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CURRICULUM VITAE
Merle Ellyn Lenat
142 Anita Ave.
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15217
Telephone: 412-521-4617
June, 1978
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
High School: Philadelphia High School for Girls; June, 1968.
B.A. in Psychology: Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.; May, 1972.
M.A. in Psychology: San Francisco State University, S.F., Ca.;
December, 1974.
"Transactional Analysis 101" course; May, 1975. (Entitled me to join
the ITAA)
M.A. in Family and Marriage Counseling: U. of Santa Clara, Santa
Clara, Ca.; March, 1976.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
1971: Worked with mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed
children and adults, teaching them such living skills as
socialization and educational skills. I counselled several of
these people on a one-to-one basis and found it very rewarding.
The relationships I formed with them were intense, and I will
always remember the experience.
1972: Worked as an employment counselor at an employment agency. I
interviewed clients, found out what they wanted and what skills
they had, and I then tried to match them up with interested
employers. I did not enjoy this, due to pressures to place the
client with anyone, just so the agency could get its fee.
Therefore, I left.
1973-1974: Worked as a research assistant with two psychiatrists, Dr.
Ken Colby and Dr. Frank Hilf, at Stanford University. Part of
my duties involved working with psychiatric inpatients at the
Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital, on ward 4B3. I
attended community meetings run by the patients, staff
meetings, intakes done by the staff, and small group therapy
meetings. Through one way mirrors, I observed family groups
and some individual therapy. I interviewed the patients on a
one-to-one basis about their feelings and "illness", and worked
with them on the interviewing via the computer.
During the summer of 1974 I also became an observer in the
hospital's Family Study Unit. I gave feedback to the
therapists doing couple and sex therapy and family therapy.
These experiences inspired me to become a marriage and family
counselor myself.
1974 - July, 1976: Working as a volunteer therapist and student
intern at Central Mental Health Agency of Santa Clara County.
My experience has been broad there, including seeing
individuals, couples, and families as clients. On the
immediate treatment service (ITS), I diagnosed and referred
patients to appropriate counselors or settings, as well as
doing actual crisis counseling. I have done both conjoint
therapy (with a male therapist) and therapy I conduct myself.
Groups are also a part of my experience at the clinic. During
this past year I co-led a "parent" group once a week. The
group consisted of parents of hard to control children (age 4-
7) who needed support and help for themselves. We dealt with
many individual problems such as low self esteem, guilt
feelings, relationship problems, and of course "parental"
problems. This year I co-led a "family" group consisting of
parents of adolescents and, once a month, the children as well.
In this group we dealt with couple problems, so a great deal of
time was spent on working out hassles with the spouses. I also
observed a T.A. group in which I sat among the clients. After
the group there would be a seminar where the observers give
feedback to the therapists and discuss T.A. concepts. As part
of my service to the clinic I received supervision from a
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Mr. James O'keefe. We would
discuss therapeutic stratagies as well as my personal feelings
about the people involved (e.g., how to keep my own hang-ups
and values from getting in the way of therapy). Also, I
attended a weekly student seminar where staff and students
present cases they are working on, for suggestions and self-
clarification. Last year I presented two case studies to my
colleagues and their suggestions helped me a great deal.
March, 1975 - June, 1975: Co-led a sensitivity group at University of
Santa Clara. The members of the group were students and
teachers in the counselling department. My co-leader and I
used many techniques to gain group cohesiveness: using "I"
messages, talking in the "here and now", group hugs, and no
gossiping about group members. We also promoted individual
growth by using techniques such as confrontation, assertiveness
training, doubling, and giving loads of support. I found this
experience very challenging, for I led the group completely on
my own a few times when my co-leader was sick. I learned much
about myself those times, and found the experience invaluable.
January, 1977 - present: I am currently a psychiatric social worker
at the inpatient unit at St. John's Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa.
As such, I coordinate overall patient care. When a patient is
admitted, I first do an initial assessment. This consists of
collecting clinical and social data from the patient, his
family, staff members, and other agencies having knowledge of
the patient or his situation. Examples of the clinical
information I seek include checking the patient's affect to see
whether it is flat, suspicious, manic, etc., as well as his
mental status. I also check the patient for data concerning
his physical condition including whether there has been weight
loss, sleep disturbance, or any somatic complaints.
I then provide individual, family, and group therapy for each
patient around crisis areas that exist that might have
precipitated the psychotic break. For individual therapy, my
therapeutic techniques include both the verbal reality therapy
and the nonverbal approach which sometimes include just sitting
there and being with the person. In the groups that I have
led, especially with the more psychotic patients, there has
been an emphasis on art therapy techniques: group paintings,
individual clay work, painting what one feels at the moment.
When the art phase is over, each member of the group shares
what he created and what the creation means to him. Other
therapeutic approaches I have tried individually and in our
groups include listening to songs and reading the words to the
songs that might have meaning to their lives. [E.G. "I've Got
A Friend", "Sitting Alone In Your Room", "I Am A Rock".] In
some of my more verbal sessions with the group we deal with
important topics such as "what is depression and how can we
prevent it from taking control", "assertiveness or how to get
what you want and need effectively", "the stigma of mental
illness and how to deal with that", "the importance of
following through with after-care medications and outpatient
therapy", and "how to deal with your anger without getting into
trouble". In family counseling sessions which I emphasize in
therapy, I work with them on their feelings about the
"patient", the acceptance of the situation, expectations about
the hospitalization that are real and point out those that are
not attainable. I support them as well as being the patient
advocate. I try to answer any questions they might have about
the patient and the process of recovery. As well as this, I am
modeling for them appropriate handling of the patient, and at
the same time, I am trying to deal with the crisis areas in the
family. Communication skills are stressed here. Since this is
a very short term hospitalization experience of two to three
weeks I can not do intense family psychotherapy. However, I do
stress the continuation of family, as well as individual,
therapy after discharge from the hospital.
As this is a team approach, I go to frequent staff meetings
(three times a week) where we discuss patient treatment goals,
and patient status. Upon imminent discharge of the patient I
do discharge planning. This includes setting up living
arrangements, setting up outpatient follow-up appointments, as
well as giving treatment reccomendations for follow-up. Along
with each patient I write up and send with the chart a social
history. This includes all relevant information regarding
patient's life course and recent problem areas. Also in this
social history is included what was accomplished by the present
hospitalization and how the patient related to his family,
staff, friends and other patients while he was in the hospital.
Finally, I put down reccomendations for further treatment.
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS:
Psi Chi (Psychology Honorary Organization)
I.T.A.A. (International Transactional Analysis Association)
C.A.M.F.C. (California Association of Marriage and Family Counselors)
A.A.M.F.C. (American Association of Marriage and Family Counselors)
W.P.G.P. (Western Pennsylvania Group Psychotherapy Association)
REFERENCES:
1. Mr. Rod Coffman, MH/MR Emergency and Inpatient Service
Coordinator, St. John's Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa., 412-766-8300
x388.
2. Dr. Harry J. Ross, Psychiatrist on MH/MR inpatient unit, St.
John's hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa., 412-766-8300 x208.
3. Mr. James O'keefe, L.C.S.W. Central Mental Health Agency of Santa
Clara Valley, Bascom and Moorpark Aves., San Jose, Ca. 408-
286-5442.
4. Professor Charles Swenson, University of Santa Clara, Department
of Graduate Humanities, Santa Clara, Ca. 408-984-4434
5. Ms. Eileen Bobrow, M.A. San Andreas Health Council, Palo Alto,
Ca., 415-326-8655
6. Dr. Franklin D. Hilf, M.D. 20 W. 64th Street, Apt. #41K, New
York, New York 10023. 212-352-1619.
7. Professor Mary Ann Smith, University of Santa Clara, Department of
Graduate Humanities, Santa Clara, Ca. 408-984-4434
8. Professor Kenneth Blaker, University of Santa Clara, Department of
Graduate Humanities, Santa Clara, Ca. 408-984-4434
9. Professor Edward Feigenbaum, Chairman, Computer Science Department,
Stanford University, Stanford, Ca., 415-497-4878
10. Dr. Robert Balzer, Information Sciences Institute, Admiralty Way,
Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, Ca.
11. Dr. Daniel Bobrow, Xerox PARC, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto,
Ca., 415-494-4000.