Name: Chuck J. Hollister, PhD
Home state: Missouri
APA Division: Division 31 (State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs), Division 43 (Society for Couple and Family Psychology)
SPTA Membership: Missouri Psychological Association
American Psychological Association. (2021, October 18). Advocate Spotlight: Chuck J. Hollister, PhD. https://www.apaservices.org/advocacy/get-involved/advocate-spotlight/spotlight-chuck-hollister
How and why did you first become engaged?
It started when I had what I guess you would call a sudden out-of-the-blue recognition that managed care companies would take over our area and make it more difficult for children to receive psychiatric care. I organized a group of friends that blossomed into a group of 200 and we took on several large corporations. Managed care eventually won, but it took them 15 years to do it. By then I learned that I had a very deep commitment to promoting psychology and protecting children and other vulnerable people.
What do you feel most passionate about regarding your advocacy work?
The question makes me laugh a bit. What don't I have a passion for when it comes to promoting psychology and helping patients get great help? It's easy to get excited about this work. I am particularly struck by how impactful psychology can be. When we do it right, we not only help people overcome the problems they face, but give them the tools they need to better face up to the next challenge that hits them. I am so grateful for people allowing me as a psychologist to be part of their often heroic efforts to get stronger and to have a better life.
Can you give us a key tip in doing successful advocacy that others may not be aware of?
See the world from the point of view of the person you seek to influence. Why is it that supporting you and your advocacy will be right for them? You need to answer that question. And, even if you disagree with the person's politics, be willing to praise and reinforce those decisions that you agree with. There is always some common ground.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in advocacy for psychology?
There is so much professional diversity in professional psychology that it makes it hard for us to always stand up for each other. We need to make the idea of One APA real. For any one of us, there are thousands of other non-psychologists in the healthcare field who would love to have our scope of practice and are willing to work hard for it.
Second, we need to bring APA and the SPTAs closer together. Many SPTAs really lack the resources to pursue advocacy in a successful way. We are going to need APA's help. At the same time APA is going to continue to need the SPTAs to have any sort of important state presence. There is a lot of action at the state level. Working together we can be a force to be reckoned with.