Humanistic psychology has known this for more than a generation and is therefore in a unique position to assume a leadership role in describing what psychology can and should become. The relevance of humanistic / transpersonal psychology is readily apparent. Client-centered approaches are taught (or at least acknowledged) in many mainstream programs. Most clinicians, and (presumably) all clients acknowledge the importance of an authentic therapeutic relationship. Alternative approaches to healing are increasing in popularity. Humanistic psychology is not merely a field of study; it is an orientation to the endeavor of human understanding. As such, the entire approach to teaching and learning is implicated. The inherent ability of the student to learn and grow through experiential education is assumed. Curiosity, creativity, and authentic confrontation of limiting factors are encouraged. Yet, psychology programs with humanistic and transpersonal orientations and values remain the exception rather than the rule. Moreover, increasing pressures from licensing and credentialing bodies threaten to coerce existing programs into either adopting standardized counselor training programs or abandoning clinical training altogether.

The challenges facing individuals and society are complex, involving issues of meaning, purpose, values, and spirituality. Mainstream psychology offers insufficient answers to only limited questions. Solutions will require diverse and interdisciplinary approaches which are inherent in humanistic psychology. I passionately wish to devote my career to teaching a psychology which is grounded in lived experience, and fosters personal growth. I will assist those who choose a clinical path by helping them to acquire the theoretical appreciation, empathic understanding, and therapeutic skills they will need; while encouraging them to be more conscious of their own lived world. I want to conduct research using qualitative and non-traditional approaches aimed, always, at deepening the understanding of human experience. I would like to help develop an integrative program of practice which addresses students’ pragmatic concerns while honoring the mythic and clinical traditions.