Andrew Michael Mattison, M.S.W., Ph.D.Andrew Mattison Andrew Michael Mattison (1948–December 29, 2005) was a medical psychologist and researcher. He performed influential research in both clinical and social aspects of sexology, as well as drug use. was a psychotherapist psy·cho·ther·a·pistn. An individual, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, or psychiatric social worker, who practices psychotherapy. , educator, researcher, and public policy advocate that many will remember fondly for his personality and contributions to the field of sexual science. Drew was born Aug. 5, 1948, in Brooklyn, NY, a heritage of which he was very proud. He earned his bachelor's degree in English literature English literature, literature written in English since c.1450 by the inhabitants of the British Isles; it was during the 15th cent. that the English language acquired much of its modern form. from Fairfield University Publications and Media
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , graduating with a master's in social work. After earning his doctorate in psychology at U.S. International University in San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , he joined the faculty of the University of California--San Diego. He also began his thriving career as a psychotherapist in private practice. Over the course of his career, he studied cutting-edge issues facing the gay community. During the sexual revolution, while gay men and women learned to leave their closets and develop long-term intimate relationships, there was a myth that these relationships were not possible. Drew, together with his lifetime partner, David McWhirter, sought to understand the nature of long-term relationships among same-sex couples. The result was the publication of The Male Couple. The book was translated into German and French. As they learned about establishing and maintaining their own relationship, they studied how others did so. They found that relationships went through different stages and faced different developmental tasks. This book helped many gay men understand the struggles in their relationships and gave ideas and models of how they could work through conflicts to sustain their relationships. The book continues to be relevant today and is a most helpful resource. Realizing that the written word may not be as accessible to people or be as rich as the stories, Drew and David translated The Male Couple into a video. This became one of the first "self-help" videos, and it happened to be about male couples. When the AIDS epidemic hit the gay community, Drew and David studied the psychological process of dealing with AIDS, not only from the patient's point of view, but also from that of the partner. Rather than producing another book, they went directly to producing a video, Male Couples Facing AIDS. Drew went on to help found the first federally-funded research center at the University of California--San Diego dedicated solely to studying the effects of AIDS infection on the brain. He brought in grants to study the medical uses of marijuana. Most recently, Drew took on the issue of party drugs and the club scene. He helped develop an understanding of this phenomenon and ways to make this safer for everyone. As such, he was continuing to advance cutting-edge research and was consulting on and national and international scale. Drew was just peaking in his career when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2004. This was during his term as President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, formed in 1957, claims to be "the oldest organization of professionals interested in the study of sexuality in the United States." It claims to have some 900 members and has a quarterly newsletter, Sexual Science. . He faced his illness with the same determination, openness, and courage that he faced many of the things over his career. After a valiant fight, he died on December 29, 2005, at San Diego Hospice. He was 57. He is survived by his life partner and mentor, David McWhirter, M.D. They were lovers, partners, friends, and colleagues for 34 years. It is notable that Drew followed in David's footsteps and became President of the SSSS SSSS Staphylococcus scalded skin syndrome, see there , and they were the first couple to both have served as Presidents of this association. Drew helped us learn how to live, how to love, and how to die. His work helped many people around the world. He lived his work, and ultimately, he handled his illness and death in a very positive way. On a personal level, we all grieve the loss of this kind and loving friend and colleague. We felt deeply cared about in his presence and never forgotten in his absence. When you were in his presence, it always seemed like you were the only thing important to him. He was always there for us when we needed him, and we shared many joys and challenges in life. He loved life and lived it fully with gusto, style, and grace. We will miss him terribly. Eli Coleman University of Minnesota Medical School The University of Minnesota Medical School is the medical school of the University of Minnesota. It is a combination of two campuses situated in Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota. Michael W. Ross University of Texas--Health Science Center at Houston |
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