It is fall again, and I am very excited to begin my new post as Director of the Psychology Program and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. As time passes and the seasons in life change, we will embrace Dr. Newby-Fraser's retirement as bittersweet. We are happy for her to enter this new phase of life, but if you were fortunate enough to have her as a professor or mentor, as I did, you will miss her very much. Dr. Newby-Fraser was instrumental in my development as a student and professional. We, at CIHS, look forward to her new role as Emeritus Professor.
 
I am quite passionate about forward-thinking, progressive education, and CIHS is at the forefront of integrating mind, body, and spirit psychology. We see this shift in consciousness in the outside world, and I am excited to be a part of it in this academic setting and community. Together, we can help shift the thinking in the field toward one that integrates clinical psychology with consciousness, spirituality, and bioenergetics.
 
My professional background is diverse, although what has never changed is my belief in the transformative power of education, for the people who benefit from us being effective and kind therapists and practitioners, and for ourselves who can always further develop and progress as compassionate human beings. I began my professional career teaching language arts and have always loved literature and popular American culture. I am interested in what makes us tick - including TV, books, music, and collective thought, to name just a few. After receiving a Master's in Humanities from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, with a concentration in literature and 20th century cultural studies, I decided to switch fields to psychology. My Master's thesis was on trauma theory and narrative. This brought me to the psychological literature on how people overcome trauma, and I found it fascinating. I decided to try my hand at psychology and thought I would complete the Master's in psychology and obtain licensure as an MFT. At that time, I was working in a domestic violence women's shelter doing individual and group work with survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence and sexual assault. It was very intense work.
 
After completing my full practicum there and obtaining the position of community educator at this nonprofit center, I decided that I would continue my education and complete the doctorate in clinical psychology at CIHS. At that time, the clinical psychology program was being run by Dr. David Jacobs, who was a wonderful mentor and patient advocate. Under his direction, I made the move to complete my pre-doctoral clinical internship at Scripps Mercy Hospital, which is healthcare / medical model or, in other words, clinical psychology. I spent two and one half years there on the psychiatric emergency team and working in the partial hospitalization program. I saw far more of life in those two years than I ever thought existed. Suffice it to say, if you have the luxury of reading this newsletter and being a part of the CIHS community, you are truly blessed. It is all part of being human and a well-rounded therapist.

As a result of my work at Scripps Mercy, I again found myself interested in how certain children overcome childhood trauma and others do not, even when they are from the same family. In particular, I was interested in examining the specific skill set, whether from the environment or nature (temperament), which makes children resilient. Thus, my doctoral dissertation was a phenomenological examination of the commonalities and differences in people who were resilient and had demonstrated this by overcoming horrific childhood trauma. The flexibility of CIHS' educational philosophy allowed me to pursue an investigation into the experience of children and adults who had experienced trauma. I was fortunate to have the school's mission behind me so I could conduct research in the way that I chose. We, at CIHS, embrace the nontraditional route, no?
 
After graduating with my PhD in 2002, I took time off to focus on my family and child. At this juncture, I began writing for a local motivational speaker. This project led to other projects with other motivational speakers in the community. Being involved in this forward thinking movement reawakened my desire to teach again and to be part of an academic community. Currently, I hold an adjunct faculty position at the University of Phoenix San Diego campus as a professor with the College of Arts and Sciences. Many of these students have overcome various challenges that prevented them from completing their college education, and they are in college as working adults. It is my privilege to have the opportunity to be a part of their growth. I will continue my adjunct position there in addition to my full-time position with CIHS.
 
I truly believe that an educated world is a better world, and with this, I am excited about joining the progressive educational community at CIHS. It is exciting to be a part of this change in the way the world sees the connection between psychology and mind, body, and spirit. Whether you are an alumnus, a current student, or a prospective student, I am here to serve you and help you pursue the education that is compatible with your interests and fulfills your goals as a psychologist, practitioner, writer, researcher, or any other combination of these that you may chose. We are a diverse community, and welcome you to continue your education or join us for workshops.
 
If you have any questions or would like to introduce yourself, I am in the office during the week. You are welcome to come by and see me. Alternatively, you can email me to connect and make a time when you would like to come in and discuss your educational plans. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you.
 
You can reach me at the following:
hope_umansky@cihs.edu
760-634-1771 x114