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“The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable.” –Paul Tillich
It’s amazing how life always seems to take you where you need to go. When I first began my studies in psychology at West Georgia College in 1995, I was not aware of the differences between humanistic psychology and mainstream psychology. For me, humanism was a given—the only reasonable approach to the study of psychology. In fact, it took a few years and much more exposure for me to truly understand Maslow and Rogers’ motivation for reacting to traditional psychological approaches. I came to deeply appreciate their lessons in being, becoming, empathetic understanding, and basic faith in human nature. I realized that each field of psychology makes its own significant contribution, but only humanism seeks to examine the person holistically. As I became more embedded in the humanistic approach, I began to realize that fate had played its role in my life by bringing me to West Georgia. I began to truly understand the importance of studying under the humanists. And I realized that West Georgia was where I belonged. When I received my B.A. in psychology in 2001, I was certain that I wanted to pursue another degree through UWG. In 2002, I began my graduate studies in psychology at UWG. Graduate school was perhaps the most memorable time of my life. It was probably also the most demanding time in my life. I had chosen to conduct research into schizophrenia as part of my master’s thesis. This research process/thesis proved to be the most difficult project I would undertake as a graduate student. It also proved to be the most amazing, fruitful pursuit in my academic career. My research not only provided me with the opportunity to learn on an academic level, but it also gave me the chance to spread my wings and find my own place within the humanistic approach. Following completion of my thesis in 2003, I received my M.A. in psychology. My interests in psychology, though somewhat diverse, primarily focus on psychological disorders. A few of my primary interests include the following: psychopathology; phenomenological understanding of psychological disorders; the influence of the family in the development, course, and treatment of psychological dysfunction, the role of culture in the onset, course, and treatment of psychological disorders; and abnormal psychology within a historical context.
Some Influential Works: Rogers, Carl On Becoming a Person Laing, R.D. The Divided Self Laing, R.D. Sanity, Madness, and the Family Maslow, Abraham Toward a Psychology of Being Kraepelin, Emil One Hundred Years of Psychiatry Frankl, Victor Man’s Search for Meaning Poe, Edgar Allen Tales of Mystery and Imagination Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck, John Of Mice and Men Freud, Sigmund various collections
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Julia L. Whisenhunt, M.A.
678-839-0620 |