Humanistic Psychology in Practice

The 2nd Annual Conference of
The Society for Humanistic Psychology

Sponsored by the Division 32 of APA

August 11-13, 2008
Four Points by Sheraton at Norwood
1125 Boston-Providence Turnpike
Route 1 (18 miles south of Boston)
Norwood, MA 02062

Co-sponsored by
Duquesne University's Psychology Department
Daemen College Psychology Department
Michigan School of Professional Psychology
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology
Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center
Existential-Humanistic Institute

Earn up to 24 hours of Continuing Education Units

Division 32 is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Division 32 maintains responsibility for this program and its contents.

The Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32) will holds its second annual conference in the three days prior to the APA Convention, which will be held in Boston, MA. Conference presenters will include accomplished humanistic psychotherapists and practitiones from all over the world who have made outstanding contributions to the field. Presenters will include, among others, Roger Brooke, David Cain, Robert Elliott, Larry Leitner, Maureen O'Hara, Robert D. Romahyshyn, Ilene Serlin, Jonathan Raskin, Kirk J. Schneider, Lois Shawver, E. Mark Stern, and Alberto Zucconi.

The conference fee will include the cost for meals during the conference, and these meals will afford ample opportunity for community building and enriching conversation.

Considerable savings can be gained by early registration. Conference attendees will also receive a special conference rate on the hotel at a savings of up 39% the usual cost. All conference fees will include meals during the conference and services which include equipment, shuttle, wireless internet, and parking. 

Click here for a Conference Registration Form

Deadline for Submissions: February 29th, 2008

Submissions may include workshops or poster sessions.

To submit a workshop or symposium,
please use the form HERE.

To submit a poster presentation,
please use the form HERE.

Questions may be directed to the Conference Chair, Brent Dean Robbins, PhD at bdeanrob@roadrunner.com           

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Division 32, Society for Humanistic Psychology, represents a constellation of "humanistic psychologies" that includes the earlier Rogerian, transpersonal, and existential orientations as well as the more recently developing perspectives of phenomenological, hermeneutic, constructivist, feminist, and postmodern (social constructionist) psychologies. The Division seeks to contribute to psychotherapy, education, theory, research, epistemological diversity, cultural diversity, organization, management, social responsibility, and change. In particular, we have been at the forefront in the development of qualitative research methodologies. Our longstanding interest in the well-being of all persons, and in the importance of living life with purpose and meaning, places humanistic psychology in kindred and even foundational relationship with the more recent positive psychology movement In expanding our self-conception we invite participation from APA members, associates, and student affiliates who are open to the challenge of broadening the frontiers of psychology for the 21st Century.

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CANDIDATES FOR EXECUTIVE BOARD

President Elect

Sara K. Bridges, Ph.D.

<>I ran for treasurer for the Society (APA's Division of Humanistic Psychology) four years ago because I believed it was time for background voices and supporters to step up and take on a leadership role.  My current bid for President-elect reflects my continued commitment to serving the Society and stepping further into the foreground. Working on the executive board has familiarized me with the administrative functions of the Division, and I will carry forward a valuable “institutional memory.” Besides understanding our inner workings and our past, presidential leadership requires a vision that moves the Society forward in its humanistic mission. Humanizing an Inhumane World is the Society’s programmatic theme for the upcoming APA conference, and the Society’s President-elect will focus on Humanistic Responses to Global Challenges during her presidential year. These initiatives will explore what Humanistic Psychology offers as a healing balm to devastating worldwide strife. Healing inhumanity both globally and locally inevitably creates heroes in all shapes and sizes. Thus, for my presidential year, as a continuation of the past presidents’ themes, I would aim to identify and honor Heroism in the Un-heroic as a way of recognizing the sometimes small humanizing steps humanistic psychology prompts people to take in making the world a better place.  Additionally, if elected, I will work to continue to advance the Society’s concerns in APA and will create avenues for other background supporters to get involved in the Society and to step into the foreground.

V. Krishna Kumar, Ph.D.
I am honored and privileged to be invited to serve in the capacity of President of Division 32. I am a professor in the Department of Psychology at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania. I am also a practicing psychologist. I am currently serving as a Member–at-Large and the Program Chair of Division 32 for the Boston Convention. I would welcome the opportunity to continue to work with a dedicated elected group of individuals who bring their efforts together in making the various activities of Division 32 possible. Thank you for your consideration and support.

Member at Large

Marijo Lucas, Ph.D.

<>Marijo is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Psychology Program at Immaculata University, where she serves as Director of Clinical Training.  She also teaches courses and mentors dissertations in Existential-Humanistic Theories and Applications (EHTA).  She has supported the growth of Existential and Humanistic perspectives by establishing an APPIC Member Predoctoral Internship Consortium with a mission and competencies reflecting these perspectives, and by sponsoring an Annual Existential-Humanistic (EHTA) Student Research Award (honoring James Bugental and Hobart Thomas) at the Pennsylvania Psychological Association Convention.  She is particularly interested in concepts such as subjectivity, intentionality, agency, and resistances to presence and finitudes.  She has presented and published essays on wanting, regret, sincerity, and qualitative/phenomenological research. She currently serves on the CE Committee for Division 32, and is receptive to other ways she can help promote the advancement of Division 32, Humanistic Psychology and Perspectives, and specific goals of the Division President and Board of Directors.    

Brent Dean Robbins, Ph.D.
I have been a member of Division 32 for over ten years, and continue to serve the Division as Membership Chair and Conference Chair. I'm a recipient of the 2008 Harmi Carari Early Career Award for Inquiry, and as a graduate student I was proud to accept Division 32’s Sidney Jourard student award. As a founder and editor-in-chief of the international, interdisciplinary journal, Janus Head, I have helped to promote humanistic and phenomenological scholarship across disciplines, and I strive to place psychology in more meaningful dialogue with the humanities. Currently, I am Assistant Professor of Psychology at Daemen College in Amherst, New York, and have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Duquesne University. As Membership Chair, I have helped Division 32 to sustain its membership, in spite of contrary trends across the APA divisions. I helped to revise the Division website, and established a mentorship program. As Conference Chair, I am putting in great effort to sustain the momentum of last year’s first annual conference for the Division, which was extremely important for keeping the Division well-funded and flourishing. As Member-of-Large of Division 32, I will continue my work to expand the benefits of our Division to all members, and I will work with the Division’s Board Members and President to promote Humanistic Psychology, especially among the young scholars and practitioners who hunger for a more meaningful and more relevant psychology.

Kathleen Wall, Ph.D.
Our culture is ready for a values driven psychology. The Society for Humanistic Psychology can lead the way. I am passionate about applying values of Humanistic and Transpersonal psychologies to create a more humanistic world.  I am a strong supporter of the Humanistic Psychotherapies Annual Conference with its t ability to engage our members and interested allies. I will expand the Society’s vision to encompass leading edge, interdisciplinary and intercultural studies and re-establish the Society at the “cutting edge” of social science.  I promote the advancement of the next generation of humanistic psychologists - through active engagement of new, early career and student members - to influence the Division and continue their recognition, as I did as Awards Chairperson (2001-2008).  While I hope to pass the Awards Chair position on, I developed procedures which makes awards a smooth following process. I can use these administrative capabilities to continue to serve the Society of Humanistic Psychology.

Louis Hoffman, Ph.D.
My interests in humanistic psychology run deep. These approaches have transformative power to provide a foundation for building a more complete psychology. However, for humanistic psychology to live up to its potential, it must be involved in deeper engagement with other realms of psychology, including dialogues with the current zeitgeist of neuropsychology and increasingly influential postmodern perspectives. A concern of mine is the lack of cultural diversity in humanistic psychology as well as the need to get students involved and excited about humanistic psychology. As the CE chair, I have encouraged people from diverse cultural backgrounds to submit proposals to the Humanistic Psychotherapy Conference as well as Division 32’s programming at the APA conference. I am proud that this year’s conference will likely show a significant increase in diversity. I have also worked hard to recruit a strong student contingent to attend the conference as well as supporting various ways to provide opportunities for students to become more involved with the division. Hopefully, this year’s conference will involve significant interaction between students and leaders in the field, foster mentoring relationships, and build momentum to keep humanistic psychology strong and active in its voice. Last, I believe we need to provide opportunities for quality continuing education through the Humanistic Psychotherapies Conference, online continuing education, and supporting other training opportunities. As Chair of the CE committee, I have helped the division get re-established as an APA CE Provider and we are in process of seeking approval for offering online CE programs.

Therese Laferriere, Ed.D.
My interest in serving Division 32 is deeply rooted in values that I began living more fully back in the early seventies as I engaged in humanistic and behavioral studies (EdD). My quest to enhance formal learning environments has been an ongoing one, and inspired by humanistic psychologists, social psychologists, and the social perspective in cognitive science. For over ten years I have been researching on computer-supported collaborative learning, sharing the vision of interconnected learning communities with students, practitioners, and other researchers. Networked communities are
classroom-based but extend to communities of practice and knowledge-building communities. At the micro-level research entails discourse analysis, the one that occurs especially between peers as they are interacting over a problem. Meso-level research has to do with facilitation and group processes for networked communities to emerge, and develop. My working hypothesis is that onsite and online interaction combine to offer more flexible, authentic, and powerful learning environments. This may sounds paradoxical but I have plenty of exemplars to support this claim. Given the mandate to serve on the Committee on Education and Training Awards I will introduce some of the above ideas but in a sensitive and sensible manner.

Secretary

Frederick J. Wertz, Ph.D.
Division 32 is my home in APA—exactly what I am looking for in a professional association. My own passion is existential phenomenology, and I am a deeply committed humanist as a scholar, teacher and clinician. 32 is a like-minded group of visionaries, psychologists who understand and embrace all that is human, from our greatest moments of transcendence to our most horrifying moments of tragedy. This is the division concerned with human freedom, responsibility, spirituality, love, care for others and social justice. It is open to bold experimentation with new methods for inquiry and ways of making people well. If I were to be isolated on a desert island with a division of APA—I’d want Division 32. I am moved and honored that my feeling is mutual. I was membership chair 1985-1990, journal board member 1985-2002, member at large 1988-1991, guest editor of The Humanistic Psychologist in 1992, publications committee 1992-1995, president 1994-1995, and Secretary 2004-2008. I am thrilled to continue as secretary because the executive committee members are extraordinary people--intellectually brilliant, socially committed, and of good heart. I love to listen and share their words as precisely as possible with the membership and for the historical record. I aim for transparency--minutes that are informative and whenever possible, fun and inspiring. On the executive committee, I will also serve the division in every other way I can. I am Psychology Department chair Fordham University, fellows chair of APA division 24 (Theoretical and Philosophical), and editor of the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology.

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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: 
Fellows of Division 32

Information now available here for those who wish to nominate a Division 32 member for APA Fellow status.  Included here are criteria for election, an application form, a qualification checklist, instructions for endorsers, an evaluation form, an evaluation worksheet, a fellows manual, and a list of Division 32 Fellows.

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Division 32 Membership Directory now available here.

JOIN DIVISION 32! New Members will receive a 20% discount and a FREE BOOK!! See our Special Offer for New Members.

New Award for Early Career Contributions to Humanistic Psychology! Nominations being accepted. Click here for information.

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Division 32 has a Listserv!!!  Mary Fox is our administrator.  Members and invited guests may participate.  Here's how one joins our list:

Using the email account you want subscribed to the list, send an email addressed to: listserv@lists.apa.org Say nothing in the subject line of the email header. The body of the message should say only: subscribe DIV32

When you do that, you immediately get emails from APA and our Welcome Screen that gives lots of information about how to send mail, get off the list, etc. We are looking forward to joining you all in stimulating conversations about topics of interests to us as Humanistic Psychologists and students!!

The Directory of Graduate Schools in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology is now online at:
www.westga.edu/~psydept/humanisticdirectory

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Comments or questions about this site? Contact Brent Dean Robbins, Ph.D. bdeanrob@roadrunner.com