Trained as a psychotherapist at the California Institute of Integral Studies, I was exposed to cutting edge psycho-spiritual therapies in the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1970’s. Having had decades of training and practice of transpersonal psychology, I have begun to teach others the work of transpersonal psychotherapy. I am available to train helping professionals, clergy, educators, etc.

I frequently offer the following Transpersonal Psychology training:

 PSYCHE, SPIRIT AND THE QUEST FOR WHOLENESS:
A TRAINING IN TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY

The discipline of psychology emerged in the 19th century, based upon a secular, materialistic view of the human being. This materialistic view has remained foundational in the helping professions to this day.

However, with the growing contemporary interest in spirituality, new models of psychology, psychotherapy have been pioneered in the area of transpersonal psychology. Developed over the past 25 years, transpersonal psychology provides a spiritual view of the individual and the universe. In transpersonal psychology, psyche and spirit meet, and the individual is regarded as a soul in evolution. This has profound implications for psychology, psychotherapy, ministry and education.

This course shall expore spiritual perspectives on the human personality based upon the psychological writings of C.G. Jung, Abraham Maslow, Roberto Assagioli, and contemporary transpersonal psychologists Jean Houston and Ken Wilber. We will endeavor to understand the innately human call to spiritual wholeness, and investigate specific methods for actualizing one’s full spiritual potential.

This course will combines academic depth and professional development training for educators, clergy; spiritual directors, as well as helping and healthcare professional.

The academic component will provide an entry into serious study of transpesonal psychotherapy through readings, lectures and discussion. We will study the historical evolution of spiritually-based approaches to psychology over the past century, specifically a number of important religious psychologists. In addition, we will survey emerging trends of spiritual psychotherapy, which harmonize religion and personality, soul and psyche.

To enhance the professional development training component of this course, students will learn functional exercises and techniques to be used in professional settings in ministry, chaplaincy, teaching and counseling.

This will be an integral course combining cognitive learning; practical counseling skills; and self-awareness meditations to enable students to iexplore the meeting of psyche and spirit in their own lives, in their professional work, and within the culture as a whole.

GOALS:

1. To explore the historical and cultural development of spiritually-based approach to human psychology.

2. To introduce students to the central ideas of transpersonal psychology , a spiritually- oriented approach to psychology which takes as a starting point the individual spiritual nature.

3. To enable students to engage in the work of spiritual self-discovery through a variety of experiential tools and exercises.

4. To sensitize students to some of the issues which emerges for individuals in the process spiritual growth and evolution, and to consider approaches and methods of spiritually-oriented counseling.

READINGS:

C. G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Abraham Maslow, Religions, Values and Peak-Experiences
Ken Wilber, No Boundary

Martha Crampton, “Psychosynthesis: Some Key Aspects of Theory and Practice”. Publication of Canadian Institute of Psychosynthesis, 1977.

Anthony Sutich, “The Emergence of the Transpersonal Orientation” Journal of Transpersonal Psychology , (1976), Vol. 8, No. 1.

Bryan Wittine, “Basic Postulates for a Transpersonal Psychotherapy” in Existential-Phenomenological Perspectives in Psychology pp. 269-287.