President's Column: Change Happens

Rob Heffer
 

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird. It would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
-- C. S. Lewis

I have been thinking about change lately. For most of us, change is most comfortable when it is applied using the "Goldilocks Principle": Not too much, not too little, but just right.

As an organization, ADPTC has as long tradition of relationship-based support, creativity, and professionalism among our members. We seem to enjoy each other and strive to enrich our own positions and those of our colleagues. We come from such varied training programs and work environments, yet share a common commitment to excellence. We are at the vanguard of translating research into applications that assist people in making life changes. We create a training structure to change trainees so that they may become effective facilitators of change in others.

I am often comfortable with the benefits of staying an "egg," but know that transformation is necessary to become capable of flight. ADPTC is in a process of important changes that have emerged from developments within our organization and from influences in the profession. I trust that we can remain true to our core values and objectives, while morphing to have a broader impact on training psychologists than we have had in the past. I believe constants for ADPTC include exchanging of practical information via the listserv and website, enjoying learning together at mid-year meetings, the APA Convention, and committee work throughout the year, and blending scholarship and training. New horizons for ADPTC include collaborating with training and credentialing entities and APA-affiliated groups focused on the integration of research, training, and practice to enhance the quality of work within applied psychology. Together, we can find the right mix of change and familiarly.

Throughout this newsletter, you will read about activities that reflect ADPTC's mission to serve our membership and enhance the profession. Be sure to take a look at the three symposia conducted by ADPTC members at the APA Convention in New Orleans. Consider ideas about how we can develop a "continuum of training" by partnering with organizations such as APPIC. Let's use our collective expertise to enhance the profession. Change will happen with or without your input, but will be all the better-and more fun-with you involved.

Hope to see you in New Orleans. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Rob