Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Elia Gourgouris
The Happiness Center, USA
Keynote: Intentional happiness: 7 paths to lasting happiness
Time : 09:00-09:45
Biography:
Elia Gourgouris is the President of The Happiness Center, an organization dedicated to creating personal success and happiness. Over the last 25-plus years, as a passionate promoter of optimism and deeply meaningful relationships, he has helped thousands of people achieve happiness and fulfillment, both in their careers and in their personal lives. He has recently authored the #1 Amazon Best-Selling book, 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness. In it, he helps readers identify and work through principles such as gratitude, personal branding, and forgiveness which everyone can apply to their lives for deeper, more meaningful and lasting happiness. He has published over 120 articles for various newspapers and magazines, including the Huffington Post. He is a nationally known Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, and a Leadership Consultant. He received his BA in Psychology from UCLA and his MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the California Graduate Institute.
Abstract:
What is Happiness? Aristotle answered this by saying "Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence" Happiness is a choice! It is also attractive, healthy, and being connected, but it takes effort. That being said, what inhibits our happiness? Several factors have a direct impact on our level of life satisfaction and fulfillment, including fear (of change, fear of success, and fear of failure), comparisons, selfishness, the burden of perfectionism, lack of forgiveness (and self-forgiveness), our inner critic, and toxic relationships. When these mental and emotional roadblocks are removed, our inner joy will be freed from constraints and returned to our awareness. The 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness reviews several of these roadblocks and provides both principles and “take action exercises” for individuals to learn from, and through its application to ultimately achieve genuine happiness, including:
1st Path: Loving Yourself a) Personal Brand b) Perfectionism c) Inner Critic d) Comparisons
2nd Path: Gratitude a) Attitude of Gratitude b) University of Adversity
3rd Path: Forgiveness a) Forgiveness equals freedom b) Self-forgiveness is the key
4th Path: Follow Your Passion a) Getting out of your comfort zone brings growth
5th Path: Nourish Your Spirit a) Faith vs Fear b) Meditation and Purpose
6th Path: Loving relationships a) Love languages b) Criticisms and Toxic relationships c) Authentic listening d) Trust
7th Path: Service a) The antidote to selfishness
Thousands of individuals have taken this life satisfaction survey, and various graduate students throughout the world, (including Singapore, UK, and The Philippines and others) have used it as part of their graduate thesis. It is intended as a tool measuring current level of happiness. It could be used before and after treatment to show changes in level of happiness http://thehappinesscenter.com/survey/survey.php.
Keynote Forum
Ben Thomas
London South Bank University, UK
Keynote: Improving the physical health of people with mental health problems: Actions for mental health nurses-a new resource
Time : 09:45-10:30
Biography:
Ben Thomas is the Professor of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities at London South Bank University, England. He is also the Expert Adviser for Mental Health and Patient Safety at NHS Improvement, England and Chairs the Independent Advisory Group for the Confidential Inquiry into Homicides and Suicides. He is a member of the UK Expert Committee on Mental Health Nursing and a Trustee and Director for a number of third sector organizations including Together for Mental Health Wellbeing. His current research activities include improving the physical health of people with mental health problems and reducing suicide both within mental health inpatient facilities and Acute General Hospitals.
Abstract:
Problem: People with mental health problems have poorer physical health than the general population, often they are unable to access the physical health care they need and experience health inequalities. Contact with mental health services does not necessarily mean they will have their physical health assessed and monitored, nor receive the information and support they need to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Those with severe mental illness die on average 15-20 years earlier than the general population.
Method: To improve the physical health outcomes of people with mental health problems we surveyed all organizations in England providing mental health services (54) and universities providing mental health training programmes (48). The survey identified 8 areas for improvement: support to quit smoking; tackling obesity; improving physical activity levels; reducing alcohol and substance use; sexual and reproductive health; medicine optimization: dental and oral health and reducing falls. Examples of good practice were identified.
Results: Many organizations addressed various physical health needs but none were providing services that met all patients’ physical health needs. Successful interventions included offering physical health screening, promoting healthier lifestyles and creating smoke-free environments.
Conclusion and significance: Mental health nurses have unparalleled opportunities to help people improve their physical health. This resource helps them to identify the key risk factors that are known to adversely affect the physical health of people with mental health problems. By following the activities to achieve change, drawing from the available evidence and learning from the good practice examples in this resource, they can build up their confidence and expertise and make improvements to people’s health outcomes. Since publication, mental health services have used the resource to develop their strategies improving the physical health of people with mental health problems, and a number of universities now base their physical health curricular upon this resource.
Keynote Forum
Louise Olivier
University of Pretoria, South Africa
Keynote: The masked reason for criminal or illogical behaviour often overlooked in criminal and civil high profile cases
Time : 10:50-11:35
Biography:
Neuropsychology is often viewed as a specialized field and although some physiological- and biological modules may be included in the training of a forensic psychologists and other psychology groupings this may not be sufficient to provide students with the tools to excel in forensic psychology and in the court. As an expert witness, it is the duty of the expert to be impartial, to assist the court, to have expertise in regard to the testimony given, to make sure that he/she is adequately qualified and opinions should be well-researched and thorough (Lord Woof, 1996; Justice Wall Hamilton, 2000, Butler-Sloss, 2002). This presentation demonstrates by means of two case studies the importance of the Forensic Psychologist being well trained in neuropsychology. The first case is of an orthopaedic surgeon who was charged with rape of one patient and indecent behavior towards other patients. The second case is of a high profile, highly educated woman who alleged that she was gang-raped and then made a case against the South African Police that they were negligent and therefore she was traumatized. She alleged that she was not traumatized as such by therapists but by the actions of the police officers. In the case of the orthopaedic surgeon, nobody could explain why he suddenly displayed such behavior. In the case of the woman, her behavior was illogic at times regardless of her apparent high functioning lifestyle. The hidden common denominator was only found during extensive evaluation. The case studies will be presented in terms of the method of evaluation, findings, and outcome of the case.
Abstract:
Louise Olivier completed her PhD at the University of Pretoria after qualifying as a Clinical and Counselling Psychologist at the University of Johannesburg and North-West University. Her expertise lies in forensic psychology, neuropsychology, sex and couple’s therapy, clinical psychology and human-animal interaction. She is trained in Ericksonian- and Ego-State therapy and Medical Hypnoanalysis. She trained internationally in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. She is presently on the Board of the Psychological Society of South Africa and has been President of the Society twice. She is also a member of the committees of the Health Professions Council of South Africa for Neuropsychology and Forensic Psychology. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious Alumni award from the University of Pretoria for her contribution nationally and internationally in Forensic Psychology and Neuropsychology. She is the author of several books and many research papers
Keynote Forum
Lorinda Brink Bergh
Medipark Medical Centre, South Africa
Keynote: Experience of my own developmental process while working in the field of psychology over a period of more than 30 years
Time : 17:15-18:00
Biography:
Lorinda Bergh completed her Master’s Degree in 1974 and her PhD in Psychology in 2002 at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She worked for more than 30 years in the Department of Correctional Services and retired as a Brigadier (Senior Manager) in 2009. Assisted in the compilation of the Uniform National Guidelines for Sexual Assault Offenders, presented papers nationally and internationally and published in the Russian Journal of Psychiatry, wrote chapters for a book that addresses “Violence in South Africa” and the other for “International Perspectives on Sex Offender Assessment and Treatment: Theory, Practice and Research”.
Abstract:
Completed my Master’s in Psychology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa in 1972. Started working as a clinical psychologist at Correctional Services in Pretoria at the age of 22 where I obtained my experience knowledge and skills “hands-on” basis. There was no specific training to work in this specialized environment-it was just expected that you know how to work with all kinds of offenders. Work entailed the provision of psychotherapy to all kinds of people e.g. robbers, rapists, pedophiles, murderers, serial killers and those that needed to be executed. Provision of interesting examples of cases that I deal which will be shared. I was appointed the first female Brigadier (Senior Management) in a male-dominated environment and worked in a managerial position for 17 years until my retirement in 2010. I did my research for my PhD on Sexual Offenders. My thesis was “The Development and Implementation of a Treatment Programme for Sexual Offenders”. Much of the work and research did for this, now assist me in doing forensic work and sentence recommendations for the Courts as well as assisting victims of rape. After retirement in 2011, I decided to continue working as a clinical psychologist in the private sector on a fulltime basis. Here my work mainly focuses on dealing with many different issues such as anxiety, depression, couples and family therapy and stress management on a daily basis. My work in these areas involves the provision of coping skills and management techniques. I can illustrate how I deal with some of these issues by providing examples or techniques that work for me. Due to work constraints, I have no time for extensive research. I sincerely hope that my experience will assist others when dealing with mental health issues in their own working environment.
- Workshop
Location: Bordeaux
Session Introduction
Gisele Fernandes
California Institute of Integral Studies, USA
Title: Care for the caregiver: An integral approach to sustaining wellness and preventing compassion fatigue
Biography:
Gisele Fernandes is a licensed psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, organizational consultant, and graduate school professor. She has extensive training and clinical experience in body-oriented approaches to psychotherapy, using an integrative method that is rooted in somatic, humanistic-existential and transpersonal psychologies. Originally from Brazil, she began her career as a counselor in a hospital setting in Rio de Janeiro. From the beginning, she was interested in the body-mind connection and in holistic ways of understanding and treating the complexities of the mind-body system, both from the patient as well as the provider’s perspective. Since 2001, she has been working in the bay area in community mental health and private practice settings. Her therapeutic work integrates sensorimotor trauma approach, attachment-based psychotherapy, and mindfulness. She is a core faculty member at the California Institute of Integral Studies and has been teaching in academic settings since 2008.
Abstract:
Caring for others is a gift. Most people in the health and healing field find a deep sense of meaning in their work and consider it a vocation, a personal and purposeful path. At the same time, giving, caring and healing can take its toll: burnout and compassion fatigue are genuine dangers that can derail or shortcut practitioners’ careers. Whether you are a nurse or another care provider, being with the pain and suffering of others cannot only be draining at times but lead to a general sense of overwhelming, disenchantment and exhaustion. This presentation presents a model of holistic and integral intervention in preventing compassion fatigue in health care providers working in the clinic and hospital settings. The integral approach presented here originated out of a need to support psychological, physical and spiritual health and well-being in individuals and groups who are vulnerable to secondary traumatization and chronic stress in the workplace. It involves the use of yoga, guided imagery, breathing techniques, as well as discussions and psycho-education about compassion fatigue and effective self-care. The presentation addresses the use of cognitive and experiential practices to support healthcare providers in better-utilizing self-awareness and boundaries to prevent compassion fatigue.
- ExhibitorSession
Location: Bordeaux
Session Introduction
Vicente Robinson
Neurocrine Biosciences, USA
Title: Ingrezza capsules:Prescription medicine used to treat adults with movements in the face, tongue, or other body parts that cannot be controlled
Biography:
Abstract:
- Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing | Positive Psychology and Wellbeing | Psychiatry and Psychology | Psychological Disorders/Psychiatric Syndromes
Location: Bordeaux
Chair
Elia Gourgouris
The Happiness Center, USA
Co-Chair
Ben Thomas
London South Bank University, UK
Session Introduction
David P. Graham
Baylor College of Medicine, USA
Title: A synthesis of 5 years of research on the influences of PTSD and TBI on community reintegration in OEF/OIF veterans
Biography:
David P Graham is a native Houstonian who received a BS in Biology from Notre Dame, an MS in Zoology from Texas A&M (having studied the feeding behaviors of American Alligators as part of my field herpetology degree), before returning to Baylor College of Medicine to attend medical school. He completed his residency in Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, and a Health Services research fellowship at the MEDVAMC as part of the MIRECC program. He worked in the Mental Health Care Line as a staff psychiatrist. He is an avid researcher, and his focus being on the overlap of traumatic brain injury and PTSD on community reintegration. As an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, he taught several courses to the 1st and 2nd year Psychiatry residents and mentor 3rd and 4th-year residents both in research and clinical services.
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: Community reintegration (CR) describes the process of an individual’s adjustment and return to participation in their major social roles at home, work, and in the community. Estimates suggest of the 2.3 million Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) US service members deployed, over 300,000 have mild TBI and at least 300,000 have PTSD. Negative consequences for CR in Veterans associated with mild TBI have included increased rates of apathy, depression, anger, and disinhibition, and increased risk of being victims of violence and abuse. The negative consequences for CR associated with PTSD have included decreased quality of life, increased self-reported medical and physical symptoms, increased substance use, and suicide. PTSD also has negative economic and interpersonal consequences for Veterans including decreased work performance, increased homelessness, and impaired family relationships.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: This talk will be based on a synthesis of the presenter’s work completed over the past five years and will highlight associations and points of clinical relevance among TBI, PTSD, and CR.
Findings: Mild TBI and PTSD are indirectly associated with CR ratings through increases of depression symptoms. These associations are moderated by an individual’s genetics and Ventral Striatum integrity.
Conclusion & Significance: Clinical providers struggle with assisting Veterans in their attempts to successfully reintegrate into their civilian lives. Recommendations will be made how to use the information to better assist Veterans with CR efforts.
Paul Maloret
University of Hertfordshire, UK
Title: The lived experience of mental health inpatients with an autistic spectrum condition: A phenomenological study
Biography:
Paul Maloret has worked as a nurse in mental health and intellectual disability inpatient facilities for many years before joining the University of Hertfordshire where he is now the Head of the Centre of Learning Disability Studies and a Principal Lecturer in Learning Disability Nursing. This study is part of a Doctoral programme in Health Research.
Abstract:
This qualitative study explored how mental health inpatients with autistic spectrum conditions experience and cope with anxiety when admitted to an acute mental health inpatient facility in the UK. Anxiety is a common characteristic for people who live with autistic spectrum conditions and whilst studies on anxiety in this population are common place and case studies correlate anxiety with mental health service experience, little is known about the actual triggers of anxiety and its manifestations. Despite growing acknowledgment that admission to acute mental health facilities should be a last resort, reported figures on admissions in the UK to continue to rise. During 2016-2018 audio-recorded semi-structured interviews captured the experiences of 20 adults from the East of England who was former psychiatric inpatients with an established diagnosis of autistic spectrum condition. Interpretative phenomenological data analysis enabled the identification of broad themes which explained in rich detail, participant reflections regarding the situations and events within the acute care mental health facility that triggered their anxiety, behavioral manifestations of anxiety and, responses to their anxiety. It was then possible to establish the broad behavioral patterns that could be associated with their anxiety i.e. isolating themselves from others, including patients and staff, ceasing to eat and sleep adequately and all too often self-harming or exhibiting aggressive and violent behaviors. The anxiety caused by the physical environment appears to be overlooked by mental health practitioners so attention to anxiety-inducing encounters is needed when planning acute care mental health service improvement and research is required to clearly understand the experiences of this group of vulnerable people.
Biography:
Grashika Devendra was born in the beautiful island of Fiji where she finished primary school. She moved to the United States and further finished high school and graduated with Associate Degree Nursing from Modesto, California and got her Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Stanislaus. She graduated from nursing school and got licensed and started her career in Psych Nursing. At first, she was scared and unsure of my career in Psych Nursing, but as the days went by, she became sure, and her path became clearer. She gained her experience at inpatient and outpatient psychiatric facilities and then went into Correctional Psych Nursing. She wanted to further her career in the psychiatric field and gaining her Doctor of Nursing Practice, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner was the best option and career for her. Innovation in Psychiatry is her goal and passion.
Abstract:
The needs of patients with mental health disorders are being questioned in correctional facilities. According to Mental Health America (2016), between 300,000 and 400,000 people with mental illness are incarcerated in the jails and prisons in the United States. The importance of early detection of mental illnesses is crucial in the correctional setting to decrease mental health crises, for example, suicides and other psychotic episodes. The nursing staff working in the correctional setting need to be educated, trained and introduced to this population. A Mental Health screening tool must be utilized to help identify these inmates early on. This project was conducted to improve the number of mental health referrals by nursing staff in a corrections system of care, over three months period in a jail in California. The medical nurses, who did admissions or intakes, at the correctional facility were selected. The participants were trained to use the Correctional Mental Health Screening tool for Men (CMHS-M) at intake. The correctional mental health tool for men (CMHS-M), is a tool designed for the purpose of early detection of mental illness in the correctional setting. This tool helps assist in the early identification of mental illness so that appropriate interventions are made accordingly. Screening is important because it can distinguish if a patient/inmate is suffering from a mental illness, substance abuse problems, development delays or intellectual difficulties, or other deficits in their cognitive functioning. This tool showed evidence of reliability, validity, and predictive utility in relation to the accurate identification of undetected mental illnesses (Gonzales, Schofield, Hagy & US Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice (NIJ), 2007). A paired samples t-test was used to gather pre-and post-data results. The overall results helped increase the mental health patient referrals by nursing staff through early detection of mental illnesses. The aim of this project was to utilize the CMHS-M tool with an adult male population in the correctional setting to determine whether this tool should be used as a screening instrument for the identification of mental health problems on a permanent basis. This project showed that the CMHS-M tool does screen for mental illness among male inmates resulting in increased referrals for mental health care. It is a guide for medical nurses to refer patients to the providers, which leads to early treatment and prevention of mental illness.
Jennifer L Fee
Vanguard University, USA
Title: From anxious to empowered: How the messenger of anxiety can be used to help people move toward healing and purpose
Biography:
Jennifer Fee is a Psychologist with over 25 years of training and experience helping people with anxiety, panic, and trauma recovery. As an EMDRIA approved Consultant, she helps other professionals gain certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). She maintains a full-time private practice and works as a half-time Assistant Professor in the Graduate Psychology Program at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. As an International speaker, she aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health disorders, educate the public regarding trauma and its treatment, and inspire hope among those who are suffering.
Abstract:
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 264 million people worldwide meet criteria for an anxiety disorder, with nearly twice as many women afflicted than men. In the USA, anxiety disorders are the most common, with 18.1% of the population meeting criteria each year. While a great deal of anxiety treatment focusses on symptom management and reduction, there’s one particular piece to the problem of anxiety that is often misunderstood and overlooked. For some, underlying a lot of anxiety issues is an unrecognized and unresolved experience of trauma somewhere in the sufferer’s history. Unresolved trauma is a problem that can impact the sufferers emotional, relational, and occupational functioning. Anxiety is a messenger that tries to point the sufferer to the deeper issue that needs to be addressed. While many assume that significant or “Big T” traumas cause one to be “damaged for life” or take many years of therapy to resolve, this belief is not always reality. Additionally, other events, known as “little t” traumas are often not even recognized as having a significant effect on one’s mental health. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is one highly effective therapy for addressing both “Big T” and “Little t” traumas. EMDR helps people to heal from paralyzing anxiety and trauma issues by using the brain’s own capacity to process and move towards better mental health and functioning. Nearly 50 studies utilizing EMDR demonstrate positive treatment outcomes. However, many barriers keep people from obtaining treatment, including fear, stigma, and access to services. There is much work to be done in terms of providing education regarding anxiety, trauma, and treatment as well as encouragement and empowerment for those who are suffering from these issues to aid them to seek the treatment that they need.
- Psychiatry and Psychology | Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing
Location: Bordeaux
Session Introduction
Souzan Abd El-Menem Abd El-Ghafar Harfush
Tanta University, Egypt
Title: Resilience, caregiving burden, and quality of life in Egyptian family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia
Biography:
Abstract:
Fouad Ktiri
Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques, Morocco
Title: Equipoise: New dimensions of stress and its numerical modeling
Biography:
Ktiri Fouad is a Clinical Psychologist, a Psychology Teacher, a Researcher, and a Yoga coach. His experiences in Clinical Psychology and Yoga-relaxation allowed him to publish, in 2015, a paper book entitled "Stress - How to prevent and fight it-New psychological, spiritual, body and cognitive techniques". From 2009, he has animated conferences and participated in many radio psychological programs. His experiences as a physics and computer graduate helped him to combine psychology and mathematics, which allowed him to elaborate a new stress numerical model and published it in 2016. Now, he is continuing to do researches in psychology, and write articles weekly in Moroccan newspapers.
Abstract:
In the present study, we introduce a new stress approach, which completes the transactional theory of Folkman and Lazarus (1984). It is a numerical model in which we take into account another variable named PSS (Previous State of Stress) that we estimate necessary to explain why the psychological state of stress occurs or not. In our model, stress is presented in the form of a mathematical function (equation) of three variables (PSS, SV, R). By evaluating each of these components, this equation enables us to evaluate the generated stress intensity of a person. By improving this formula, the present model enables us to take into account another type of stimulus (positive stimulus) and to evaluate it. Many instances of daily stress, that take into account these new dimensions, have been cited. The stress formula efficiency has been tested by applying it to these examples and to some concepts like violence and stress accumulation. RQSI (Required Quantity of Stress Index) is an index that we have introduced in our numerical model. The calculated RQSI enables us to evaluate the average amount of stress (positive or negative) that a person receives from each stimulus he has been exposed to during a period of time. A new definition of stress phenomena, on the basis of our new numerical data model, is proposed.
Karem H Alzoubi,
Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan
Title: Protection of disease/conditions induced memory impairment by novel pharmaceutical agents
Biography:
Karem H Alzoubi is a productive Scientist. He has published over 200 publications in distinguished international, scientific, peer-reviewed, indexed and refereed journals or international conferences. Additionally, most of the scientific production of his is in journals with high impact factor relative to its area of specialization as per the ISI Web Knowledge and Scopus databases. He has an H-index of 30 (Scopus, 2018). He has obtained his PhD degree in pharmacology from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Houston, Texas, USA. He is now the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Jordan University of Science and Technology. He has been awarded several national and international research and education excellence prizes. He had his pre-doctoral research in pharmacology, where he was trained on state of the art techniques in behavioral and molecular neuroscience/neuropharmacology of cognitive functions. He has PI-ed or Co-PI-ed over 80 research grants with success and published from every one of them.
Abstract:
Memory impairment or dementia can be devastating and can lead to several complications. It can be precipitated as a result of various diseases or conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, hypothyroidism, post-traumatic stress disorder, vascular dementia, chronic stress, obesity, aging, sleep deprivation, and consumption of high-fat high-carbohydrates diet, whereas it can possibly be treated, various agents. The long-term goal of my studies is to explore novel pharmaceutical agents and interventions that prevent or restores memory impairment induced by various diseases or conditions. In this presentation, I will be discussing my latest results in a group of drugs including nicotine, L-thyroxin, pentoxifylline (PTX), caffeine, vitamin E, and C, tempol, etazolate, etc. These agents showed protective properties against memory impairment induced by chronic stress, hypothyroidism, sleep deprivation, Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obesity-induced by consumption high-fat high-carbohydrates diet. Results presented are based on pre-clinical studies using standard or innovative animal models of the above diseases or conditions superimposed with chronic drug treatment. Thereafter, behavioral studies were conducted to test the spatial learning and memory using the Radial Arm Water Maze. Additionally, brain regions were usually dissected; and levels/activities of important signaling molecules or biomarkers related to oxidative stress and inflammation will be presented as possible molecular targets for the tested medications. Collectively, presented results will show the possibility of treating or preventing cognitive impairment in various diseases and conditions via the chronic use of novel pharmaceutical agents, which is probably achieved through normalizing the levels or activities of important signaling and biological biomarkers within the hippocampus.
- Special Session
Location: Bordeaux
Session Introduction
Lorinda Brink Bergh
Medipark Medical Centre, South Africa
Title: Experience of my own developmental process while working in the field of psychology over a period of more than 30 years
Time : 17:15-18:00
Biography:
Lorinda Bergh completed her Master’s Degree in 1974 and her PhD in Psychology in 2002 at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She worked for more than 30 years in the Department of Correctional Services and retired as a Brigadier (Senior Manager) in 2009. Assisted in the compilation of the Uniform National Guidelines for Sexual Assault Offenders, presented papers nationally and internationally and published in the Russian Journal of Psychiatry, wrote chapters for a book that addresses “Violence in South Africa” and the other for “International Perspectives on Sex Offender Assessment and Treatment: Theory, Practice and Research