at MSPP, will lead a discussion on lead a discussion on working with traumatized people at home and abroad. The event is being co-hosted by the Boston College PSI CHI Club on April 15 at 6:30 pm at McGuinn Hall at Boston College.

“As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, we have all become witnesses to the tragedies that take place at home and abroad,” Contreras said. “We often forget about the aftermath of these tragedies, and the mental healthcare needed to help people recover. I’m looking forward to this discussion about educating the mental health leaders of tomorrow as they respond to global mental health crises.”

During the discussion, Contreras will use the example of the cross-national collaborations between Guatemalan and U.S. counseling psychology faculty and Guatemalan communities affected by the country’s 36 year civil war. The goal of the event is to help raise awareness about global mental health topics among all students, not just those studying psychology.

“This is a great opportunity for psychology students to hear firsthand about treating mental health issues on a global scale,” explains Kelly Miller, co-president of the Boston College Psi Chi chapter. “We look forward to applying the lessons we learn to our work in the field.”

About Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (becoming William James College)

Founded in 1974 as an independent graduate school of psychology, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, becoming William James College on May 7, is the largest graduate psychology program in New England, offering 13 unique training programs, including organizational and leadership psychology programs, for mental health professionals at the doctoral, master’s and certificate levels, each designed to immerse students in both academic study and real-life clinical experience. MSPP has been the leader in educating mental health professionals who are committed to meeting the needs of our most vulnerable populations and is constantly assessing and evolving to meet the needs of a rapidly changing and increasingly diverse society. Our highly skilled professionals care for Latinos, veterans, children and adolescents and families in a variety of settings, including the schools, the courts, the community and the workplace.

About Psi Chi

Psi Chi is an international honor society whose purpose is to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology. Psi Chi was the first student organization formally affiliated with the American Psychological Association and is the largest student psychological organization with over 600,000 members. For more information, please visit: www.psichi.org

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