I first met Amanda Clinton, PhD, senior director of International Affairs, at the inaugural meeting of the Middle East Psychological Association in Dubai in April 2017. We immediately hit it off. While speaking over lunch, we realized our respective associations share similar values, ideas and issues. We discussed how the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between our two associations was not being operationalized or translated to its fullest extent. We decided then: time for change.
I invited Amanda to Ireland that year and she brought an APA delegation of colleagues who presented at our annual conference. This exchange was extremely well received, and many continuing relationships developed. We met again at the British Psychological Society’s (BPS) annual conference in May 2018. The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and BPS were celebrating their joint MOU with a “Hands Across the Water” session, an event involving reciprocal talks and attendance at both conferences that year on the theme “Psychology & Politics.” Thanks to Amanda’s interest in involving APA, it expanded to become “Hands Across the Waters,” a title acknowledging the links between the U.S., Ireland and the U.K., separated by waters, but joined in scientific psychological endeavors.
I mention these precursors to my visit to give you a picture of the nature of the growing professional relationship between our two societies and also of the importance of the personal visits and meetings which led up to it. I believe long term relationships are built on mutual respect, admiration and indeed friendship on a professional and personal basis over years.
I visited APA in January 2019. I arrived in a snow storm, six inches of snow and minus Celsius temperature. Not the usual weather for a person coming from Ireland. The weather may have been cold but the welcome was very warm indeed. The purpose of my visit was to exchange views and best practices; to learn from APA’s experiences and inform myself on its work in science and influencing policy.
As one of my key objectives was to learn more about policy making and how psychology can influence policy, I was very pleased to meet representatives from APA’s Public Interest-Government Relations Office. I also had the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill and speak with Joe Dunn, chief of staff for Congresswoman Jahana Hayes and a previous colleague of Amanda’s during her time working on the Mental Health Reform Act. All of these conversations were very enlightening, informative and of great benefit to my colleagues in the PSI.
APA’s chief executive officer, Arthur Evans, was most hospitable. I discovered that the newly launched draft five-year strategic plan mirrored in many ways the PSI five-year strategy launched in 2018 and that we shared many similar objectives and values. I greatly appreciated the insights Arthur shared. Further conversations with APA leaders in offices such as Publications, Education and Communications built a clear picture of APA’s challenges, successes and aspirations. I also met Ester Sztein of the National Academy of Sciences where we had a lively debate on the state of the nation.
During my visit to Washington, D.C., I was able to present on my work and experiences. I gave a talk on "responsible disruption" and psychology’s role in effective leadership, and engaged in developmental work with the International Affairs team (with my colleague Richard Plenty, PhD). My experience of organisational development was of interest to many people I met and conversations often focused on APA and its strategic direction. I was delighted to be able to share some of my experiences so that my visit was truly collaborative and mutually beneficial.
Thank you to all who made my visit such an educational and enjoyable one. There was much learning to take back to the PSI and I hope that I also shared some of my experience and knowledge with APA. One specific incident sticks out in my mind. When I mentioned that APA research had been a vital contributor to our evidence-based intervention in the Irish referendum on abortion, there was much amazement all round. Yes, APA research does get quoted abroad and is much appreciated.