‘Happiness 101’: Avoiding Depression

In a Culver City classroom, Pepperdine University psychologist Robert Gelhart is helping people learn how to lead happier lives.

Gelhart, program director of the Psychological and Educational Clinic at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, teaches an unusual eight-week course called “Coping with Depression” that has shown a striking rate of success.

The course is designed for participants who have been clinically diagnosed with unipolar depression or dysthymia, both common types of depression. For $200, far less than the cost of conventional extended therapy, participants attend weekly group meetings and individual sessions with a therapist.

Published results from the course, which started in Spring, 1991, indicated that 80% of those who completed it improved significantly.

“During the course, we teach people specific kinds of skills to think more constructively about their lives and how to involve themselves in pleasurable activities,” said Gelhart, 56. “We also focus on interaction between thoughts, actions and feelings which are integrated into their daily lives.”

Gelhart taught courses in the psychology department before he began researching and treating depression. The depression course was intended as a one-time project, but it will continue at the Culver City campus and will expand to other locations.

Under Gelhart’s guidance, the Culver City Unified School District has introduced a similar program that works with depressed adolescents. The Santa Monica-Malibu School District is considering doing the same.

“This is an important way to train adolescents,” Gelhart said. “We teach the students how to use coping skills and deal with life.”

The professor, who commutes almost daily from Orange County, said he is glad the service is available to West Los Angeles residents. “About 20% of adults in America will experience depression sometime in their lifetime and there is a need for low-cost therapy,” he said. “I think (the class) is providing a very needed and valuable service.”

Milton Meckler of Santa Monica received the 1992 Environmental Professional of the Year Award by the Assn. of Energy Engineers.

The award is given to individuals and companies that have achieved national and international prominence in promoting the practices and principles of energy engineering and energy management.

Meckler, an engineer and construction consultant, is president of Meckler Engineers Group in Encino.

Loyola Marymount University faculty members Thomas Zachariah and Stephen Scarborough received a $39,915 National Science Foundation grant to further develop a computer-oriented college math curriculum, which they designed.

The grant will pay for the purchase of a computer and a large screen for three classrooms, nine computers for the math lab and software.

The UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation elected new members to its board of directors at the group’s annual meeting.

Westside board members are: Arthur Alper and William Bitting of Pacific Palisades; Gerald Friedman, Clarence Schmitz and Allan Jonas of Los Angeles, and Elia Weinbach of Beverly Hills.

They will serve three-year terms.

The Fashion Industries Guild will honor Jon Bernstein, president of the women’s clothing companies Alex Coleman Inc., Elizabeth Stewart Inc., and California Girl Inc.

Bernstein, a longtime supporter of the guild, will be honored Oct. 10 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.