Four Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni present at APA Division 32 Annual Conference in Boulder, CO
The Society for Humanistic Psychology, Division 32 of the American Psychological Association, 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 Society for Humanistic Psychology seek 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. These contributions are often explored, developed and discussed during the society’s annual conference. (Website, Society for Humanistic Psychology)
This years‘ gathering of the Society of Humanistic Psychology community was held in Boulder, Colorado and hosted by Naropa University, the first Buddhist university in the United States. This year’s conference theme was titled, “Liberation through Wisdom and Love: Humanistic Psychology, Social Justice, and Contemplative Practice”. Four of Pacifica Graduate Institute alumni from the Depth Psychology program submitted proposals for the society’s 11th annual gathering and were accepted: Dr. Sherrie Sims Allen, Dr. Gina Belton, Dr. Marcy DeVeaux, and Dr. Lorraine Warren.
Dr. DeVeaux chaired the panel titled, “We May Never Have Another Wound Such as This: Three African American Women Revision Racism, Sexism and Genocide Seeking Healing through Love” with panelists, Dr. Allen and Dr. Warren. Dr. Gina Belton chaired the presentation titled, “Nuevas Teorias: Seeking Liberation in the Borderlands between Story and Stillness”. Dr. Belton was also an invited guest presenter on two other panels titled, “Intergenerational Trauma, Social Justice and Love: Existential tales of triumph through a African, Native and Jewish American lens” with Division 32 current president, Dr. Donna Rockwell and incoming president, Dr. Nathaniel Granger Jr., as well as a 13 scholar panel titled, “#UsToo: An Experiential Uniting through the Pain of America’s Rape Culture”.
A significant moment in the “#UsToo” panel occurred when the community of 13 feminist Scholars made an effort to lead a silent procession of participants from their experiential, to the presentation of their Sister Scholars, Dr.s Allen, DeVeaux, and Warren, in solidarity of their work and first presentation at the Society of Humanistic Psychology—the richness and authenticity of their presentation was met with a standing ovation.
