Margaret A. Donohue, Psychologist

If you want to stop the spread of a viral illness, you test as many people as you can as often as possible, do contact tracing and limit the spread in as many ways as you can. You protect the blood supply in case the virus can be spread in that manner (it can't in this case). You do not wait to see how many people will get infected. You do not limit testing to people with symptoms. You do not limit testing. You supply protective gear to as many people who are in at-risk positions. You do active surveillance on likely vector sources. You disseminate information as widely as possible so people and organizations can make informed decisions. You test exposed but non-infected people to see how their immune systems are different for potential life saving treatments. You do not do what our government is doing.

The horrifying and needless deaths of so many people of color result in an outpouring of grief, rage, and and general feelings of being unsafe. With the backdrop of COVID-19 and the healthcare inequalities the emotional reactions are magnified. We want to express our collective sorrow about the tragic losses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahman Arbery, Sandra Bland and so many others. Our office is committed to providing support, addressing issues of social justice, and helping with mental health and emotional well-being. We are ensuring that any in-person appointments will be completed before the local curfews are in effect. We offer telehealth services if needed.

There are multiple strains of the novel coronavirus now being reported. Face masks and social distancing will be the new normal for the foreseeable future. The likelihood of an effective vaccine is quite diminished. The possibility of reinfection with a different strain is raised. https://www.gisaid.org/epiflu-applications/next-hcov-19-app/

We’ve known about the association between coronavirus and Kawasaki disease since 2005!! Association Between a Novel Human Coronavirus and Kawasaki Disease Frank Esper et al. J Infect Dis. 2005.... Abstract Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis of childhood; its etiology is unknown. We identified evidence of a novel human coronavirus, designated "New Haven coronavirus" (HCoV-NH), in respiratory secretions from a 6-month-old infant with classic Kawasaki disease. To further investigate the possible association between HCoV-NH infection and Kawasaki disease, we conducted a case-control study. Specimens of respiratory secretions from 8 (72.7%) of 11 children with Kawasaki disease and from 1 (4.5%) of 22 control subjects (children without Kawasaki disease matched by age and the time the specimens were obtained) tested positive for HCoV-NH by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (Mantel-Haenszel matched odds ratio, 16.0 [95% confidence interval, 3.4-74.4]; P=.0015). These data suggest that HCoV-NH infection is associated with Kawasaki disease.

There are multiple strains of the novel coronavirus now being reported. Face masks and social distancing will be the new normal for the foreseeable future. The likelihood of an effective vaccine is quite diminished. The possibility of reinfection with a different strain is raised. https://www.gisaid.org/epiflu-applications/next-hcov-19-app/

The coronavirus in China is a novel respiratory virus which appears to have initially migrated from bats to people and now has mutated to allow human to human transmission. It first appeared in the beginning of December 2019 and is rapidly spreading. The rate of infection Is referred to as R-naught (R-0). The virus appears to be transmitted from a single person to four others on average. So this appears to be an R-4. That’s pretty high. There are some super transmitters, one... of whom infected 15 hospital staff. From what I have read from news accounts, it appears to have a four day period where a person has contracted the virus but may not have symptoms. Symptoms worsen from day 5 with pneumonia requiring intensive care treatment in some people by day 10. The fatality rate appears to be between 5 and 10% making it similar to SARS. The head of China’s National Health Commission, Ma Xiaowei, warned on Sunday that people who carried the disease but did not show flu symptoms could still infect others. That would be a major difference between the new virus and SARS, a coronavirus that spread in China and around the world nearly two decades ago, killing 800 people. China has set aside 6000 hospital beds and is converting other buildings to hospitals. Travel for tourism has ceased and come countries are evacuating their citizens. Several large cities are quarantined. At least 65 people have died as of my writing this. It’s likely that at least 2000 are sick but that is likely an underestimate. Transmission appears to be droplet (coughing) and surface contact (someone touches a surface that an infected person touches and touches their face-surface contact is called fomite). Because the super-transmitter was undergoing an operation, blood borne transmission may be possible. The United States has five confirmed cases. One is in Chicago, one in Seattle, one is in Los Angeles county, one in Orange County, CA and one in Arizona. More than 100 others are being evaluated. Several airports are checking for fevers of incoming passengers. There is no current vaccine and only supportive treatment for the pneumonia. I’ll write more as more information is released.

I think there's an egregious assumption made often in the course of assessment, not just psychological assessment or forensic assessment, but of general assessment, that tends to look for inconsistencies, for fraud, for malice, and for bad faith. I think this is costly to everyone as human beings. It wasn't always that way. Back when I was learning assessment we were taught to look at the data and the history as provided by the person and to believe the person unless the d...ata didn't agree. At that point, we were taught to question first, the data. Only when we were sure of the data were we to question the person. That was kind, and the assessments were kind and we tended to give people the benefit of the doubt. It made the world a safer place. Back in the late 1980s that changed. It worsened after 9/11 significantly. The idea that we as psychologists now must not only weed out malingering or feigning of symptoms but to also look at effort as a standard, leaves the profession to function in a judicial arena that is harsh, authoritarian, and less humane than it should be. It's fed by a degree of pessimism that only serves to worsen the human condition and makes us all lesser as a result. Psychology needs to be changing the tide here. We need to be looking for the positive, the optimistic, the resilient, the humane and not get bogged down in an attempt to collect every shred of evidence to lessen someone's story. but to tell their story with nuance and critical thought to clarify, illuminate and explain better who they are and what is happening for them. That's our job.

Finally, an article explaining what dog trainers actually do and what ABA actually does and how it’s not the same. Dog training is better. Ask any autistic person. https://theaspergian.com//is-aba-really-dog-training-for-/

This is a post about emotional support animals also known as ESA. People are often confused about the difference between ESAs and Service Animals, what is required to have one and how they differ from pets. There are two types of service animals-dogs and miniature horses. These animals perform a specific service and are considered to be working animals. They are very costly in terms of training, are required to be able to stay with the owner at all times, not be disrupti...Continue reading

Almost time for the free training, giveaways, and launch party for the Business School Bootcamp for Therapists. Get registered and enter to win here: bit.ly/win...abootcamp2018 Can't wait to see you all at the event! Giveaways include free website for a year, free practice management system for a year, Google AdWords support, money mindset consultation, trauma consultation, and even a free lifetime membership to the Business School Bootcamp for Therapists! See more

New surgical adhesive eliminates need for staples.

But you don't look disabled. But you don't look sick. Those words are used by people that don't understand chronic invisible illness or disabilities. There are many different disabilities and they touch the lives of many people. They involve heart and lung disease, autoimmune disorders, malignancy and muscle diseases. The fact is that most people will be at least temporarily disabled at some point in their lives. And there is an idea that many people are fabricating dis...ability-when that isn't remotely true. The number of people fabricating disability ranges from 2 to 12 percent and those are people that aren't simply exaggerating but are fabricating symptoms to gain benefits. The number of people trying to minimize their disability, work through it, push past the pain and fatigue, and struggling not to need assistance is virtually everyone in the disabled community with an invisible disability. About 80 to 90 percent. I've been disabled my entire life to varying degrees. Most people can't tell in general. I don't look disabled. But this past week I've needed to use a cane. And because I now "look disabled" people treat me as if I am disabled. The difference is palpable. It's also inappropriate. I was as disabled 2 weeks ago as I am today. Please stop deciding that only a cane, brace, wheelchair, walker or rollator make for a disabled person.

http://drcary.onair.cc/2015/08/11/understanding-pain/