CWRU Psychology - Donald K. Freedheim

Donald K. Freedheim

Degrees

A.B. from Miami University in 1954
Ph.D. from Duke University in 1960

Biographical Sketch
I attended Miami University, where Profs. Crannell and Patton gently guided me toward psychology (and faculty in chemistry and biology strongly guided me away from medicine) and Duke University, where my mentors were Profs. Zener, Rodnick, Garmezy, Borstelman, and Spielberger. While in graduate school, I lived and worked for two years at the NC Cerebral Palsy Hospital, a small, in-patient facility for children up to 14 years old. As the psychologist and only male on the premises, I learned much about child development and handicapping conditions. That experience directed me into child clinical work. Following an internship at Boston Children’s Hospital, I came to Cleveland in 1960 as one of the first psychologists at the Mental Development Center, an interdisciplinary out-patient clinic for children at Case Western Reserve University. The Center was headed by a psychologist, Jane W. Kessler (now emerita at CWRU), which made it a unique facility for mental retardation among the many starting at that time under the Kennedy administration.

After several years at the clinic, I began teaching in the Department of Psychology and gradually became full time on the faculty by l970. At that time Prof. George Albee asked me to edit the Newsletter for the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA). The Newsletter developed into an interdisciplinary journal, Professional Psychology, and soon became a permanent publication of APA. A few years later, I was asked to edit the journal of the Division of Psychotherapy, which I did for 10 years. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the APA, I edited a volume, History of Psychotherapy: A Century of Change. I am currently an associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Psychology to be published by APA and Oxford Press.

I have also been active in professional "politics" having served as presidents of the local and state psychological associations and of the Division of Psychotherapy of APA. I chaired the International Committee of APA and had terms on the Council of Representatives of APA and on its Board of Directors. Currently, I am on the Board of Professional Affairs of APA.

In the Cleveland community I had the privilege of chairing the County Board of Mental Retardation and the Board of Early Childhood Options. Currently, I am co-chair of the Mental Health Committee of the Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross and of its Trauma Action Team that responds to local disasters and situations requiring crisis counseling.

In addition to teaching in the department, I am director of the Schubert Center for Child Development.

Research Interests
My research and clinical interests have been in the area of developmental disabilities, attitudes toward the disabled, and related fields. Over the years I have directed a number of students’ dissertations on such topics as child abuse and eating disorders.

Courses Taught

PSCL 334A - Seminar and Practicum - Preschool and Daycare
PSCL 334C - Hospitalized Children
PSCL 338 - Seminar and Practicum in Adolescents

Recent, Representative Publications
History of Psychotherapy: A Century of Change (ed). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1992.

The Anatomy of Psychotherapy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1995 (with G. VandenBos, J. Frank-McNeil, and J. Norcross). Teaching guide with twelve psychotherapy videotapes.

Training issues in clinical psychology. Chapter in E. Walker & J. Matthews (eds), Beginning Skills and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1997 (with J. Overholser).

Clinical Documentation Sourcebook for Child Mental Health Professionals. New York: Wiley Press (in preparation with J Shapiro).