Psychologist Michael Gillum Joins Advisory Board of the Let Go...Let Peace Come In Foundation

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA, March 14, 2012 (Press-News.org) Psychologist Michael Gillum, MA, has joined the Let Go...Let Peace Come In Foundation (LGLPCI) board of advisors.

A member of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, Mr. Gillum is providing professional advice on matters concerning mental health care for adult survivors of child sexual abuse to the LGLPCI Foundation.

Mr. Gillum currently works with the LGLPCI Foundation in treating some of the victims of the alleged Penn State-Jerry Sandusky childhood sex abuse and sexual molestation scandal.

In addition to his work with the LGLPCI Foundation and his private practice, Mr. Gillum is a professional consultant to the Pennsylvania county courts, the children and youth services agency, the juvenile probation agency, the district attorney, the Pennsylvania attorney general's office, law enforcement, school districts, and other human service agencies. He has appeared on national and regional television, in newspapers, and on radio shows covering sexual abuse, school violence, critical incident debriefing, TWA-800, terrorism, child abuse, community mental health, mental health stigma, post-traumatic stress, disasters, mental health, and many other topics.

CNN has called upon Mr. Gillum to share his expertise in psychology with its cable television viewers.

Mr. Gillum was formerly the chair of CSG North Central Human and Legal Rights, the chair of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association Public Information Committee, and a training facilitator with the Pennsylvania Children's and Adolescent Support Services Program Training and Technical Assistance Institute, a collaboration of Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health.

The LGLPCI Foundation, Mr. Gillum's newest post, is aligned with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and its research concerning the prevention of child sexual abuse and improving treatment for adult survivors of abuse. Its mission is to reach out and bring men and women to the recovery process, to show them they are not alone and there is hope of finding peace in their lives. The LGLPCI Foundation was founded by Peter S. Pelullo.

"Mr. Pelullo, himself a childhood sexual abuse survivor, came to understand the psychological impact including compulsive behaviors and how victims often engage in a variety of maladaptive behaviors in order to run from or bury the traumatic memories," says Mr. Gillum.

The Dr. Drew show has often invited Mr. Pelullo on the program as a guest expert. He is committed to educating the world about childhood sexual abuse and how it is extremely common and causes a variety of emotional damages, psychological disorders, and compulsions that can be overcome in adulthood. To that end Mr. Pelullo wrote "Betrayal and the Beast," which focuses on his own journey dealing with the debilitating psychological issues as a survivor of childhood sexual predation—the shame, rage, multiple addictions, depression, and other manifestations that directly impacted his life.

"Mr. Gillum is an incredible asset to the foundation and will add invaluable input to our strategic alliance with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health," says Mr. Pelullo. "Many childhood sexual abuse victims feel like they are powerless to change their lives and there is no way out. I hope the Let Go...Let Peace Come In Foundation will empower and inspire men and women who have experienced sexual abuse as children to take the courageous step to seek help. No one needs to do this alone."

Please see the courageous and inspiring stories of many men and women throughout the world who have posted on the LGLPCI Foundation's website, http://www.letgoletpeacecomein.org.