Dr. Kierce joined school psychologists throughout California in Long Beach this week for the 70th Annual CASP Convention. She presented on a topic that combined her passion for children, externalizing challenges, and resiliency with her knowledge of school psychology, clinical psychology, and psychoanalytic theory. Rooted in her doctoral dissertation, Adult Perceptions of Resiliency in Adolescents with Externalizing Problems, she aimed to provide school psychologists with a renewed perspective about working with children who struggle with externalizing problems.
Highlights from the presentation include the identification of externalizing disorders and the impact on psychological functioning and major life domains, as well as assessing severity utilizing the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Second Edition (PDM-2). Research indicating the complexity of interactions between genetics and environmental factors on resilient outcomes was also discussed. Interventions focused upon the importance of creativity, relationships, action-oriented communication to refute pathogenic beliefs, and mentalization.
Dr. Kierce truly enjoyed getting back to her school psychology roots and appreciated the enthusiasm from her fellow school psychologist colleagues!
