IRANIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
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. January 24, 2010 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. 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 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. August 21, 2009 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 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 Behavioral 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 herby 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. Another 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. 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. 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Association Reports From Ali (Alan) A. Modarressi, Ph.D., M.S.
Psychopharm.
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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.
September 18, 2009
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.
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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.
May 25th, 2009
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April 14th, 2009
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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.
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.
Story of Determination & Resilience
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.
Jan 7th, 2009
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. 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.
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.
