FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2006 Contact: Andrew Boucher
Phone: 202-783-7663
Email: andrew@nationalregister.org

MASSACHUSETTS-LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST JAMES PATRICK BURNS, PH.D.
RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Washington, D.C. - The National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (National Register) Board of Directors today announced the winner of its new award for early career psychologists. James Patrick Burns, Ph.D. of Boston, Massachusetts, has been named winner of the Judy E. Hall, Ph.D. Award. The award is named for the National Register's current executive officer, Judy E. Hall, Ph.D., and recognizes excellence in a nationally credentialed psychologist with less than ten years of postdoctoral experience. Dr. Hall is presenting the early career psychologist award to Dr. Burns at the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, today.

According to Dr. Hall, "Dr. Burns epitomizes the future for credentialed psychologists. He is dedicated to seeking new and more effectual methods of treatment and has consistently demonstrated a commitment to those we seek to help, while maintaining the highest standards of ethics."

Dr. Burns received his doctoral degree in 2003 in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University. He then served as clinical fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. Following that year, he became analytic fellow at Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute and then research/clinical fellow for two years at Harvard University Medical School/McLean Hospital.

Dr. Burns was considered for this award because he developed new competencies through these various postdoctoral training opportunities at Yale University School of Medicine, Boston Psychoanalytic Society, and Harvard University Medical School in research and clinical service. Dr. Burns is now at the Boston University's Danielsen Center for the Study of Religion and Psychology, where he serves as research postdoctoral fellow. His various training opportunities have been directed at short-term and long-term goals to become more effective in treating and understanding the psycho-social spiritual issues facing clients today, while developing new ways to understand the issues clients are likely to face in the near future. According to Dr. Burns, funds from the Judy E. Hall, Ph.D. Award will allow him to continue spending time researching the role of spirituality and religion in the lives of suffering Americans.

About The National Register

The National Register is the largest credentialing organization for psychologists. The independent, non-profit organization was created in 1974 with the help of the American Psychological Association and the American Board of Professional Psychology. Today, the National Register is the leading source of information on nationally credentialed psychologists in health care. Psychologists who are awarded national registrant status have achieved the highest educational and professional standards in health care. Early career psychologists can accumulate the necessary credentials during their training so that when they apply for a license to practice, they also are ready to become registrants of the National Register. It is the only independent, credentialing body with a national level standard for verifying education and training qualifications, licensing, and ethical standards with more than 12,000 doctoral level psychologists in its database. The National Register is relied upon by the health care industry, state and provincial licensing boards, and consumers. National Register also provides this valuable information to consumers as a free referral service to top quality psychologists at www.findapsychologist.org.

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