Monitor on Psychology - January 2012 - (Page 30)

Random sample Oksana Yakushko, PhD immigrants and refugees. “I have had so many privileges in my education, but still I have people tell me that I don’t belong here or they dismiss my native country as a dark, uneducated place.” With her colleagues she has developed a scale to study xenophobia. “Coming from Europe, xenophobia is more understood. But in the United States, people can’t even spell the word.” n Motivating students: Based on what she’s seen in her own classroom, Yakushko has developed a business idea: an online coaching service for students who are stuck on their dissertations. “It’s a difficult process for many people,” she says. In fact, she says, more than half of all doctoral students in all fields take more than 10 years to complete their degrees. “It’s often a psychological issue that keeps people from completing their dissertations, so I want to explore those issues with people and help them get it done.” n Family time: She has two children — ages 6 and 3 — with her husband Marcus Flathman, PhD, who is a clinical psychologist. And if she has a spare moment, she writes fiction. Last year, she drafted two novels: “Beautiful Life,” about an unlikely connection between a wealthy American woman and an undocumented immigrant teen, and “What Lies Within,” about the human need to live life meaningfully and in relationship to others. “What it feels like to be a psychologist really informs my writing,” she says. —S. MARtiN A psychology professor, researcher, novelist and coaching entrepreneur. n Member since: 1998 n hometown: Santa Barbara, Calif. n What she does: Yakushko is a psychology professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute, in Carpinteria, Calif., where she is also research director of the clinical psychology program. She teaches courses in social psychology, research design and dissertation development. In addition, she is a licensed practitioner. n Fascinated by Freud: Yakushko was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and came to the United States at age 18, just as the 30 Soviet Union was breaking up in 1991. She had a passion for psychology — in particular, Freud and Jung — but in her home country, the discipline was either conflated with psychiatry or viewed as a way of controlling political dissent. After several years in the United States, she applied to the University of Missouri– Columbia, where she earned her PhD in 2004. n understanding prejudice: Perhaps not surprisingly, one research area that has captured Yakushko’s interest is Americans’ attitudes toward Each month, “Random Sample” profiles an APA member. You may be next. M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y • J a n u a ry 2 0 1 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - January 2012

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Contents
From the CEO
Apa’s Statement on the Dsm-5 Development Process
Girl Scouts Badge Promotes Positive Psychology
Early Investments Pay Off for Poor Children, Study Finds
Apa Meets With Chinese Psychological Society to Further Interaction and Exchange
Unique Opportunity for Psychologists to Travel to Cuba
In Brief
Government Relations Update
On Your Behalf
Psychology’s Growing Library of Podcasts
Standing Up for Psychology
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Beyond Psychotherapy
Perspective on Practice
Yes, Recovery Is Possible
Inequity to Equity
Making E-Learning Work
New Standards for High School Psychology
A Trailblazer Moves On
Psychologist Profile
Plan Now for Psychology’s Regional Meetings
New Journal Editors
Apa News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012

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