I am Dr. Bruce Hutchison, a retired Clinical Psychologist.

Politics

Current Events

Commentary

Community

emotions are normal.

how we react needs to change.

It makes sense then that feelings will also flow during negative public situations, such as protests, riots, shootings, election campaigns, the pandemic, and many other situations. They are contagious. We may feel angry, empathetic, or have other emotions when we observe a protest or riot on TV or on video. Emotional contagion has a very significant role in producing the emotional turmoil involved in the public reaction to these events.

In this blog and in my book we will strive to help people understand and manage emotional contagion so as to lower it, and so contribute to a lowering of the emotional temperature in society, I will discuss ways to manage prevailing emotions so they will not spread and magnify through society where they can be destructive. We welcome your input, suggestions and ideas as how to stop, prevent and overcome emotional contagion.

As a clinical psychologist with 50+ years experience, I understand people, emotions, allegiances, social trends, needs, thoughts, behavior and what makes people tick. I have worked as a psychologist providing counselling, psychotherapy, consultation and assessment to thousands of people in three Canadian provinces. I have worked in psychiatric units and general medical units within general hospitals, in community mental health settings, in prisons, in rehabilitation settings, and in private practice. I have worked in private practice for the past ten years. I have served on boards of psychology in two Canadian provinces and on a national basis in Canada. I have received awards for leadership and advocacy. I was Head of Psychology in an urban Canadian hospital for 18 years. I have been a Clinical Associate in the Department of Psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta, an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba Clinical Health Psychology Program in the Faculty of Medicine and have supervised and trained student psychologists.

I specialized in treating depression and anxiety and offered psychological assistance with a variety of areas including building relationships, overcoming marital and couples conflicts, overcoming anger, managing stress, helping with adjustment to health problems and rehabilitation needs and changing life patterns. I also treat conditions of adjustment issues, loss, grieving, trauma, low self-esteem, career dissatisfaction, and issues related to these conditions.