William James Jones, Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology 2017
We at the Alumni Association want to extend hearty congratulations to Dr. Jones for his new teaching duties at Azusa Pacific University and the recent publication of his extraordinary article, “The Lives of Douglass, Du Bois, and Washington: Self-Actualization Among African American Males” published November 8, 2017 in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, and based on his dissertation. Read the article here: http://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/9ZrYi5X8KC3hVJbyB8hW/full
In addition to continuing his busy private practice at the nonprofit La Vie counseling center near Los Angeles, where he treats Individuals, couples, college and graduate students, and teenagers (ages 15-19), Dr. Jones will bring his insights and talents to psychology students at Azusa Pacific University in the spring of 2018 when he begins teaching two sections on Writing. This new teaching trajectory combines three of his passions: psychology, teaching, and writing.
Before all of this, however, Dr. Jones searched for a career to answer his calling and became a student, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Biola University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. Then he found his way to Pacifica Graduate Institute.
“It all began with a random conversation I had with a Pacifica alumnus that set my new journey into motion,” Dr. Jones says. “At the time, I was the graduate assistant at another university and was assisting a professor . . . . [who]was a graduate of Pacifica’s Ph.D. program in clinical psychology.” Curious about Pacifica, Dr. Jones inquired about the professor’s experience there, then attended a one-day Introduction to Pacifica. And that was it; he “immediately felt a tug in my soul that simply meant; I was home.”
During and after his time as a student, Dr. Jones thrived, winning the American Psychological Association’s Division 39 Multicultural Scholar Award, serving as President of the Psi Chi International Honor Society at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology from 2010-2011, and guest lecturing at Pepperdine on cross cultural paradigms for analytic psychotherapy. He recently co-presented original research at the Sixth Annual Conference for the Society of Humanistic Psychology.
After completing his dissertation at Pacifica, Dr. Jones completed four years of training in psychoanalytically oriented therapy at Rose City Counseling Center as well as a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Occidental College. He became a member of both the American Psychological Association (APA) and the APA Division of Psychoanalysis. Dr. Jones is a Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator. His work at La Vie Counseling includes the following areas of clinical interest: existential struggles, relationship issues, career coaching, phase of life challenges, faith-based/spirituality challenges, depression, anxiety, couples therapy, and processes toward self-actualization.
“Living one’s best life now,” Dr. Jones says, “is at the heart of my […] research, my publishing, and my clinical work.” Abundant blessings on your continuing journey, Dr. Jones!
