I am honored to be your new president for the coming year and shall do what I can to serve the needs of the organization.

As a prelude to this letter, I wish, on behalf of the Division, to extend our sympathy to all those who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina and especially those of New Orleans. As I write, my sympathy for the victims of this disaster wants to crowd out my thoughts about the APA Convention, but it is the latter to which I shall address, even so.

During the convention, my sense was that there were mainly two concerns in the Division, the first having to do with psychology proper and the second with the relation between psychology and the State. In terms of psychology itself, there was annoyance about the extent to which positive psychology has been taken up in America and elsewhere, in the absence of due recognition of humanistic psychology. Regarding the second issue, there was discussion about the position to be taken by APA on elements of a federal government's policy on national security that do not square with professional ethics. Large issues, both.

As I reflected at APA on the dramatic uptake of positive psychology, I was reminded of the novel, The Perfect Storm, about a monstrous storm resulting from intersection of three weather systems. Analogously, a perfect storm of positive psychology has resulted from the conjoining of three cultural forces: natural science as the regime of truth; a hunger for simple solutions in complex times; and the demand that psychological practices be accountable economically. Humanistic psychology has been left out of the picture by the promulgators of positive psychology because it is not seen as addressing these forces. There was much discussion about how the Division might respond to this neglect, fueled by concern that the goodness coming out of humanistic psychology is being absorbed, first in the domain of psychotherapy and now in positive psychology.

We could respond to this issue as follows. First, in terms of the regime of truth, it could be emphasized that the regime was ascribed to by Carl Rogers and his group; that it has always been the approach used by many researchers of experiential psychotherapies; and that it has been taken up in transpersonal psychological research as well. Also, on the qualitative research front, more work could be done to emphasize the complex relationships between epistemology and method to drive home the point that the qualitative research approach to enquiry should not be dismissed as non-empirical. A concerted effort could be made to emphasize that qualitative research in many forms and applied in many disciplines expresses the world-view of humanistic psychology: Up to now, by virtue of its history, there has been a tendency in the Division to emphasize the empirical phenomenological approach to the exclusion of other approaches. This tendency could be corrected to enhance the range of empirical research relevant to humanistic psychology. Second, in response to the hunger for simple solutions, a redoubled effort could be made to press upon mainstream psychology the existential message that life is complex, period. Third, to achieve accountability, an intensified effort could be directed toward altering the mistaken view that humanistic therapies are not evidence-based. The development and use of more sensitive ways, including qualitative research, of assessing the outcome of psychotherapy could be enhanced. Finally, an effort could be made to publish, on all three fronts, in widely read mainstream outlets.

As for the second issue, discussion at the convention and in the Division generally has focused on whether it is best to operate within or outside the profession when exerting pressure on APA to provide adequate ethical guidance for psychologists working in government services concerned with national security. Working within the profession provides a ready-made structure and checks and balances that guide one's approach, while working outside it makes for greater room to maneuver. My instinct tells me that it is best to work within the discipline. Regardless of the tactic used, one thing is sure: The relations among the individual member, the Division, and APA on this issue are complex, requiring sensitivity and good judgment at all levels. I am hopeful that these requirements will be met in the year ahead.

David Rennie

Ilene Serlin: Sketching is a wonderful way to practice observation skills. This corner in old Stockholm is particularly charming and historic, and conveys a sense of what it might have been like to live in Sweden in the 19th century. The buildings are solid and made of stone and wood, with fanciful exteriors. Summers are extraordinarily beautiful in Sweden, with the quality of light, flowers, sea, and colors. I am reminded of the summer I spent working in a Swedish psychiatric hospital, and rowing in antique sailboats with colleagues up the archipelago on Midsummer's Day, where it was light all night long, and we danced around the Maypole.     Letter from the Editor Thanks to Dr. Ilene Serlin for contributing her art and comments above. The activities of Division 32 members reinforce that the passion and courage for humanistic work are strong. Aided by the bio/psycho/social model and drawing on phenomenology, existentialism, philosophy, and other relevant fields, humanists help fortify diverse families, communities, and societies. Hope that you enjoy this issue as you too reach your goals by following your passion! Elli Winer

Letter from the Past President

First, I want to thank the board members for their support during my year as president, which was complicated by doing it all on sabbatical (and via email with very slow dial up) from Germany, Australia, Italy, and New Jersey. I very much enjoyed my role as "ambassador" of humanistic psychology, which resulted in various invitations to present talks in Mainz and Konstanz (Germany), Sydney (Australia), and Trento and Bari (Italy) on topics related to humanistic psychology and research. I felt proud to represent Division 32, and there was a high degree of respect for our work from colleagues in various disciplines abroad, including clinical and counseling psychologists, linguists, anthropologists, and philosophy departments. What I was most struck by was the admiration the folks from other countries had for our organization-- that we existed in the United States as an official division of the American Psychological Association. When I was abroad, saying "APA" or "Division 32" didn't immediately register upon listeners' ears. Thus, in saying slowly and out loud, "The Division of Humanistic Psychology of the American Psychological Association," each of those words began to have a certain depth for me that I hadn't "heard" before when speaking about APA to colleagues here in the states. So I found it a humbling experience and a proud one to be your representative both here and abroad.

That said, there are several "thank you's" that are due. I want to express once more a special thanks to my predecessor Art Lyons for his personal guidance especially in the early days of my presidency. Our visits together in Bethlehem were a nice way to kick off my year as president. During my months in Germany, I was in communication with David Rennie to plan ahead for the convention. David's conscientiousness in carrying out the challenging task of program chair was unparalleled for his attention to detail and his willingness to take on ever-greater responsibilities, including the Jourard Awards. Most important was David's care and extra effort in following through on one of my presidential initiatives: to increase our interaction with other divisions by creative cross-listing and co-sponsoring convention programs. The result was no less than six co-sponsored programs with Division 24, which effectively increased our substantive program hours by close to 50% (the Division is given 14 substantive and 7 non-substantive hours with which to work). Moreover, he arranged the program so that another one of my goals for the year, namely, an assessment of our relationship to the positive psychology movement, was nicely featured in our divisional and cross-divisional programming. Through these programs, and the sharing of our hospitality suite, my hopes for achieving a healthy degree of inter-divisional collegiality was fulfilled.

There were many board members who provided me with support, guidance, and inspiration throughout the year. David Cain wrote to me frequently and offered many insightful and important suggestions. I know that he will be a fine leader of the Division when his turn comes a year from now. Kathleen Wall once again shepherded our awards committee responsibilities in a timely and organized way, providing written guidelines that will help the Division in future years. She also put together an early career award program that will benefit the Division and the recipients in years to come. April Faidley worked with patience and kindness, keeping me on track while I was away. Christine Farber deserves special gratitude for pulling off one of the best hospitality suite arrangements I have seen, with help in the background from April Metzler. I would like to express a special warm thanks to Mark Stern for his abiding confidence in me and his sober advice on a number of issues throughout the year, and to Mike Arons--a very good friend and loyal comrade, both here and abroad!

Thanks to Tim Anderson for his tireless work as outgoing CEU chair, and for his willingness to help out even when his term was over. The CEU issue will require coordinated effort in the future if we are to succeed in attracting more people to Division 32 programs.

I am pleased to see our journal prosper under the guidance of editor-in-chief Larry Leitner. I also want to express a special thanks to Elli Winer, our newsletter editor; listserv manager Mary Fox; and to Will Wadlington, our webmaster, for all your hard work throughout the year.

Last, I represented the Division at the Education Directorate's Education Leadership Conference. The theme was diversity, and I consider it a triumph that APA now recognizes epistemological diversity along with cultural and organizational diversity as among its interests.

With that I will sign off and wish David Rennie a very prosperous year ahead as president of our fine division.

Scott Churchill

Chair: Scott Churchill, President. Attendees: Larry Leitner, Will Wadlington, Kathleen Wall, Harris Friedman, Sara Bridges, David Cain, Maureen O'Hara, Mike Arons, April Metzler, Fred Massarik, David Rennie, Virginia Stern, Mark Stern, Art Lyons, Marsha Hammond, Fred Wertz, Louise Sundararajan, Connie Fischer, Art Bohart.

Secretary's Report. April Faidley.

The minutes of the midwinter meeting were approved. April made CDs containing the Handbook and the Bylaws available. She explained that three sections of the Bylaws had been revised: Secretary, Program Chair, and Hospitality Suite Chair. April moved that the Division request Kathleen Wall and David Cain review the Membership and Awards sections of the Handbook to incorporate recent developments in these areas and submit revisions to the secretary by October 15; that the secretary incorporate these revisions and distribute them to the board by Nov. 30; and that the board consider the revisions for approval at the midwinter meeting. The motion was amended to request that Will Wadlington review the Program Chair section. The motion was seconded and approved.

Elections. Scott Churchill, Art Lyons.

Scott acknowledged the retiring board members for their service to the Division: April Faidley, Secretary; Mark Stern and Louise Sundararajan, Members-at-Large. Art Lyons introduced the new board members: David Cain, President-Elect; Frank Farley, Runner-up Presidential Candidate; Kathleen Wall and April Metzler, Members-at-Large; Fred Wertz, Secretary.

Convention Program. David Rennie.

Website. Will Wadlington, David Cain.

David made suggestions for website improvements. Will and David will continue to dialogue about that. Will solicited ideas from other members also; please send him news or links. Visual enhancements for the website are under consideration.

Fellows. Maureen O'Hara.

Three fellows are giving presentations at the convention: Scott Churchill, Harris Friedman, and David Lukoff. There were no new applications this year. All board members are encouraged to be thinking of nominees for the future.

Awards. Kathleen Wall.

Nominations for the 2007 awards will be due Nov. 1, by email, to Kathleen. Nominations should include a brief paragraph about the individuals' accomplishments and their contact information. Kathleen emphasized the importance of providing her with the contact information. The Early Career Contribution Awards will begin this year. The nominations will probably be sent to Mark Stern. These require much more background information, as listed in Kathleen's report. Mark Stern, Connie Fischer, and Scott Churchill, all past presidents, will be vetting these nominations and bringing a slate to the midwinter meeting. We have already received one nomination. Mark Stern suggested that this award be called the Carmi Harari Award. This suggestion will be taken up at the next meeting.

Council Report. Art Lyons.

Art presented highlights of Council business. He thought it of interest that on the 2006 apportionment ballot, we were 33rd of 55 divisions, and of the divisions receiving individuals' entire 10 votes, we were 24th. APA is still rebounding from a 2002 deficit. Surpluses are projected for 2007 and 2008. APA just received a million-dollar annual tax abatement on the APA properties from Washington, D.C., contingent on the convention being held in Washington, D.C., every third year. This announcement was met with several comments of disagreement. Dues will go up to $261 per year, up $8.

The APA President-Elect has stated there is no evidence that any APA psychologist has violated ethical provisions in regard to the questioning of prisoners. Two have been identified as having risked their jobs to report some actions about which they were concerned. Discussion ensued. Mark Stern suggested that we, as a division,prepare a strong statement against psychologists consulting in the interrogation process and in favor of enforcement provisions against psychologists involved in promoting torture. Scott Churchill noted that small divisions can act as the conscience for the larger organization. Art Lyons noted that APA is preparing additional action, but this will not actually come up until September. He added that, to date, there have been no allegations against any APA psychologists. Several members made comments questioning whether or not APA will make a strong, influential public statement. Art noted that APA has issued a statement that had strong comments in it, but they were lost in the larger wordiness of the report. There was discussion around a proposal that a task force be formed immediately to examine what APA is doing and present a strong and concise statement to the membership at the Business Meeting. Some were in favor of such quick action, and others were concerned that the work of the task force would be compromised if completed in such a short time. David Rennie moved that a task force be appointed to write a statement and distribute it to the Executive Board electronically; that the board members respond with approval or disapproval; and that, when approved by the board, the document be widely distributed. There was an amendment that the task force read what APA has put out and explain how its statement is different. The motion and amendment were seconded. The motion passed on a vote of three in favor, two opposed, and two abstentions.

The task force will be composed of Mike Arons, Art Lyons, David Cain, Marsha Hammond, Scott Churchill, and Harris Friedman.

Journal. Larry Leitner.

The journal is on deadline for 2006, No. 1, and the action letters are also caught up. Larry tendered his resignation from the editorship effective when the last issue of 2006 goes to press. Although the journal editorship is typically a six-year tenure, Larry noted that when he leaves the position, he will have put out seven years of issues during his time as Div. 32 president and journal editor.

Due to the late hour, the remainder of the agenda items was postponed until the Business Meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

April Faidley, Secretary

Incoming Board Meeting

Washington, D.C., Aug. 18, 2005

Chair: David Rennie. Board members: Scott Churchill, Virginia Stern, Kathleen Wall, Harris Friedman, David Cain, Sara Bridges, Arthur Lyons, April Metzler, David Rennie, Maureen O'Hara, Fred Wertz. Appointed chairs and guests: Mike Arons, Arthur Bohart, Fred Massarik, Will Wadlington, Larry Leitner, Constance Fischer, Mark Stern, Marsha Hammond.

Scott Churchill, 2004-2005 Division 32 president, turned the meeting over to the president-elect, David Rennie, understanding that the late hour (10:30 PM) would require an abbreviated meeting.

President-Elect Statement.

David Rennie stated his openness to input from the Executive Board and from the membership throughout his term as president.

Midwinter Meeting.

The place of the midwinter meeting was discussed. Toronto and San Diego were suggested for the last week in January or early February. The meeting would start Friday evening, running through Saturday, and attendees would return home on Sunday.

Agenda Items Postponed, Meeting Closed.

The meeting was closed and the following three agenda items were postponed until the Business Meeting: 2006 Convention Program and Hospitality Suite; Council for Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychologies; and Litigation Support.

Chairs: Scott Churchill, David Rennie

Certificates of Appreciation.

Scott Churchill graciously thanked the board members and committee chairs whose tenure came to an end and commended them on their excellent service and contributions to the Division. Certificates of appreciation were awarded to Mark Stern (Member at Large), Louise Sundararajan (Member at Large), Christine Farber (Hospitality Suite Chair), and April Faidley (Secretary).

Ritual: Passing of the Oilcan.

Scott Churchill was impressed by the tarnished character of the oilcan, which symbolizes the hard work of many distinguished past presidents on behalf of the Division. As Scott literally placed the oilcan in David's hands, laughter resounded from the membership at the clear implication that the future of the Division of Humanistic Psychology was being placed in David Rennie's hands. David likened the oilcan to the Stanley Cup and the kind of proprietorship it requires of the winning team. He stated that it was an honor to serve as president and that the oilcan was a wonderful symbol. David pledged to do his best. Scott informed the membership that David Rennie has been actively involved in the Division's governance over the last year, making valuable contributions to the Division. Scott expressed confidence in David's leadership.

Council Representative.

Art Lyons, Council Representative, told membership that his report of the Council will be posted on the listserv and in the newsletter.

Continuing Education.

David Rennie indicated that presidential responsibility requires helpfully shepherding proposals for new programs. Publicity for and attendance of continuing education programs sponsored by the Division will be achieved, but they require preparation and hard work in the proposal process, which is an excellent vehicle for dissemination.

Fred Massarik.

Fred noted that during the past year, he learned good and bitter lessons about money and humanistic psychology. There has been a two-year divisional effort with modest goals, which were met (a couple of thousand dollars), and yet the experience showed that we are not a good group for fundraising. The new point Fred made was that humanistic psychology must go beyond the heart and mind and learn that money is required to spread the word to make the kind of impact necessary. He requested formal approval of the following:

1. Supplemental funding beyond membership dues is needed. Fundraising should continue in the upcoming period of 2005-2007.

2. The Division needs a structure for fundraising.

3. Joint ventures with other organizations should be considered to share fundraising efforts.

4. The Division's governance group needs to commit itself to development.

5. The Division should target 4 categories of giving, ranging from immediate gifts of modest money donations (alpha), pledges (beta), extraordinary amounts (delta), and finally gifts specified by donors (gamma).

6. A committee of 3-5 committee members is needed, certainly more than one person. At the urging of governance and membership, Fred agreed to chair this committee to get it off the ground.

7. Seed money from the Division's budget should be dedicated to fundraising.

8. Potential donors who share humanistic values in foundations should be identified.

Publications.

The journal is on schedule. Larry Leitner will continue 2005-2006 but wishes to be replaced after that, a year short of his 6-year term.

Interest Areas.

The Division's five sections were changed to interest areas because formally established APA Division sections require membership, governance, annual reports and other reportable formalities. The Division is open to this requirement but until organization along those lines takes place, these will remain interest areas. There is interest in a new area of disabilities in addition to established areas of transpersonal, constructivist, therapy, the arts, and human science.

Division Relationship with Directorates.

During his term as president, Scott went to Washington and established coalitions with other small divisions for nominating members to directorate positions. APA has suspended the liaison program. Scott has been invited to attend a leadership conference on diversity in September, sponsored by APA, that includes epistemological diversity. Scott will attend the conference, funded by APA with no cost to the Division. Scott emphasized that the Division needs to take a more active role in directorates and will inquire as to opportunities for participation by divisions. We want to have a voice at the national level. Scott pledged to remain engaged on the behalf of Div. 32 in moving the Division toward more involvement in the Science, Public Interest, Practice, and Education Directorates. Frank Farley echoed optimism that Div. 32 could be a major force in APA and cited the presidencies of Rogers and Maslow among other humanists.

David Rennie.

President David Rennie remarked that the low attendance at the Business Meeting appeared inauspicious in terms of governance. Regarding the midwinter meeting, dates and location will be settled in a month, and an agenda will be distributed. David stressed his intention to reach out to members of the Division and reported actively working on a presidential mission that he will share in the days to come. He pledged to work hard and carry on the Division's great tradition.

New Business.

Suggestion from the floor: Nick Cummings (Destructive Trends in Mental Health) has criticized APA for making statements to the public that confuse science and values. APA's humanistic division could contribute to the organization's effort to interrelate values and science. Communication to APA's central office should take place. The long-standing attention to ethics of Div. 32 can contribute to APA and its stand on this important issue. There was discussion of the role of science in society in connection with the APA's public stands on issues without compelling scientific evidence. Others chimed in with the view that APA's Council of Representatives has at times been enthusiastic in asserting and voting on positions that lack scientific credibility, such as the nonexistence of post-abortion trauma. There appeared to be broad consensus that the Division could and should play the role of watchdog and conscience of APA in the area of its value stances in the public arena.

Respectfully submitted,

Fred Wertz, Secretary

Council Report

The Council of Representatives (COR) met concurrently with the convention of APA in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 16, 17, and 21. I will share some of the highlights from these three days of meetings. As always, if you would like further information or would like to offer input on any of these matters, please contact me at lyonsa@moravian.edu.

Here is an update on some of the financial aspects of our organization.

• APA projects a sound financial picture for the near future with an approximately $100 million a year budget. For 2004, at the end of the fiscal year APA achieved a $3.5 million surplus, which allowed the organization to make a one-time licensing revenue adjustment of -$4.5 million, resulting in a $1 million deficit for 2004. For 2005 and 2006, the organization projects a .5 million-dollar surplus. This surplus is projected to grow to $1.4 million for 2007 and $4.2 million for 2008.
• Some highlights of the 2006 budget include allocating $325,000 for a NPR radio campaign advertising psychology, a $1,000,000 public education campaign (both consistent with one of Ron Levant's presidential initiatives, Making Psychology a Household Word), and $350,000 for academic advancement.
• APA now has over $120,000,000 in equity in its two commercial buildings in Washington, D.C.
• APA negotiated a $1,000,000 annual tax abatement with Washington, D.C. As part of this agreement, APA has agreed to hold our annual convention in Washington, D.C., every third year.
• Basic dues will be going up $8.00 to $261.00 for standard membership. Incidentally, our dues make up only 14% of the annual revenue that APA generates annually.

COR voted to distribute a report that suggests a possible change in licensure in psychology for possible action by COR at its meeting in February 2006. The change relates to the two years of supervised experience, which could be completed prior to or subsequent to the granting of the doctoral degree.

The report of the task force on psychological ethics and national security (text available on the APA website) generated a good deal of discussion. It was amended on the floor by Council to strengthen the stand against psychologists being involved in any way with acts of torture. There were also a number of specific suggestions for strengthening our ethics codes and making APA's stance on these matters explicit. The ethics committee at its meetings in September will consider these suggestions. The task force has completed its work, but this issue is far from resolved. The task force acknowledged that this report was just the start of a process. APA welcomes our continued input on these issues. Gerald Koocher, the President-Elect, announced that there is no evidence to date of any APA psychologist violating ethical provisions with respect to these situations. He also reported that there is evidence of two psychologists behaving in a pro-social fashion to stop the abuses. This does not reduce the seriousness of our concerns about these issues but is important to share because his statement is counter to many of the news reports that we have all heard.

The report of the task force on promoting healthcare (text available on the APA website) for the whole person was unanimously adopted. This report strongly endorses a bio/psycho/social model. It has been endorsed by 24 other healthcare and health provider organizations.

The report of the task force on evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP) (text available on the APA website) was presented. EBPP was defined as "the integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences." It passed unanimously.

COR adopted as APA policy a resolution recommending the immediate retirement of American Indian mascots, symbols, images, and personalities by schools, colleges, universities, athletic teams, and organizations. COR also adopted as APA policy a resolution on anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish prejudice.

The dates for the winter meeting are February 17-19, 2006.

Art Lyons

Council Representative

Recruitment: Incentive Program For Members
David J. Cain, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
Membership Chair

Dear Division 32 Members:

In a concerted effort to bring our membership from approximately 800 to 1000 in the next year, the Membership Committee would like to enlist your help and offer incentives for your assistance. A number of Executive Board members and general members have generously agreed to offer unique memorabilia, including humanistic classics and signed contemporary books as gifts for your efforts to increase membership.

The program works as follows: For every two confirmed membership sign-ups, the recruiting member may choose from a number of gifts. Contact me at david4@fda.net for a complete list of the available gifts.

Download the Division 32 membership form from our website at www.apa.org/divisions/div32 or contact me directly at david4@fda.net to obtain brochures for distribution. The membership form is also included in your newsletter. The Membership Committee is always looking for donations of your own signed titles, noteworthy classics, and humanistic psychology artifacts. Gifts are tax deductible.

First-Year Discount For New Members Of Division 32 from the World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling (WAPCEPC): Membership includes a subscription to the WAPCEPC journal: Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies. Members of the WAPCEPC are also entitled to a reduction on the biennial PCE conference fee and will receive a regular newsletter. The dues for this introductory membership are Euro 40.00 for individual members, and Euro 28.00 for students or residents of World Bank countries category B, C or D. Visit the website www.pce-world.org for further details about the World Association, the journal, and membership.