Nicholas A. Cummings (Nick Cummings)

Nick Cummings, Ph.D., Sc.D., is a former president of the American Psychological Association and the founder of the four campuses of the California School of Professional Psychology, the first professional school in psychology in the US. He is the founding CEO of American Biodyne, then MedCo Behavioral Care Systems. He launched the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology as well as the American Managed Behavioral Care Association. He is the founder of the National Academies of Practice (NAP) in Washington, D.C., representing the 100 most distinguished practitioners in each of dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, osteopathic medicine, pediatric medicine, psychology, and social work. He served for 12 years as NAP's president. He wrote and implemented the first comprehensive psychotherapy insurance benefit at the Kaiser Permanent HMO in the 1950s, and he has been the seminal investigator in medical cost offset research that demonstrates savings in medical/surgical costs through psychological interventions. He practiced psychotherapy in San Francisco for 40 years and was president of the Foundation for Behavioral Health.

Dr. Cummings obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of California (Berkeley), his master's degree from the Claremont Graduate School, and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Adelphi University. He holds three honorary doctorates for his innovations and has received the highest honors the profession can bestow, including the APA's award for Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychology. He is the author of over 300 scientific articles, book chapters, and books, including Focused Psychotherapy. A Casebook of Brief, Intermittent Psychotherapy Throughout the Life Cycle, with Mike Sayama, Ph.D. (and certified teacher of Zen Meditation and ordained Zen Priest), which describes a general theoretical and practical approach to focused psychotherapy, including the metapsychological assumptions of this type of Brief Therapy, techniques to utilize resistance in the service of the healing and growth, and a way of structuring treatment episodes.

external links

• The Nicholas & Dorothy Cummings Foundation, Inc, nonprofit educational and research institute dedicated to the behavioral health services