Gaithri Fernando Assistant Professor of Psychology Office: KH D3089 Phone: (323) 343-2260 FAX: (323) 343-2281 Email: gfernan2@calstatela.edu

Introduction

I am a licensed clinical psychologist and long-term Angelino who joined the CSULA Psychology Department in 2002.

Teaching Interests

M y teaching interests arise from my clinical experience, and include abnormal and clinical psychology, posttraumatic stress, test construction, personality, and developmental psychopathology, as well as clinical and neuropsychological assessment. My teaching style tends to vary with the level of courses I teach: more didactically oriented in the introductory courses and more discussion-oriented in the higher-level courses. I strongly believe in the research-practitioner model of psychology, and therefore use texts that incorporate the most recent research findings in the topics of interest; I also include current publications available on different topics in supplementary reading materials in the courses I teach.

Research Interests

I direct the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at CSULA. My primary interests are in posttraumatic stress in the context of war and extreme traumas such as torture, bomb blasts, and assassination attempts. I am also interested in exploring posttraumatic stress in the context of child abuse and domestic violence. However graduate students in my lab are encouraged to develop and run their own projects as they relate to assessment and intervention. I enjoy working with students, and our research team presents papers at several conferences each year, including those organized by the Western Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Representative Professional Activities

Date	Publications/Presentations
2005	Eugene, D., & Fernando, G. Mirroring Feelings in Unexpected Ways: Experiences of a Play Therapist Working in Sri Lanka. Clinical Psychology of Ethnic Minorities Newsletter, 17-19.
2005	Fernando, G. Making meaning after the tsunami disaster: Risk and resilience in Sri Lanka. Traumatic Stress Points, 19, 1,12.
2005	Fernando, G. Interventions for survivors of the tsunami disaster: Report from Sri Lanka. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 267-268.
2005	Fernando, G. “We Don’t Need Psychologists, We Need Help”: Can Psychology Really Help Tsunami Survivors in Sri Lanka? Variability, 1, 12.
2005, November	Fernando, G. Training counselors in Sri Lanka: Challenges and Successes. In G. Fernando (Chair), Dissemination in Cross-Cultural Assessment: Challenges and Successes. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
2005, November	Fernando, G. Differential impact of traumatic events on the psychosocial well being of Sri Lankans. In E. Triffleman (Chair), In the wake of the tsunami: Research principles, practices, and results. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
2005, July	Fernando, G., & Kayser-Boyd, N. After the tsunami disaster: Cultural factors in recovery. Paper presented at the International Congress for Projective Methods, Barcelona, Spain.
2005, June	Fernando, G., & Makanui, P.K. Children of Sri Lanka: Exposure to violence, mental health symptoms, and self esteem. In K. Putnam (Chair), Traumatic Exposure and its Impact on Children. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Stockholm, Sweden.
2004, November	Fernando, G. Torture in Sri Lanka: Case Studies. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, New Orleans, LA.
2004	Fernando, G. Working with survivors of war in non-western cultures: The role of the clinical psychologist. Intervention: International Journal of Mental Health, Psychosocial Work and Counseling in Areas of Armed Conflict, 2, 108-117.
1994	Durvasula, R.S. & Mylvaganam(Fernando), G. Mental Health of Asian Indians: Relevant Issues and community implications. Journal of Community Psychology, 22, 97-108.
1994	Mylvaganam(Fernando), G. South Asian women: An introduction to the psychological literature. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Kona, Hawaii.
1994	Theberge, D., & Mylvaganam(Fernando), G.. A perversion of parenting: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Kona, Hawaii.
1992	Henderson, V., Buckwalter, G., & Mylvaganam(Fernando), G.. Handedness and longevity in patients with autopsy-confirmed Alzheimers Disease. The Annals of Neurology, 32, 243.

Educational Background

Winter 06 Schedule Office Hours

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