Bindu Methikalam, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, has been selected to participate in the American Psychological Association’s Division 39 Multicultural Concerns Committee Scholars Program. Division 39 is the psychoanalysis division of the APA and meant for individuals who are interested in increasing discussion and knowledge of psychoanalytic research and practice.

Methikalam’s selection letter read, in part: This year we had an especially competitive pool of candidates and you were among those who impressed us with your background, experiences and commitment to psychoanalysis and multicultural issues. We are thrilled to be able to offer you this unique opportunity to become further connected to the Division and MCCC.

Specifically, the Multicultural Concerns Committee focuses on the intersection of diversity and psychoanalysis. The program provides scholars with the opportunity to learn about where the field is currently and its needs for the future.

“Psychodynamic thought and diversity are areas we emphasize in the Psy.D. Program, so it is a nice opportunity to learn more about the intersectionality of the two and engage in discussions with researchers who do work in these two areas,” says Methikalam.

She has recently published a chapter in the ebook for the Diversity Research Symposium, titled “Implementing a Psychodynamic Approach with South Asian Women” with co-authors Simrun Kaur Sandhu and Sneha McClincey, and an article in the Asian American Journal of Psychology, titled “Asian Values, Personal and Family Perfectionism and Mental Health Among Asian Indians in the United States.”

— Brenda Lange