ATOP Training 4.30.11
ATOP Training 4.30.11
ATOP Training 4.30.11 Read More »
II Volumes released by Praeger Publishing in Nov 2009 Mass Trauma and Emotional Healing around the World [II Volumes] Rituals and Practices for Resilience & Meaning-making Dr Ani Kalayjian Dominique Eugene DrKalayjian@Meaningfulworld.com, www.meaninguflworld.com ISBN: 0-313-37540-2 ISBN-13: 978-0-313-37540-8 450 pages Praeger Publishers, ABC-CLIO Publication: 11/30/2009 List Price: $104.00 (UK Sterling Price: £72.95) Availability: Media Type: Hardcover Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4 Series Title: Disaster and Trauma Psychology Description: Around the world, scores of those who survive disasters have demonstrated a remarkable resilience that enables them to live happy, productive lives. Mass Trauma and Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience documents the unique yet universal reaction to traumatic events and sets the agenda for future development of therapeutic interventions research and theory. An integrative approach to rituals and healing methods is highlighted to address and help prevent human-made traumas and prepare generations to cope with natural disasters in a more effective way. Chapters focus on rituals and practices for resilience after mass trauma, showing, among other findings, that storytelling, music, humor, and a belief in fate help people survive disasters worldwide. Title Features: Includes disaster accounts from trauma victims to provide practical examples of how they have healed, focusing on the use of cultural practices, religious and spiritual rituals, and indigenous practices in coping, resilience, and meaning-making after disasters Offers a multicultural bibliography of significant materials covering marginalized people around the world, including those in developing countries About the Author: Ani Kalayjian is adjunct professor of psychology at Fordham University, New York, NY. She has been a UN representative since 1990, holding a variety of leadership positions. Kalayjian is the founder and president of the Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) of Meaningfulworld.com, and has received an honorary Doctor of Science Degree from LIU. Dominique Eugene, M.A., is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a registered play therapist and supervisor, and a nutritional therapy practitioner.
Publication, January 27th 2010 Read More »
Forgiveness & Reconciliation Psychological Pathways to Conflict Transformation and Peace Building Ani Kalayjian Fordham University Email: DrKalayjian@Meaningfulworld.com www.meaningfulworld.com Raymond F. Paloutzian Westmont College Email: paloutz@westmont.edu Forgiveness and Reconciliation breaks new ground as a volume that will enhance the work of social and peace psychologists, students, and researchers in intergroup and international relations, and peace and conflict studies. Highlights of the coverage: • Reconciliation efforts in Rwanda, Darfur, India, and Pakistan • Restorative conferencing and its role in fostering forgiveness • Lessons in empathy and repentance from lifers in prison • Promoting reconciliation through arts and the media • The potential for forgiveness despite revisionism, denial, and continued injustice • Reconciliation in the divided society “Forgiveness and Reconciliation” is a volume for our time. It continues the lifelong peace and social justice efforts of Dr. Ani Kalayjian and her colleagues, in this case, Dr. Raymond Paloutzian. We hear so often the phrase “Truth and Reconciliation” and its power to heal individuals and nations; but in this instance, the volume brings to prominence the essential act of “forgiveness.” In this edited book of 17 chapters written by known scholars and professionals, Drs. Kalayjian & Paloutzian have brought together a rich and comprehensive understanding of the importance of ‘forgiveness” for our individual and collective lives. It is a volume for a time, with a timeless message that “forgiveness” is the heart of healing body, mind, and spirit. Read and be changed. Read and change others. Read and change the world. Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D. Past President, Psychologists for Social Responsibility 2007-2008 Book overview Forgiveness can enable people to move beyond the burden due to the deep pain, anger, hatred, grudges, and misunderstanding that are often the result of trauma, whether it is human-induced or the result of natural causes. Although there are numerous books on the market that counsel people in the arts of forgiveness and reconciliation, most are addressed to the individual and suggest prayer, meditation, or other spiritual exercises as a way to begin to forgive and overcome anger, hatred, or alienation. Some of them are couched in terms of a specific religious tradition. Others are more psychological in their approach. Many of the books focus on reconciliation of a specific issue such as healing a couple’s relationship after an affair or forgiving one’s parents. Several books address forgiveness at the communal or societal levels and suggest ways to overcome racial and ethnic strife. In our examination of the available titles, we did not find texts that that deal with the healing of trauma through forgiveness that were comprehensive in scope or sufficient to talk about it at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, familial, communal, and societal levels. Only a broad examination such as this can reveal the similar patterns that occur at all levels. We propose just such a book. The emphasis of this book is on the larger units of analysis, placing it squarely and properly within the context of a peace psychology series. This means that special attention should be paid to the cognitions and behavior of people in their unique social, historical, and cultural contexts in a way that facilitates our understanding of the structural properties of aggregates of people that promote systemic violence and that show the possibility of changing to promote systemic peacebuilding. Forgiveness and reconciliation are useful elements in this systemic peacebuilding effort. One useful contribution of this book to the peace psychology literature would be to demystify the idea of forgiveness in the minds of scholars and policy makers, i.e., it would no longer be necessary for the idea of forgiveness to be seen as a head-in-the-clouds, lofty ideal that is too far removed from reality to be put into practice. Instead, we hope to illustrate concrete examples of how people can cognitively reframe their interpretation of reality in a way that is both realistic while at the same fosters peace-promoting values and promotes socially just outcomes. Part of the peace building process will require a step by step enhancement of mutual trust, and the processes that nurture trust include those that nurture forgiveness, reconciliation, and occasionally their boundaries and limits. The Journal of Social Issues issue on Peace Psychology recently edited by Christie (2006) serves as a springboard from which to draw these connections; in addition to the classis work of Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning (1946). The multitude of conflicts currently wreaking havoc across the globe and the continuing reports of violence in communities and estrangement within families suggest that despite a saturated market, the message that forgiveness and reconciliation are a necessary foundation to communal living and thus to human survival has not yet gotten through. We think it is time for a novel approach to learning how to move beyond trauma and to forgive. The inclusive, multidisciplinary, multiethnic, multigenerational, and international perspectives and the pathways towards healing trauma that are suggested in the proposed volume are intended to provide such an approach. The authors represent sufficient disciplinary and cultural diversity and the depth and breadth of experience to undertake this groundbreaking effort. Although the book is multi-authored, it is designed so that the material is synthetic and integrated. Each chapter will have a research base and will extend that so that it can be applied in practical ways to concrete situations. Various aspects of case studies will be included for illustrative purposes. Christie, D. (2006). Post-Cold War Peace Psychology: More Differentiated, Contextualized, and Systemic. Journal of Social Issues. 62(1). Frankl, V. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning. Kalayjian, A. (1999). Forgiveness and Transcendence. Clio’s Psyche. 6(3)116-119. ** This is an overview of a book that was published by Springer Publishing on Aug 4 2009 at APA. Springer.com, $129 papercover ($24.99), p.318. Peace Psychology Book Series. Call Springer toll-free 1-800-Springer, e-mail: orders-ny@springer.com. For a review copy kindly contact Dr. Kalayjian at DrKalayjian@meaningfulworld.com, or www.meaningfulworld.com
Publication, December 26th 2009 Read More »
Kalayjian, A., Abdolian, L. F. (2010). Trauma and the Media: How Movies can Create and Relieve Trauma. In Gregerson, M. (Editor) The Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching. New York, NY: Springer Publishing. pp 155-169. Kalayjian, A. (2010 in press). Organizational and cultural Competence. In Core Curriculum in Transcultural Nursing and Health Care. Edited by Marrone, S. Kalayjian, A. (2010). WNGE presents a workshop in Saudi Arabia International Psychology Bulletin, 14(1):31-32. Kalayjian, A. , De Mucci , J (2010). Meaningfulworld Mission to Armenia: Empowerment, forgiveness, and transforming learning disabilities into challenges. International Psychology Bulletin, 14(1):30-31. Kalayjian, A., De Mucci, J., & Touissaint, L. (2010). Armenian-Turkish Protocols: Psychological Reactions. International Psychology Bulletin, 14(3):12-15. Kalayjian, A. (2010). Helping earthquake survivors cope with stress. Journal of Reflections on Nursing Leadership, STTI, 36(2). Kalayjian, A., & Abdolian, L. F. (2009). How movies can create and relieve trauma. InThe Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching. Springer. Kalayjian, A. Di Liberto, C. (2009). Gun Control or Not Policies from Around the Globe: Part I in Developing Countries. International Psychology Bulletin, 13(1), 25-27. Kalayjian, A. (2009). Women’s Rights ARE Human Rights: UN Human Rights Declaration at 60. International Psychology Bulletin, 13(1), 21-22. Kalayjian, A., & Paloutzian, R. (2009). Forgiveness & Reconciliation: Psychological Pathways to Conflict Transformation & Peace Building. New York, NY: Springer Publishing. Kalayjian, A., & Eugene, D. (2009). Handbook of Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. II Volume: Natural Disasters and Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Kalayjian, A. Shigemoto, Y., & Patel, B. (2009). Earthquake in Soviet Armenia: Coping, Integration, and Meaning-Making. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 1-22. Kalayjian, A. & DiLiberto, C. (2009). Northridge Earthquake in Southern California: Lessons Learned and Meaning Discovered. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 23-36. Kalayjian, A., Moore, N., & Richmond, K. (2009). Coping with the Earthquake in Pakistan: A Religio-Culturally Informed Treatment. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 55-72. Kalayjian, A., Donovan, E., & Shigemoto, Y. (2009). Coping with Hurricane Andrew: Preparedness , Resilience, and Meaning-Making. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 73-92. Kalayjian, A., Moore, N., Kuriansky, J., & Aberson, C. (2009). A Disaster Outreach Program for Tsunami Survivors in Sri Lanka: The Biopsychosocial, Educational, and Spiritual Approach. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 125-150. Carlin, S., Kalayjian, A., Kim, M., Jacobs, E. (2009). Ecological Worldview: From Ego to Eco. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 179-192. Kalayjian, A., Moore , N., Aberson, C., & Kim, S (2009). Exploring Long-term Impact of Mass Truama on Physical Health, Coping, and Meaning-Making: Exploration of the Ottoman-Turkish Genocide of the Armenians. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 287-306. Pipinelli, A. & Kalayjian, A. (2009). Gender and Genocide: Armenian and Greek Women Finding Positive Meaning in the Horror. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 307-326. Kalayjian, A., Musgrave, B., & Aberson, C. (2009). Psychosocial and Spiritual Impact of 9/11 Terrorism on Mental Health Professionals in America. In Kalayjian, A. & Eugene, D. (Eds.) Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing Around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-making. Volume II: Human Made Disasters. New York: NY: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp 327-342. Kalayjian, A., Abdolian, L. F. (2009). Trauma and the Media: How Movies can Create and Relieve Trauma. In Gregerson, M. (Editor) The Cinematic Mirror for Psychology and Life Coaching. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Kalayjian, A. (2009). Conspiracy of Silence. J. Michael Hagopian (prod.), Voices from the Lake (2003). In Evoking Genocide: Scholars and Activists Describe the Works that Shaped their Lives. Ontario, CA: The Key Publishing House Inc. Kalayjian, A. (2009). Organizational and cultural Competence. In Core Curriculum in Transcultural Nursing and Health Care. Edited by Marrone, S. Kalayjian, A. (2008). Human Trafficking: Challenges for International Psychology.International Psychology Bulletin, 12(1), 38-40. Takooshian, H., Habash, T., Plous, S., Kalayjian, A., Salmberg, M., El-Ghoroury, N., Vandaveer, V. V., Tars, S. (2008). Technology and the Internet: Its Impact on APA and Its Members of All Ages. The General Psychologist, 43(2), 4-5. Carlin, S., Kalayjian, A., Galanis, G., et al (2008). From Ego to Eco: A New World View. UN Web Publication. http://www.climatecaucus.net/spirit.htmhttp://www.climatecaucus.net/2008Report/recommendations.htm Kalayjian, A. & Anable, L. (2006, Fall). Israeli and Hezbollah conflict: International perspectives on the future of peace in the Middle East. International Psychology Bulletin, 10(4), 47-49. Kalayjian, A., Jesmaridyn, S, & Swenson, E. (2006). Adolescence in Armenia. In Routledge International Encyclopedia of Adolescence. New York: The Taylor and Francis Group. Kalayjian, A. (2005, Fall). International trauma relief efforts mobilized. NEAA Courier News, p.11. Kalayjian, A. (2005). Hurricane Katrina Victims are at Risk for PTSD: We Need Your Support. International Psychology Reporter, 9(3), 12. Kalayjian, A. & Weisberg, M. (2004). General impact of mass trauma: The Post-Ottoman Turkish genocide of the Armenians. St. Leon Armenian Church Newsletter,10, 2. Kalayjian, A.S.
Publications, May 23rd 2007 Read More »
Spirituality Quotient Trauma Caused by Natural Disasters Human Made Trauma Personal and Collective Generational transmission of trauma Reconciliation and dialogue
Research, May 23rd 2007 Read More »
In Lebanon and Kuwait. More information will be posted.
Collaborative Research Read More »
Abstract This study will examine meaning, resiliency, coping and post traumatic stress symptomatology among first and second generation Greek genocide survivors of Asia Minor and Pontus of the Ottoman Empire. Although historical research documents the genocide of the Greeks in the Ottoman Empire, there are no scientific research studies pertaining to the psychosocial and spiritual impact of this tragedy on the Greek populations. This project is truly a deep service to our ancestors, who in fact through these present day efforts, channel a message to the world community to aid in understanding the affects of war, genocide and the prevention of world division. This study will replicate a previous study conducted by Dr. Kalayjian et al on the coping, resilience, and meaning of Armenian survivors of the Ottoman Turkish Genocide. In a groundbreaking move, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) has voted overwhelmingly to recognize as genocides the massacres of Assyrians and Greek populations of the Ottoman Empire between 1914 and 1923. The Resolution declares the “It is he conviction of the International Association of Genocide Scholars that the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923 constituted a genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks.” It “calls upon the government of Turkey to acknowledge the genocides against these populations, to issue a formal apology, and to take prompt and meaningful steps toward restitution.” The resolution also states “the denial of genocide is widely recognized as the final stage of genocide, enshrining impunity for the perpetrators of genocide, and demonstrable pacing the way for future genocides.” www.genocidetext.net/iags_resolution_supporting_documentation.htm. For other information kindly visit: http://www.greek-genocide.org/press.html and http://www.greek-genocide.org/books.html and http://www.greek-genocide.org/documents.html and http://www.greek-genocide.org/bibliography.html. About 100 first and second generation survivors of the Greek genocide will be recruited for this study. First the study will look into selected cases of survivors (born before 1923) who had witnessed the Ottoman Turkish Genocide. Once this population is exhausted then the study will focus on the decedents. The theoretical framework of this study will be the meaning theory, resiliency, denial, anger and PTSD in relation to Greek Genocide survivors. The hypotheses are: 1. Survivors with low scores in the measure of meaning will score high in PTSD. 2. Survivors with low scores in the measure of meaning will score high in anger as measured by the Anger State Trait Inventory. 3. Survivors with high scores in the measure of meaning will score low in anger. 4. Survivors with high scores in the measure of meaning with score high in resiliency as measured with the resiliency scale. The demographic section of the study will collect data on age, gender, migration status (year of entry in US or Greece), religious affiliation as well as instruments re meaning, altruism, resiliency, anger and PTSD. Social and clinical implications as well as limitations of the study will be discussed and further directions will be given for future research on genocide survivors. The research team includes: Drs. Kalayjian, Pipinelli, Ms. Galanis, and Ms. Thasites.
Meaning and mass trauma among first and second generation Greek Genocide Survivors Read More »
Exploration with Survivors of Ottoman Turkish of Armenians: Examining relationships of long-term mass trauma, PTSD, physical symptoms and meaning in life. This research is in data analysis phase.
A. Six-month follow up to the tsunami in Sri Lanka: Community resiliency and meaning recovery. B. Staying Afloat: The case of volunteers of the Mental Health Project C. Impact of the hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Coping with post disaster recovery. D. Hurricane Andrew in Florida, one year follow-up. This is in the data analysis phase. E. Post Pakistan Mental Health Outreach: Three months after earthquake of October 8, 2005
The importance of spirituality receives overwhelming public affirmation as to its importance but it has historically neglected in education, nursing, and psychotherapy. The importance of Emotional Intelligence or EQ has been long established; spiritual needs have not been systematically examined and studied. In this study, 200 participants from north eastern US were surveyed to examine their attitudes, beliefs and understanding of spirituality. Participants responded to the 25-item SQ Questionnaire, designed by Kalayjian, which explores meaning of spirituality in people’s lives and its impact. Almost half of all respondents considered themselves to be spiritual. The participants consisted of 66 males and 132 females. When asked of how participants define spirituality, 20.5% stated “a higher power,” 17% stated “spiritual/soul,” and 15% said “inner being.” Twenty-three percent of participants believed that one achieves spirituality through self-awareness and meditation, while 13.5% believed it came via experience and 12.5% other (creative energy, meaning in life, loving self & others, education & knowledge). Twenty-six percent of the participants believed one gains knowledge of spirituality through education, teaching, & knowledge, while 14% believed it was acquired through experience, and 10.5% believed it came from self-awareness. The majority of the participants believed that spiritual role models were important, but many did not have one. The overwhelming majority (73%) believed that there are benefits of being spiritual. Study findings elicit that spiritual growth is a completely personal experience; it is independent and unique for each individual, and it is not necessarily connected to religion. Further research is recommended to examine SQ on a larger scale. Also recommended is to replicate this research in hospitals interviewing nurses, physicians, and patients. Spirituality Quotient Questionnaire
Spirituality Quotient Read More »