About
This blog is about helping you find your resilient strengths. How can you view the struggles you go through in life as the things that make you a role model of resilience instead of a victim? These resilient strengths can be mined from the challenges you face in your personal life, your family, school and community. We’ll look at how the principles of constructive resilience play out in the world of business and government. Feel free to take what you like, add your own insights, suggest topics to explore and ask questions.
We’ll also use this site to link what might otherwise appear to be different issues. For instance, we’ll look at how these resilient principles are being acted upon through the Unity Project and other organizations in earthquake affected Haiti and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. We’ll look at instructive and inspiring examples from the lives of kids and adults. We’ll take the lessons to be learned apart so we can see how to use them in our own lives.
As a psychiatrist with decades of unusually broad and deep experiences, it’s been my great privilege in life to have countless individuals trust me with their most intimate struggles. As a result of this great honor given to me of the trust of others, I am reminded constantly of the nobility and courage people display in their every day struggles.
From children and adolescents struggling with tragic family situations, couples facing a crisis in their relationships, individuals struggling with tragic losses, refugees who have lost everything to the cruelty of others and those who have been devastated by natural disasters, I have come to an unshakeable hope in humanity. Despite the depths of the suffering in those with whom I have worked, I have seen the sincerity, the honesty, the desire for meaning, the hope to be of service to someone else that gives me a humble conviction in the nobility of the human soul and our common humanity.
For all of our destructive capacity, we are a noble species. I want to share what I have learned with you. I want to share what I have learned of this nobility so that we might find personal happiness and be helpers of each other.
Here is some of my background:
Dr. John Woodall is a Board Certified Psychiatrist formerly of the faculty of Harvard Medical School and the Founder and Director of the Unity Project, a resilience learning system that was developed to promote resilient strengths in youth.
The Unity Project was conceived after Dr.Woodall led an in-country USAID funded trauma response program for the former Yugoslavia through the Harvard School of Public Health. It was refined in partnership with the Department of Youth and Community Development of the City of New York after 9/11 upon their request he develop resilience building programming for children across the city. Further refinement occurred in New Orleans and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina and through his role as the Convener of the “Resilient Responses to Social Crisis Interfaculty Working Group” at Harvard’s Mind, Brain, Behavior Interfaculty Initiative.
Dr. Woodall has lectured, consulted and developed programs on resilient responses to crisis, human rights, conflict resolution and inter-ethnic dialogue across the US, in Central America, Canada, the Balkans, Cyprus, Israel and the Palestinian Territories for universities, the US Department of State, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations.
An abbreviated CV is below:
Education: Diplomate
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
November, 1992
Psychiatry Residency
University of California – Irvine College of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry, 1985-89
Medical Doctor,
University of Illinois – Urbana, 1981-85
Bachelor of Arts
Southern Illinois University- 1975-79
Clinical Experience:
MedOptions, February, 2009, to July, 2009.
Geriatric consultation and liaison in nursing homes in Central Massachusetts
Health Alliance: Leominster & Fitchburg, MA
Staff Psychiatrist, Oct. 2001 – Sept. 30, 2003.
Duties: Outpatient clinic providing assessment, medication management, psychotherapy.
Consultation/Liaison: to medical and surgical units at Leominster Hospital.
Geriatric Care to the 2 nursing homes in the Health Alliance system, provided
assessment, medication management, consultation & liaison to medical &
surgical services, oversaw and supervised psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Inpatient: coverage of inpatient unit as on call staff.
Community Care Services: Taunton, Plymouth, Atleborough, MA
Director of Psychiatry, Oct. 2000 – July, 2001.
Duties: Direct patient care in 3 outpatient clinics, assessment, medication management,
psychotherapy. Administrative oversight of psychiatric staff, supervision of psychiatric
nurse practitioners.
Codman Square Health Center/Dorchester House, Dorchester, MA.
Director of Psychiatry, June, 1999 – September, 2000.
Duties: Direct patient care in 2 inner city clinics, assessments, medication
management, psychotherapy. Administrative oversight of psychiatric staff and coordination of clinical services.
Carney Hospital, Dorchester, MA,
Staff Psychiatrist, October, 1996 – June, 1999.
Duties: Inpatient services: Admission and assessment of new patients, daily medication
management, psychotherapy, coordination of interdisciplinary treatment team, call,
coverage of emergency room, outpatient clinic.
Brockton Veterans Administration Hospital, Brockton, MA
Staff Psychiatrist, February, 1992 –February, 1993.
Duties: Ward chief of long term psychiatric ward.
Director of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Service, February, 1993 – December, 1995.
Duties: Outpatient clinic: patient intake and assessment, medication management, psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, family psychotherapy. Administrative: development of outreach services, started first psychiatric service for traumatized patients at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans.
Metropolitan State Hospital, Waltham, MA
Staff Psychiatrist, August, 1990 – January, 1992.
Duties: Ward Chief of several chronic inpatient services, medication management, treatment team oversight. Administrative: Periodic Acting Medical Director of the hospital during turbulent state ordered closure of the hospital.
Private Practice:
Couples and Family Therapy, 1987 to 2003.
Individual Psychotherapy, 1987 to 2003.
Consultation & Liaison, the Boston Home. Medication and psychotherapy to patients
with multiple sclerosis. 1996 – 2002.
Geriatric Consultation: A number of nursing homes in Southern California, 1987- 1990.
Mental Retardation Consultation: Board and Care facilities in Southern California, 1987-1990.
Adolescent Individual and Group Therapy: Foster Care Social Services in Southern
California, 1987 – 1990.
Hospital on-call coverage, Charter Hospital, Long Beach, California, 1987- 1990.
Hospital on-call coverage, College Hospital, Long Beach, California, 1987- 1990.
Academic Convener: “Resilient Responses to Social Crisis Interfaculty Working Group”
Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative, Harvard University, August 2002 – August 2004.
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Judge Baker Children’s Center, June 1998 - 2008.
Research Topic: Identity and Ethical Development in the Aftermath of Trauma.
Sample Lectures:
- “Personal and Community Transformation in the Aftermath of Violence: from Boston to the Balkans.” April 7, 1999.
- “Challenges to Ethical Social Development After War Trauma.” March 10, 1998.
Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Brockton VA Medical Center, February 1992 – 95.
- Medical Director, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team, Oct. 1993 – Dec. 1995.
- Created and operated first outreach clinic of the PTSD Service at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, Boston, MA. 1993-95.
Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard School of Medicine, Cambridge Hospital, August 1990- February 1992.
- Fellow, Center for Psychological Studies in the Nuclear Age.
- “The Role of Collective Identity in Ethics and Collective Security,” Academic Lecture Series, Cambridge Hospital, Nov. 1991.
- Consultant, US State Department, Office for Eastern Europe, on negotiation opportunities in the inter-ethnic conflict in Cyprus, November 1991.
Director of Medical Student Training for Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences,
University of California – Irvine, School of Medicine, May 1989 – May 1990.
Founder and Director, The Program on International Affairs and Conflict Resolution,
The Department of Psychiatry & the Institute for Global Affairs, U. of California – Irvine.
- “Field Study of Collective Identity Model of Conflict Resolution,” Cyprus, March 1990. Met with President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and began discussionwith family of the President of the Republic of Cyprus.
- “The Role of Psychiatry in International Conflict Resolution” World Psychiatric Congress, Convenor, Athens, October 1989.
- “Collective Identity and its Role in the Development of a Theory of Justice,” International Society of Political Psychology Annual Meeting, Tel Aviv, June 1989.
Related Racism:
Activities:
- “Neuro-Biological Implications of Racism: Racism as Disease,” First International Conference of the Institutes for the Healing of Racism, Connecticut College, October 15-17, 1999.
- “Overcoming Racism in Europe,” Lecture and 3 day Workshop with leaders of youth organizations from Europe and Asia, Landegg Academy, St. Galen, Switzerland, May 1994.
- “Healing Racism,” Campus-wide seven week workshop at Harvard College in response to the Rodney King verdict, summer 1993.
Refugees/PTSD:
- Facilitated staff debriefing on resilient responses to crises. US Embassy, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 8, 2004.
- “How to Create /Implement a Program for Community Response to Trauma, Particularly in the Midst of Ongoing Crisis.” Workshop for Save the Children Network convened by the US Consulate General, Jerusalem, January 6, 2004.
- Consulted and provided counselling to United Airlines staff at Logan International Airport in the 3 weeks immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist hijacking of United Airlines planes.
- Consultant: Mercy Corps International, on establishing psycho-social rehabilitation efforts for newly repatriated Kosovar Albanians, Kosovo, Yugoslavia, July 1999.
Lecture: “The Human Response to Trauma,” The Mother Teresa University Hospital, Tirana, Albania, May 26, 1999.
- In Country Project Director, Croatia & Bosnia-Herzegovina
USAID funded program to provide psycho-social programming and training to professionals working with victims of Balkan War trauma, January 1996 – July 1996.
- Coordinator for USAID funded training programs of clinicians from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Harvard trauma clinics, 1993 – 1994.
Conflict Resolution/Human Rights/War Crimes:
- “Psycho-Social Impacts of Severe Trauma,” Global Humanitarianism: How Conflict Impacts Health, Panel Presenter, Massachusetts Medical Society special program, MMS, Waltham, MA, May, 22, 2007.
- “How to Use a Common Ethical Language to Build Possibilities for Inclusive Identities in the Aftermath of Crisis.” Presentation to the faculty and students of the Center for Conflcit Resolution and the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, Hebrew University. Sponsor: The American Center and the US Consulate General, Jerusalem. Jan. 8, 2004.
- Facilitated roundtable discussion between leading ngo, corporate, foundation leaders on “Israeli/Palestinian Conflict,” Women Waging Peace Policy Day, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, November 7, 2003.
- “Exploring Reconciliation Through Common Ethics,” Guest Speaker, the Values Caucus at the United Nations, November 6, 2003.
- Facilitated creation of first NGO of women from different religious backgrounds dedicated to inter-religious understanding. “Strength in Diversity,” Sarajevo, Bosnia. March 19 – 22, 2001.
Founder and Director, Task Force on Accountability for War Crimes in the Balkans, 1993 – 1994.
- Conducted 3 meetings at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, with UN, US State Dept., and a variety of trauma and human rights experts on the provision of psychologically sensitive legal care for rape victims. Drafted reports from these meetings that were used by the US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Commission to advocate for the creation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
- Consultant to the International Criminal Tribunal Commission for the Former Yugoslavia, Geneva, November, 1993. This consultation was to design psychologically sensitive methods of evidence collection from war crimesvictims, especially rape victims.
- Consultant to US State Dept., Office of Human Rights on the use of ethical strengths as a theme to organize civil society measures in war-torn countries, March 1994.
- Numerous media presentations to National Public Radio, the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, the Boston Globe, local radio, television and print media about issues related to human rights and the care of refugees and war victims, Oct. 1992 to present.
Higher Education Post September 11:
- Consortium on Financing Higher Education Assembly, Presentation: “Higher Education’s Response to September 11, Developing Competencies for Life in the Global Community,” New York, April 2002.
- College Board Colloquium Presentation, “Higher Education and the Response to Civil Crisis,” Laguna Beach, CA, January 2002.
Community Resilience:
- The Unity Project: “Building resilient strengths in children in the face of the challenges of our time.” A resiliency ethics- based model for personal and community development. A 501(c)3 organization.
- Founder and Director: - The Healing Arts Project: Partnership between the Unity Project, and the
Department of Youth and Community Development of the City of New York to develop resilient ethical skills
through the arts to build competent global citizens through DYCD’s extensive network of after-school programs
throughout New York City. January 2003 –present.
- Launched at Gracie Mansion, May, 2003.
- Partnership with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to launch the Unity Project program to
build resilience and positive decision maiking skills to 10,000 local affiliate sites of the national SADD
network.
- Partnership with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) of New York City to
implement the Unity Project program in 184 community based after school programs in the city.
- ReachUP! NYC: a resilience training program to train staff of 184 community based organizations contracted with the City of New York in resilience building programming. Launched 10-14.08.
- “Building Resilience through the Arts” 3 day course for teachers and school administrators on the Unity Project
resilience building methods, The Whole Schools Initiative Annual Conference, The Mississippi Arts Council, Oxford, MS, July, 12-16, 2009.
- “Basic Principles of Resilience,” Half-day course, as above, July 14 2009.
- “Resilient Art Experiences” Half-day course, as above, July 22, 2009.
- “Building Resilience through the Arts” 3 day course for teachers and school administrators on the Unity Project resilience building methods, The Whole Schools Initiative Annual Conference, The Mississippi Arts Council, Oxford, MS, July, 21-23, 2008.
- “Resilient Art Experiences” Half-day course, as above, July 22, 2008.
- “Basic Principles of Resilience,” Half-day course, as above, July 21, 2008.
- “Building Resilience through the Arts” 3 day course for teachers and shcool administrators on the Unity Project resilience building methods, The Whole Schools Initiative Annual Conference, The Mississippi Arts Council, Oxford, MS, July, 17-19, 2007.
- “Resilient Art Experiences” Half-day course, as above, July, 16, 2007.
- “Basic Principles of Resilience,” Half-day course, as above, July, 16, 2007.
- “Resilience in the Aftermath of Humanitarian Crises,” Panel, Global Humanitarian Crisis Roundatable, Mass. Medical Society, May, 22, 2007.
- “Suffering, Art and Healing,” Key-Note address, Expressions in the Service of Humanity Conference, Lesley University, April, 27, 2007.
- Resilience Training, for community teaching artists and school artists, Young Audiences of New Orleans and Greater New Orleans Afterschool Partnership, December, 2006.
- “Building Resilience through the Arts,” 3 day course for teachers and schools administrators on the Unity Project resilience building methods, The Whole Schools Initiative Annual Conference, The Mississippi Arts Council, Hattiesburg, MS, 18-20, 2006.
- “Resilient Art Experiences,” Half-day course, as above, July, 17, 2006.
- “Basic Principles of Resilience,” Half-day course, as above, July, 17, 2007.
- Resilience Training, for community teaching artists and school artists working with Katrina survivors, Young Audiences of New Orleans, May, 2006.
- Plenary Speaker: “Hope and the Aesthetic: Remaking the World After Crisis,” Imagine: Expressions in the Service of Humanity: Creative Approaches to Conflict in Groups, An International Conference, Tel-Aviv, Israel, April, 2006.
- Resilience Training, Young Audiences of Houston and the Cultural Council of Houston/Harris County. Teaching artists working with Hurricane Katrina evacuees. September 16, 2005, Houston Arts Council.
- Resilience Training for teaching artists and schools artists, Sponsored by the New York State Association for Art Education, Oct. 2005 – Aug., 2006.
- Resilience Training, for teaching artists of the School Arts Rescue Initiative, Three sessions, April, 2005-August ,2005.
- Presenter, “The Unity Project,” Students Against Destructive Decisions National Conference, Washington, DC, July 25, 2005.
- Presenter and Discussant, “Resilience Strengths as They Emerge from Trauma: Implications for Interventions,” UNESCO Roundtable on Trauma and Interventions, United Nations Headquarters, New York, February 10, 2004.
- Faculty Presentation, School of Education, Hebrew University, “Toward a New Paradigm in Peace Education.” US Consulate General Jeruslam sponsored, January 8, 2004.
- “Post Traumatic Stress and the Reconstruction of Hope,” Jerusalem US Consultate General Program for the Palestinian Counselling Center in Beit Hanina, January 5, 2004.
- “Post Conflict Community Reconciliation in the Balkans: A Case Study and Its Implications for the Arab-Israeli Conflict,” A round-table with Palestinian and Israeli NGO Directors hosted by the Public Affairs Office of the US Consulate General in Jerusalem, Januray 5, 2004.
