What Does it Mean to be Human? Saybrook University by Judith Kolva

S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y G R A D U AT E E D U C AT I O N F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U RY

J U D I T H K O LVA , P H . D. , S AY B R O O K A L U M N A 2 0 0 4

What Does It Mean

to be Human?

ÂŠ2011Saybrook University. All rights reserved. No part of What Does It Mean To Be Human? may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from Saybrook University. Saybrook University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). It is also authorized by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree Authorization Act. T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y V I S I T W W W. S AY B R O O K . E D U

Writer and Editor: Judith Kolva, Ph.D. 2004 Saybrook alumna Founder/CEO, Memoir Shoppe www.memoirshoppe.com Graphic Design and Layout: Kelly Macy Owner/Creative Director, Kelly Macy Creative www.kellymacy.com Photographs courtesy of Saybrook University New Directions II: Envisioning Our Future By Examining Our Past ii

What Does It Mean

to be Human?

S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y G R A D U AT E E D U C AT I O N F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U RY

J U D I T H K O LVA , P H . D. ,

S AY B R O O K A L U M N A 2 0 0 4

TO PURPOSEFUL LIVES O N E D O E S N O T B E C O M E F U L LY H U M A N PA I N L E S S LY. ~ R O L L O M AY ( 1 9 0 9 - 1 9 9 4 )

CONTRIBUTORS

A H E A R T F E LT T H A N K YO U T O . . .

G E O R G E A I K E N, P H . D.

J A M E S S. G O R D O N, M . D.

Director of Alumni Relations, Saybrook University

Dean, Graduate College of Mind-Body Medicine, Saybrook University

A R T B O H A R T, P H . D.

T E R R I G O S L I N - J O N E S, P H . D.

Professor, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University

Alumna, Saybrook University, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies

L O R N E B U C H M A N, P H . D.

J U DY H E I N R I C H , P H . D.

Former President, Saybrook University

Former Dean, LIOS Graduate College of Saybrook University

K AT H I A C A S T R O L A S Z L O, P H . D.

D E N N I S J A F F E , P H . D.

Alumna, Saybrook University, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies

Professor, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University

D O R E E N C AT O, P H . D.

PA M J O H N S O N, P H . D.

Alumna, LIOS Graduate College of Saybrook University, Executive Director First Place, Seattle, WA

Retired LIOS Faculty; Board ofTrustees, Saybrook University S TA N L E Y K R I P P N E R , P H . D.

Founder, Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS)

Professor, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University

E L E A N O R C R I S W E L L , P H . D.

D A N L E A H Y, M . A .

Founder, Humanistic Psychology Institute, now Saybrook University

Faculty, LIOS Graduate College of Saybrook University

S H E L L E Y D R O G I N, P H . D.

J O A N N M C A L L I S T E R , P H . D.

President, LIOS Graduate College of Saybrook University

Chair, Human Science Degree Program, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University

B O B C R O S B Y, P H . D.

J E F F M C AU L I F F E , M . A .

K I R K S C H N E I D E R , P H . D.

Faculty, LIOS Graduate College of Saybrook University

Adjunct Faculty, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University, Editor in Chief, Journal of Humanistic Psychology

D O N A L D M O S S, P H . D.

Chair, Graduate College of Mind-Body Medicine Saybrook University

M A R K S C H U L M A N, P H . D. S A R A N I E D, M A L M H C A

Alumna, LIOS Graduate College of Saybrook University

President, Saybrook University A N G E L I N E S I E G E L , P H . D.

J U D I T H P E R K I N S, P H . D.

Alumna, Saybrook University, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies

Alumna, Saybrook University, Graduate College of Mind-Body Medicine E U G E N E TAY L O R , P H . D.

S T E V E N P R I T Z K E R , P H . D.

Professor, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University

R U T H R I C H A R D S, P H . D.

Professor, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University A L I S O N S H A P I R O, M B A

Former Chair, Board of Trustees, Saybrook University N A N C Y S O U T H E R N, E D. D.

Chair, Organizational Systems Program, Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, Saybrook University

vii

viii

PRESIDENT’S REMARKS

I’m pleased to introduce you to our Fortieth Anniversary publication,What

This is our quadrigennial account and it satisfies our curiosity about this

Does It Mean To Be Human? In these pages, you’ll discover the story

place for the four decades until now. There is, however, one aspect about

of our unique and sublime University, Saybrook (nee the Humanistic

which I am left hungry. And that is to follow our wonderful institution

Psychology Institute ... but that’s part of the story).

into its still-forming future.

My suggestion is that you jump right into this rich and robust tale of how

Please enjoy the repast for our fortieth year and know that you are invited

we began, how we grew, and how we reinvented ourselves. Even for those

for an even more sumptuous feast for the golden anniversary. In our fif-

of you who fancy yourselves Saybrook historians there will be informa-

tieth year, we’ll recount the additional decade through which we’ll have

tion in these pages that will lead you to say “Well, I didn’t know that....”

thrived, continuing our quest to be known as the premier place where

And for those of you coming fresh to this narrative, fasten your seatbelts,

we ask what it means to be a human being, and striving to live the core

because you’re in for a wild and invigorating ride.

principles and values so eloquently itemized in the chapters that follow.

Thank you to all my colleagues who provided the accounts which our skillful personal historian and memoirist Judith Kolva wove together for this tapestry – and, of course, thank you to Judith for her talents in the weaving. There are, to be sure, elements of the story not reported in this book, for we would have thousands of pages more if we tried to be comprehensive. But I believe we “got it” in this book even if we had to leave things out. That is to say, to grasp the essence of Saybrook University, in its current form and chronologically throughout its development, you need only start turning the pages. I assure you that, if you hunger for more, our faculty, staff, students, alumni/ae, trustees, and friends will be more than happy to replenish the food for thought.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

PROLOGUE

FOREWORD

S TO R I E S C H A N G E T H E W O R L D

CHAPTER ONE

IN THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER TWO

C L E V E R . S M A R T. C R E AT I V E .

CHAPTER THREE

I N N E R S PA R K

CHAPTER FOUR

F E I S T Y, Y E A S T Y C O M M U N I T Y

CHAPTER FIVE

SPECIAL

CHAPTER SIX

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

CHAPTER SEVEN

THREE

CHAPTER EIGHT

VISION

HOPES DREAMS

CHAPTER NINE

BETWEEN THE LINES

109

Value (văl’yōō) n. v. –ued, u·ing, -ues origin: 1275–1325; Middle English < Old French, noun use of feminine past participle (compare valuta) of valoir < Latin valēre 1. to hold in high regard Webster’s II reminds us the etymology of the word values traces back to 1275 AD. Fast forward 736 years, through eight centuries, to May 2011 . . . The location is the gracious, high-ceilinged Claremont Hotel, set high in the hills of Berkeley, California; views of the San Francisco Bay are stunning; power of place opens hearts.

Here, in this specifically selected setting, Saybrook University’s Board of Trustees met to finalize a document it holds in high regard—a document that embodies Saybrook University’s soul—a document that guides Saybrook University to its next level of excellence.

xii

PROLOGUE

The document reads: A PROMISE

S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y C O R E P R I N C I P L E S A N D VA L U E S 1. W e value life and embrace our

6. W e approach what we do with a

responsibility to facilitate the

systems, or holistic, perspective

potential of every living being to

based on a belief in the inherent

thrive in a just, inclusive, healthy

interconnection of all things.

and sustainable world. 2. W e are scholar-practitioners who

7. W e create relationships and communities built on compassion,

seek and apply knowledge to

respect, authentic voice, deep

solve problems and foster social

listening, reflective awareness,

transformation.

support and challenge leading to

3. W e live and conduct our affairs with integrity. We hold ourselves

Moving the core principles and values from first iteration through adoption was grueling work. Thus, in the spirit of the tenth value, it is time to celebrate. It is not, though, time to sit back and rest on laurels. In the spirit of the third value, it is time to follow-up with integrity; it is time to honor the commitment to breathe life into words recorded on a piece of paper. And, in the spirit of the sixth value, it is time to accept and appreciate the synergy of three Colleges united as one University.

responsible action. 8. W e are creative, risk-taking leaders

S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S R E S P E C T E D L E A D E R , D R . M A R K S C H U L M A N,

accountable for honoring

who challenge assumptions and

PROMISES:

commitments to ourselves and to

imagine new possibilities.

Our values are not the usual verbiage. They distinguish us—differentiate us. Our values are built on

one another, to Saybrook University, and to the constituencies and communities within which we live and work, including the natural world. 4. W e insist upon operational and academic rigor in order to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students. 5. W e seek diversity because we

9. W e recognize that dynamic tensions and fundamental paradoxes are essential aspects of being human,

our forty year legacy of humanistic tradition. Yet, they are not fixed in the past. They are dynamic. They will guide us as we expand and strengthen our new multidisciplinary University.

and we commit to find ways to work

In many instances, values are filed away or posted on a wall, and people ignore them. But words

with them productively.

alone are not enough. Values should never reside on a piece of paper. Words on paper are not values;

10. W e celebrate life, striving to bring

they are descriptions. Values are an embodied art that we, as a community, will actualize.

fun and joy to our individual and

From the Board, through me, to the senior administrators, to the staff, to the faculty, to the stu-

collective existence.

dents, our daily actions will be held accountable to our values. After all, our story—past, present, and future—would not be our story without our values.

recognize that there are many ways of knowing and there are inherent strengths in multiple perspectives.

FOREWORD

STORIES CHANGE THE WORLD W E VA L U E L I F E A N D E M B R A C E O U R R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y T O FA C I L I TAT E T H E P O T E N T I A L O F E V E RY L I V I N G B E I N G T O T H R I V E I N A J U S T, I N C L U S I V E , H E A LT H Y A N D S U S TA I N A B L E W O R L D.

Stories change the world. And Saybrook has a story to tell. It is an open,

It will elucidate how and why, from its singular past, through its exciting

unfolding story of what it means to be human. It is a rich, creative story.

present, into its future of innovation and growth, Saybrook University’s

It is a story about where the Humanistic Psychology Institute started,

faculty, students, and alumni are rigorous scholars and accomplished

what Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center grew to be, and

practitioners, willing and able to experiment with new forms of learning

what Saybrook University will become.

and new content for the new century.

It is a story that does not get told as often, or as frequently, or as

It will, as stories do, change the world . . .

thoroughly as it should. Yet, it is an important story—a story that preserves Saybrook’s legacy of creativity, energy, rigor, tenacity, verve . . . in a word its humanity. Now, on the momentous occasion of Saybrook University’s quadrigennial celebration, the story will be told. And as the story is heard, it will open humankind to new ways of thinking—new possibilities for being. It will create new stories—stories about humans who expand their thinking and actions far beyond what many, perhaps most, do not—cannot— even imagine. 3

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It came to me we needed to create an institution where it was possible to study humanistic psychology.â&#x20AC;?

CHAPTER

IN THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER

IN THE BEGINNING

W E R E C O G N I Z E T H AT DY N A M I C T E N S I O N S A N D F U N D A M E N TA L PA R A D O X E S A R E E S S E N T I A L A S P E C T S O F B E I N G H U M A N A N D W E C O M M I T T O F I N D W AYS T O W O R K W I T H T H E M P R O D U C T I V E LY

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

What does it mean to be human? The question is not new. It traces back through time immemorial to different civilizations, different cultures, different faiths, even different disciplines. By the late 1950s, a small, but rigorous, group of social scientists grappled with the question from a fresh—a humanistic—perspective: there is more to human life than can be measured in numbers.

that Abraham Maslow and Anthony Sutich coined the term humanistic psychology because they needed a name for the new journal Dr. Sutich planned to edit. And, indeed, the first issue of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology was published in 1961. In 1962, what was then called the “American Association of Humanistic Psychology” (AAHP) was founded. James Bugental was its first President. Eugene Taylor reports, AAHP “was a collection of some several hundred psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, anthropologists, psy-

As often happens, likes attracted likes; like-minded, like-spirited

chiatrists, educators, and social critics, who had announced themselves as

colleagues connected.

profoundly dissatisfied with the strangle-hold that behaviorism and psychoanalysis had on psychology and who were the principal subscribers to

HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY

the also newly founded Journal of Humanistic Psychology.”1

Saybrook’s Emeritus Professor James Bugental (1915-2008) recalled

During the fall of 1962, AAHP held its first meeting in Philadelphia.

CHAPTER ONE

Appropriately, the agenda was a list of start-up details. Probably the most

Participant List as of November 3, 1964

far-reaching outcome was to appoint a committee called “Theory for Humanistic Psychology.” Robert Knapp, of Wesleyan University, was its

From Collected Papers of Gordon Willard Allport,

chair.

By permission of the Harvard University Archives.

This was only the beginning of what was to become a different way to

Allport, Gordon

Harvard University

Barzun, Jacques

Columbia University

Bennis, Warren

MIT

Bugental, J. F. T.

Psychological Services Associates, Los Angeles

Buhler, Charlotte B.

Univ. of Southern California Medical School

Butterfield, Victor

Wesleyan University

DuBos, Rene

Rockefeller Institute

Kelly, George

Ohio State University

Knapp, R. H.

Wesleyan University

Lasko, A. A.

Psychological Service Associates, Los Angeles

MacLeod, Robert

Cornell Univ.

held an invitational conference. The conference, popularly known as “Old

Maslow, A.H.

Brandies University

Saybrook,” shaped the character—the future—of humanistic psychology.

Matson, Floyd

University of California, Berkeley

May, Rollo

New York City

McClelland, D. C.

Harvard University

teach and learn—a distinct way to study just what does it mean to be human?

O L D S AY B R O O K

Old Saybrook, Connecticut is a charming seaside town, with a history dating back to 1635. It sits at the mouth of the Connecticut River, where the mighty river meets Long Island Sound. The familiar Outer Breakwater Lighthouse guards the river’s mouth. It is a town defined by water. Picturesque. It was here, in November of 1964, alternating between the Saybrook Inn and the Wesleyan University Campus, that the newly founded AAHP

Old Saybrook’s participant2 list included ancestors inscribed, indelibly, on the lineage roster of what, eventually, became Saybrook University:

Moustakas, Clark E. Birmingham, Michigan

Murphy, Gardner

Menninger Foundation

Murray, H. A.

Harvard University

Rogers, Carl

Western Behavioral Sciences Institute

Sarbin, T. R.

University of California, Berkeley

Shoben, E. J.

Columbia University

Tratch, Roman

State Univ. College, Oswego, NY

White, R. W.

Harvard University

K U R T S C H N E I D E R S AYS :

H I S V E R B AT I M N O T E S R E A D 3 . . .

By the close of the conference, these humanistically oriented pioneers

Readers may find interest in some of my personal notes jotted down during the discussions at Old Saybrook. . . . They are very fragmentary, and I am not always sure who said what or which grew out of my own subconscious. So with full bows to all—

declared humanistic psychology to be the Third Force in psychology. They agreed it must be investigated with academic rigor; they recognized, if their intentions evolved, psychologists could offer a fuller concept and experience of what it means to be human.

including those from whom I may be half-wittingly plagiarizing— here are some of the thoughts that came into focus for me. •

Humanistic

psychology

centering

experience—Behavior is a by-product . . . one must make at least an “as if” assumption of choice—Can

IN THE BEGINNING

James Bugental recorded his takeaways from Old Saybrook.

SOUL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY

Five years later, 3,000 miles west of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, the Third Force in psychology gained momentum. E L E A N O R C R I S W E L L T E L L S T H E S T O RY:

the scientific functions of a humanistic psychologist

I graduated from the University of Florida in 1969, with a doctorate in

be set forth?

psychology. Because I was from California, I returned to the Bay Area and, quite frankly, needed a job. So I called John Levy, who was the

•

description of experience: The first and primary task

executive director of what was now called the “Association of Humanistic

of science; no problem here.

Psychologists” (AHP), and said, “Help! Where does a humanistic psy-

developing a glossary which permits one person’s

chologist get a job around here?”

description to be meaningful to another’s experience;

John told me California State University, Sonoma had a humanistic psy-

this is humanistic experience-centered prediction;

chology department. So I applied and was hired. Then I told John I

Rollo May does this so well.

wanted to volunteer for AHP. I didn’t care what I did; I just wanted to

helping the individual person to have a greater measure of awareness and, therefore, control of his own experience; this is the key point; not control of others or by others; rather, self-modulation. Revising our concepts of causality with much help from Matson.—Complementarity

and

powerful tools to open up possibility.

indeterminacy,

help. So John created a title for me—I was the “Liaison Officer,” and my job was to encourage people to become members of AHP. I soon discovered there was not a single school, at the doctoral level, that offered a degree in humanistic psychology. Basically, students were educated at an institution that had a traditional psychology program and then followed their hearts to, somehow, learn principles of humanistic psychology. It came to me we needed to create an institution where it was possible to study humanistic psychology. So I talked to John, and he said, “Write a proposal. We’ll present it to the AHP Board, and see what happens.”

CHAPTER ONE

So, I wrote the proposal. We presented it at the February 1970 Board

For an entire year, Art moved mountains to get the proposal reviewed and

meeting. It was approved unanimously, and the Board gave me the okay

modified by campus committees. One of the major challenges was to get

to actualize my idea. Now what?!

$50,000 in financial backing. In the 70s that was a lot of money, but we

Initially, I tried to create classes and activities at existing institutions. That

found people who believed in our mission—people who were inspired

wasn’t practical, so I decided because I was already teaching at Sonoma State I would use the resources at hand and talked with Art Warmoth in

and wanted to help. So, with money in hand, in 1971, HPI separated from Sonoma State and was approved to offer a M.A. in humanistic psy-

the psychology department.

chology. In 1972, a Ph.D. program was added.

Art supported my idea. My next step was to approach the Extension

About 1983, under Donald Polkinghorne’s administration, we were

Division at Sonoma State. Naturally, there was the proverbial red tape, but eventually the Extension Division and Sonoma State’s psychology department agreed to co-sponsor an open-enrollment, non-degree, one year graduate extension program and call it the “Humanistic Psychology

accredited and renamed Saybrook Institute—a name that reflects our dedication to the Old Saybrook conference and the pioneers of humanistic psychology. Then, in the late 90s, under Maureen O’Hara’s administration, the name changed to Saybrook Graduate School and

Institute” (HPI).

Research Center.

We became a heartfelt learning community with incredibly fine students

I’m proud to tell you that in 2009, we became Saybrook University—a

from all over the country who went on to do wonderful things. Well,

University that still embodies the soul of humanistic psychology.

a number of students wanted a Master’s Degree. So I approached the External Degree Commission of the State of California College and

FERVOR

University System. My idea was that HPI could cooperate on an external

Although the counterculture wave of the ‘60s and ‘70s and the prin-

degree, M.A. program in humanistic psychology. Of course, we had to

ciples of humanistic psychology were not one and the same, they were

develop a proposal.

compatible, even friendly: the mood of the times was a potent potion

Our mission reflected (and still reflects!) the soul of humanistic

of energy, freedom, creativity, self-actualization, and empowerment—the

psychology. As humanistic psychologists we

very fervor embedded in the DNA of new humanistic psychologists.

•

appreciate and value the worth and dignity of the individual in all

Kirk Schneider remembers:

societal and environmental contexts

In the beginning, humanistic psychology had a populist feel. The first

•

appreciate and encourage the actualization of a person as a whole human being: mind, body, spirit

•

embrace person-centered education and endeavors

•

encourage self-direction and self-regulation

proponents were grassroots humanists who had a light vibrancy. They were earthy, funky folks who embraced the teachings of the field’s founders and touted passionate beliefs that psychology would and must grow through ways and means outside conventional culture.

ENLIGHTENED PIONEERS

Saybrook’s first students traveled to Westerbeke Ranch, five miles west

No doubt: whether it was new dawn, high noon, sundown, or even

of Sonoma, California, for what was then called “Program Planning

the middle of the night, Program Planning Centers were electric. But

Seminars.” The ranch, with its acres of unspoiled meadowland, Mexican

enthusiasm was not solely from the zesty times. The budding human-

architecture, native oaks, lush gardens, hot tub, pool, hillside chapel, and

istic psychologists were honored and excited to engage with Saybrook’s

organic food, was an ideal alternative to traditional conference sites. Its

early professors: James Bugental, Richard Farson, Tom Greening, Stanley

unspoiled beauty, infused with the spirit of California’s early heritage,

Krippner, Rollo May, Carl Rogers—enlightened and enlivening Third

mimed the mood of the fledgling community of humanists.

Force pioneers.

Students, both male and female, had long hair. Men grew beards; women

KIRK SCHNEIDER REMEMBERS:

wore little or no makeup. Women were partial to long, full skirts and artsy, dangly earrings. Men favored tie-died shirts and pinned peace symbols to their vests or jackets. Both genders wore Native American jewelry, headscarves, headbands, and beaded necklaces.

From day one, Saybrook students engaged directly with the greats in the field of humanistic psychology. My first class was clinical psychology, taught by James Bugental. After I turned in my first essay, Jim sent me a postcard, with very few words. I can still quote them directly. “You’re too

But the outward appearance was simply an appearance. Inside they

good to write like a high school dropout!”

were passionate about peace and compassion; they believed their role

Even though that was difficult to hear, I appreciated his forthrightness

as humanistic psychologists was to create and support a worldview that cherished love, creativity, and reason; they were committed to serving others. Daily seminars took place in meeting rooms where students sat in a circle on a bare oak floor. But discussions did not end when scheduled classes were over; they often moved to the hot tub and lasted until first dawn. Still, community members found time to hike and practice Esalen activities—massage, Aikido, yoga, dance, and meditation.

and certainly his stature in the field. When I read between the lines, I realized he was calling me to be to be the best I could be. From its beginning Saybrook enforced rigorous standards. By the end of the course I had improved, so Jim invited me to participate in his mentorship program with other hand-selected students. In addition to didactic and applied trainings directly with Jim, we met with other luminaries in the existential field, including Rollo May himself. One evening we were invited to Rollo’s home on the top of Tiburon

DENNIS JAFFE REMEMBERS:

Mountain. Rollo was thoughtful, direct, present in the moment, always

In the early days, everything was informal. We had a counterculture—free-

forthright, and had the ability to help us emerge into our own authentic-

form—mindset, but nothing was extreme. Students wrote dissertations

ity. He was also feisty and had no problem calling me, or anyone else, on

about fire walks, but we didn’t actually do fire walks. Students from the

the carpet when he disagreed. Invariably, though, discussions with Rollo

East Coast who came to the Program Planning Seminars expecting to

turned into a fruitful dialogue.

find “California-strange” were disappointed. Sure, we did a lot of hug-

Over the years, Rollo and I developed a deep kinship built around our

ging. And we still do. Saybrook hugs will never go out of style!

IN THE BEGINNING

PROGRAM PLANNING SEMINARS

interest in the paradoxes of living. Eventually, Rollo invited me to co-edit 11

CHAPTER ONE

and author a book entitled The Psychology of Existence: An Integrative, Clinical Perspective, which we finished just before he died in 1994. So from a very inauspicious venture into writing, my work at Saybrook led me to reach out worldwide and influence the humanistic psychology movement. And Saybrook? Well, Saybrook grew from a grassroots, alternative school, founded by nouveau humanistic psychologists into an accredited, multidisciplinary, international University.

I must say, though, if it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for a great beginning, neither of us would be what we are today.

IN THE BEGINNING

We were creative in that we knew one way to flourish was to work with what we had.

CHAPTER

C L E V E R . S M A R T. C R E AT I V E .

CHAPTER

C L E V E R . S M A R T. C R E AT I V E .

W E A P P R O A C H W H AT W E D O W I T H A S YS T E M S, O R H O L I S T I C, P E R S P E C T I V E B A S E D O N A B E L I E F I N T H E I N H E R E N T I N T E R C O N N E C T I O N O F A L L T H I N G S.

From its “great beginning,” Saybrook did, indeed, grow. L O R N E B U C H M A N T E L L S T H E S T O RY:

During the late 1990s/early 2000s, Saybrook went through some tough times, and there have been some very tough times in Saybrook’s history. Well, Ralph Wolff, director of the regional accrediting body, knew about my past presidencies; he knew I had helped turn other institutions around. So Ralph asked if I was interested in meeting Alison Shapiro, Liz Huntington, and John Adams (Saybrook’s recruiting team). I was. After hearing their story, I believed I could make an exceedingly important contribution. So in 2006, I agreed to become Saybrook’s next President and quickly fell for the place.

We didn’t want to lose Saybrook’s tradition of humanistic psychology. But if we wanted to preserve its purpose . . . if we wanted to discover its next calling . . . if we wanted to preserve its very soul—and we did—we had to find a different way to grow. From a holistic business perspective humanistic psychology, alone, was not sufficient to drive a fully operating institution. So we began to ask questions: Should we find a partner? Should we merge with another institution? As the community wrestled with the “What should we do?” questions, the idea of a geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary University that maintained respect for the tradition of humanistic psychology was born. Thus, while preserving our foundational traditions, we sought to create a community built on different disciplines that would broaden educational opportunities and bring Saybrook into the 21st century. 17

CHAPTER TWO

My job was to put our vision into a language of higher education and

It’s important to say that none of this would have happened without

institutional possibility. Fortunately, the Board ofTrustees, chaired by

funding. Without funding we either would have had to close our doors

Alison Shapiro, had foresight. Alison’s intelligence—her leadership—her

or merge with another institution. So I went out and told our story to

vision—provided rounding and sophistication to what was a great, but

trustees and donors who were close to Saybrook.

raw, idea. Alison and I became a team. Backed by Board support, we embarked on a visioning and strategic planning process that addressed the essential issues.

that was quietly doing some very important work based on the values of the humanistic tradition. Saybrook had not, though, applied to itself

When a small, independent, tuition-driven institution wants to make a

a business model that paralleled what it taught its students to do: live a

change, it doesn’t have a pot of money it can dip into. So, as Alison often

courageous and bold life; always explore questions; always aspire to the

reminded us, we had to be clever, smart, and creative. And we were.

next level of growth; always expand the spirit to an ever-widening circle

We were clever in that we were both visionary and opportunistic. We

of opportunity.

had a vision of what we wanted to do, and then we began to look for

Plus, I had to impress upon them the urgency of the situation—if

opportunities. The Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS) was not in our

Saybrook were going to have a future, we needed to act in the moment.

grand plan. We didn’t set out to create a leadership school, but when

Fortunately, a very generous donor, who chooses to remain anonymous,

LIOS came forth, we recognized it as an institution with a heart and

came forward with an offer: if the community would raise a half-million

mind that resonates with Saybrook’s heart and mind. Thus, LIOS became

dollars, the donor would match it.

part of the University’s plan.

What was truly impressive about that offer was the donor didn’t simply

We were smart in that we recognized the use and cost of health care is

say, “Here’s the money. Run with it.” Instead, the message was clear: “I’m

one of the contemporary world’s greatest concerns. So, through our own

not giving you money unless you have skin in the game, too.” The donor

Dennis Jaffe, we connected with Jim Gordon, the founder and director

understood that if the Saybrook community matched the gift, it would

of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington DC. When we

take ownership in a way it would never do if the money were simply

approached Jim with the possibility of a Mind-Body Medicine College,

handed out.

he accepted. So we had the first and now, still the only, fully accredited College in the United States that offers degrees in Mind-Body Medicine.

With that, I took the donor’s offer to the community and explained we had a moment in time to leverage a gift that would result in one million

We were creative in that we knew one way to flourish was to work with

dollars. (In the development business of higher education, this is called

what we had. So, through our own Eugene Taylor, we connected with

a “transformational gift.”) I’m proud to tell you that we were successful.

James Hollis, who is one of the finest Jungian scholars in the world.

The money was not enough to carry us for years to come, but it was

Based on Jim’s powerful influence, we created a degree program in Depth

enough to give us working capital to set our University in motion.

Psychology, more readily recognized as Jungian Psychology.

Basically, I told them that Saybrook had evolved from an institution

BRILLIANT!

Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges

So, one might legitimately ask, “Just what did Mark Schulman inherit?”

acknowledged Saybrook University. This isn’t easy. Graduate education, especially on a Ph.D. level, is difficult under any circumstances. To do it in a distant, dispersed environment is particularly challenging. The fact that it had been going on for forty years, and the fact that

Mark inherited an institution that for forty years, through good times and hard times, shows up. It shows up with a legacy of humanistic psychology that was shaped into a legacy of humanistic education.

we found a means through which it will keep growing is a tribute to

It shows up with the capacity to embrace compassion, teach heart,

the commitment of the students and the creative relationship between

salute collaboration, incarnate creativity, acknowledge multiple ways

faculty and students.

of knowing, respect the environment, meet very creative, very diverse,

So that’s my story. My role was to give Saybrook University its form. I’m proud of what we accomplished. Now I leave it in the capable hands of Mark Schulman. Mark inherits what is but a beginning. His role is to take it to its next level—to shape it and reshape it, to work with the community to define what it is and what it isn’t. This is Mark’s forte; he is very good at doing exactly what needs to be done.

very independent students where they are and empower them to discover their gifts.

C L E V E R . S M A R T. C R E AT I V E .

In 2009, the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and

And it shows up with rigor, diligence, and discipline.

As Alison Shapiro says, “That is brilliant!”

At Saybrook, there is excitement around discovering oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reason for being.

CHAPTER

I N N E R S PA R K

CHAPTER

I N N E R S PA R K

W E C E L E B R AT E L I F E , S T R I V I N G T O B R I N G F U N A N D J O Y T O O U R I N D I V I D UA L A N D C O L L E C T I V E E X I S T E N C E .

THIS-BETTER-BE-GOOD

It is inevitable. A kid cannot escape the well-meaning adult who asks,

R I S K TA K E R

“So, what do you want to be when you grow up?” Then, the adult waits,

Mark has championed educational and humanistic values throughout

smiling a this-better-be-good smile.

his career and began his academic career at Mount Vernon College in

The kid fidgets. The adult keeps smiling. The kid’s mind does a quick reality check: If I want to exit stage right, I’d better come up with an answer. Okay. Here goes . . . “Well, maybe a photographer, or a computer programmer, or I’m even thinking about a veterinarian.” Probably not one kid in bazillion says, “University President.” Mark Schulman was no exception.

Washington DC. He selected academia because he wanted to be a faculty member. After earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Communications from the Union Institute and University, he became an associate professor at City College of New York. Mark was a good teacher; he enjoyed teaching. But along with being a first-rate professor, Mark was good at organizing people, processes, and systems. So when the New School for Social Research in New York City offered him an opportunity to leave his tenured position at City College and become an administrator, associate professor, and distinguished lecturer, he took it.

CHAPTER THREE

Then, Mark’s life path took a 3,000 mile west turn to Pasadena, California,

horizons for what Saybrook could be. By no means did it reject what

where he became an academic dean and professor at the charming Pacific

Saybrook had been, but it opened new ways of thinking about what it

Oaks College—a college founded on the Quaker principles of inclusion,

could and would be.

social justice, and value of human beings. Mark’s next opportunity was at Antioch University, Southern California, in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, California, where he served as its President and professor of humanities. Mark and his family loved sunny southern California. Life was good.

offered disciplines in addition to psychology and had expanded geographically from San Francisco, to Seattle, to DC, to Houston. With that, I recognized my background supported Saybrook’s new vision: first of all, I had experience and success with complicated issues that arise for

Even so, when Goddard College offered Mark the opportunity to

an institution that has independent and interdependent parts; second, I

be its next President, he and his family, packed up and moved 3,000

had experience and success with a model that brings together seemingly

miles east back across the United States to Plainfield, Vermont. Under

disparate elements and synthesizes them to create a new way of thinking

Mark’s leadership, Goddard flourished. In just eight years he tripled its

about education; third, I had experience and success at institutions

endowment, doubled its enrollment, strengthened its financial position,

founded in the humanistic tradition.

and raised its stature and reputation. Not bad. Besides, New England was now home.

Plus, admittedly, I like challenges and recognized that there is a challenge involved with what Saybrook needs to become—not what it can become,

In case you have not guessed, Mark Schulman is a risk taker. So when an

but what it needs to become: out of its legacy and its roots Saybrook

unexpected opportunity beckoned from 3,000 miles west, Mark and his

needs to become the most unique, unparalleled humanistic institution

family moved back across the United States to San Francisco, California,

of its kind.

where Mark became President of Saybrook University. M A R K T E L L S T H E S T O RY:

If it weren’t for Shelley Drogin, President of LIOS, I probably would not be President of Saybrook University. When Shelley came to Goddard to sit on a panel for progressive education, he told me Lorne Buchman was leaving Saybrook—an occurrence that opened a very interesting presidential opportunity aligned with my experience and interests. I was familiar with Saybrook because it competed with Goddard in psychology, and we used compatible approaches to the educational process. But there was more: I knew the decision to form a University was a key moment in Saybrook’s history, and that decision opened new

So I investigated further and learned that Saybrook University now

And, finally, when I met the Board and others, I discovered a group of very, very nice people. This seemed like a good next step for my career, so I applied. Because the Board recognized my experience and success, its members perceived me to be a person who is empathetic with and understands deeply what Saybrook University is and how to lead it into its future.

The morning of July 1, 2010 Mark zipped shut his canvas briefcase, boarded BART, rode to the Embarcadero Station, walked a half-mile to 747 Front Street, took the elevator to the third floor, said, “Good morning,” unlocked the door to his new office, and sat in his new chair. There. It was official. Mark Schulman was Saybrook University’s new President. Appropriately, one of Mark’s first responsibilities was to call a staff meeting. As is characteristic of first staff meetings, there was some trepidation, but agenda items were ticked off without a glitch.

Hmmm? Did silence and furrowed brows translate to new normal? Mark sat back. He steepled his fingers. The staff eyeballed him, silently. Mark is an effective communicator. But, then again, communication is a fragile process. Maybe he was not clear about what they were going to do… “Let’s talk about it,” Mark said. To his great surprise and consternation, a well-rehearsed spokesperson

Then, Mark said, “We need to think about an inauguration.”

said, “You see, Mark, we’ve had several Presidents prior to you, but not

Silence.

haven’t held an inauguration in forty years, why do we need one now?”

The staff furrowed its collective brow and stared at Mark. Mark furrowed his brow and stared back at the staff. More silence. Finally, Mark spoke, “It’s not because I want a coronation, you know. It’s because an inauguration is good for the organization.” More silence. More furrowed brows all around.

I N N E R S PA R K

PRESIDENT MARK SCHULMAN

once did we celebrate with an inauguration. And, furthermore, if we

“Well,” Mark explained, “we need to demonstrate Saybrook’s gravitas. That’s important. We don’t need to do it for me. We need to celebrate Saybrook University. We need to celebrate Saybrook’s fortieth year. We need to celebrate Saybrook’s legacy and its future.” Meeting adjourned. Obviously, Mark Schulman—President Mark Schulman—knew what he wanted.

“Okay,” Mark said. “At least we can do a little research and find out exactly when Saybrook separated from Sonoma State and became an independent institution.” Marching orders in hand, the staff located the Articles of Incorporation and learned that the official date of separation was 1971. “Ah ha!” Mark said. “Perfect! We’re forty years old. So in January 2011, the first month of our fortieth year, we’ll have a grand ceremony for our quadrigennial celebration and our inauguration.”

A FIRST

Even though this was a first, in the Saybrook tradition of asking questions and proceeding with rigor, the staff planned a fabulous event… The resplendent, respected Bently Reserve was reserved. Invitations were mailed to the Board, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and dignitaries from every College and University in the United States. A post ceremony lunch was planned. A distinguished panel prepared to discuss

CHAPTER THREE

humanistic education in the 21st century. The presidential medallion was

I T WA S T I M E .

designed and ordered. Mark wrote, and rewrote, a meaningful inaugural

Mark is a word wizard. His discourse resonates with meaning; his orations

address.

embrace hearts and minds; his last lines are legendary . . .

Everything was ready for the important day.

I have nearly reached the end of my conversation that explains the reasons for invoking the ancestors. I believe we have every reason to get

E B AY

Well, maybe not . . .

what we have asked for in our Saybrook family, being neither unethical nor lazy nor cutting corners. But allow me a few more minutes to return to the meaning of our fortieth year because it is in the symbol of the

A couple weeks before the celebration Mark had an idea: Hmmm . . . I

quadrigennial, the ruby, that we can culminate our libationary and

need to find ruby slippers. He searched eBay. He found the perfect pair.

liberatory invocation.

He clicked. He bid. He won. He paid. He waited. The box arrived. He ripped off the tape. What? These aren’t the ruby slippers I ordered!

You are aware, I’m sure, that rubies are the anniversary stone for forty years of marriage. For the Saybrook family, I think this is an appropriate

The clock ticked. But, perhaps, ruby slippers do possess magical powers—

symbol in the context of the historical significance of the ruby. Here are

at practically the last minute, before the last hour, UPS delivered the real

some of the ways people and cultures have thought of the fortieth year

ruby slippers.

stone: •

going hand in hand with these qualities are wealth and courage.

G L O R I O U S G R AV I TA S

On January 14, 2011, with the real ruby slippers secreted on his person, Mark joined the 200 celebrants for Saybrook University’s quadrigennial

•

life, as in the ruby’s intimations of immortality. Thus, there is the

the event was fêted with glorious gravitas. Dignified. Distinctive.

ruby’s connection to spiritual health.

Delightful.

Universities lined The Bently Reserve’s opulent lobby. Guests, dressed in their finest, waited in anticipation. Mark, Renee Levi, and Alison Shapiro took their seats on the dais. Representatives from Saybrook University’s constituencies honored Mark with a formal welcome to the community. Alison presented Mark with the presidential medallion. Mark smiled.

The ruby has a longtime association with the element of fire and blood, symbolizing warmth and heat and life itself, and beyond

celebration and first presidential inauguration. Just as he had envisioned,

Congratulatory notes and certificates from over 300 Colleges and

The ruby stands for passion, love, romance, vivacity, and power;

•

Eastern legends believe that rubies contain the spark of life and an eternal flame within the heart: “a deep drop of the heart’s blood of Mother Earth.”

What better imagery for us at this moment in history?

represent the “inner spark” within all of us. When Glinda the Good Witch of the South instructs

Outstanding! Even brilliant. Guests pattered applause. Mark held up his hand. He grinned.

Dorothy never to take off her ruby slippers, she is telling Dorothy never to lose her inner spark.

Oh, yes: just one more thing. Alison, will you please join me at the lectern? I have something

Alison, may I present these to you as a legacy holder for our past and as a visionary for our future?

for you.

May [Saybrookians] never take off the ruby slippers for far more than forty more years, and may

Alison rose. She smiled. She walked across the dais. Her mind fluttered. He has something for me? Is it a certificate? Is it a plaque? Is it another “thank you” handshake?

we never lose our inner spark.

I N N E R S PA R K

OVER THE RAINBOW

As we leave our first four decades, perhaps we experience an emergent world similar to the one

Mark’s grin broadened.

Dorothy described upon her arrival in Oz, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not In Kansas anymore.

Let us not forget, while on the subject of rubies, the significance of the ruby slippers from the

We must be over the rainbow.”

Wizard of Oz, that rich source of cultural meaning.

When the band struck up “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Saybrookians rose as a community

According to Joey Green’s Buddhist interpretation in his book The Zen of Oz the ruby slippers

united.

After all, if you believe in possibilities, the dreams you dare to dream really will come true.

CHAPTER THREE

Saybrook University’s inner spark is its integrity. S O, J U S T W H AT I S S AY B R O O K ’ S I N N E R S PA R K ?

T O J U DY H E I N R I C H , I T I S E M B O D I E D L E A R N I N G :

The inner spark that breathes life into LIOS is embodied learning. T O L O R N E B U C H M A N, I T I S VA L U E S :

Because we embody what we teach and learn, we will continue to evolve

Our mission and our values are our inner spark. We must know our

and make an impact on our world.

values well because they promote our tradition of human thriving and well-being.

T O J I M G O R D O N, I T I S C O M PA S S I O N A N D L O V E :

The inner spark lives in the heart of each person who is part of the T O D O R E E N C AT O, I T I S V U L N E R A B I L I T Y:

Saybrook community, and that spark is compassion and love. Our job

Our inner spark glows from our vulnerability. As a deliberate person,

as an institution is to value that spark—to welcome it—to understand

you are a stronger leader because you are not afraid to let others see your

it—to nourish it—to cultivate it—to cherish it—to share it. In doing

vulnerability, and you are not afraid to allow others to be vulnerable.

so, the inner spark will be a guide. At Saybrook we’re not about obedience to authority; we’re about people becoming their own compassionate

T O B O B C O S B Y, I T I S L I V I N G I N T H E P R E S E N T

authority.

M O M E N T:

The great spiritual leaders talk about living in the present moment, and

TO D E N N I S JA F F E , I T I S I D E A S :

that is our inner spark. If you are in the present moment, you are more

The ideas that animate us are our inner spark. The challenge is to mold

apt to feel peace and calm. If you focus on the past or worry about the

them to the world that is emerging and changing. It isn’t that we have

future, you will feel more anxiety.

to change the ideas; it’s that we have to adapt them in different ways. At Saybrook we do that well.

T O E L E A N O R C R I S W E L L , I T I S A C T UA L I Z E D

P OT E N T I A L :

T O PA M J O H N S O N, I T I S L O V E :

We foster the inner spark in people because we encourage everyone to

Our inner spark is love, but not a flabby or soft love. In that students

actualize their potential—to become empowered—to give to society—to

are required to perform with rigor, it is an empowered love. When all is

develop talents, whatever they might be. At Saybrook, there is excitement

said and done, students know, although there were many demands, they

around discovering one’s reason for being.

were loved.

T O S H E L L E Y D R O G I N, I T I S C O N N E C T I O N :

T O S TA N L E Y K R I P P N E R , I T I S C O M M I T M E N T:

Our inner spark at LIOS comes from a sense of connection. LIOS has

Saybrook’s inner spark is a commitment from faculty, staff, and students

the ability to deepen that connection, so people feel seen, heard, and

to demonstrate that the humanistic, transpersonal, existential perspective

accepted. And that inspires spirit, which reveals calling, which translates

is worth saving, preserving, and studying in a scholarly way, and then,

to action and the ability and willingness to show up in the world.

practicing in a humanitarian way.

not simple: we may get something we don’t want; we will certainly get

Our inner spark is how we help students. We’re really, really good at

something we don’t expect!

that. There’s something magical about what happens in the caldron of the cohort that encourages students to tap into their purpose on the planet,

TO K I R K S C H N E I D E R , I T I S T H E V I B R A N T H U M A N

remember it, believe in it, and act on it.

BEING:

I N N E R S PA R K

T O D A N L E A H Y, I T I S H E L P I N G S T U D E N T S :

Saybrook’s inner spark is cultivation of a vibrant human being who is T O J O A N N M C A L L I S T E R , I T I S W H AT I T M E A N S T O B E

maximally present—who engages with and contributes to our culture

HUMAN:

and our world. It is cultivation of an inquiring and searching human

Saybrook’s inner spark comes from our central commitment to

being—one who is in touch with the traditions of the past—the depth of

understanding the vastness of what it means to be human. I know we say

the past—the pain of the past—but also one who is hopeful about what

this a lot, and after a time it sounds facile. But it really is the question we

can occur in the future. I remember my mentor, James Bugental, often

ask every day of our life, isn’t it?

referred to an adage that was so important in his life: the past is not a record of the future. Saybrook takes that adage very seriously. We have

T O J E F F M C AU L I F F E , I T I S E X P E R I E N T I A L E D U C AT I O N

a sense of being in motion, and in that, we bring to our students and

AND ASSESSMENT METHODS:

graduates the spirit of discovery that comes out of dynamism.

True experiential education is in LIOS’s DNA. It is our inner spark. We combine family of origin work with learning and practicing dyadic

T O M A R K S C H U L M A N, I T I S I N T E G R I T Y:

relationships, theories, and group dynamics in a way that is true

Saybrook University’s inner spark is its integrity. Inner sparks can flicker;

experiential education. Our assessment methods are also unique. They

they can almost extinguish. Still, like the eternal flame within the heart,

combine rigorous self-assessment, with peer assessment, with faculty

they never go out. Integrity is a theme in my life, and I will bond my

assessment. When students complete LIOS’s assessment they don’t say,

personal integrity with the integrity of Saybrook University. Why?

“I have more information about myself.” Instead they say, “Now that I

Because the integrity of the institution is crucial to its greatness.

know more about myself, I see more and more possibilities for what I can and will do.”

T O A L I S O N S H A P I R O, I T I S C O N G R U E N C E :

Our inner spark comes from our congruence. Saybrook knows who it is. T O R U T H R I C H A R D S, I T I S R E M E M B E R I N G O U R R U B Y

It has the capacity to face difficult challenges and stay in its heart through

SLIPPERS:

the course of those challenges. With that kind of space within its heart,

Our inner spark truly is our ruby slippers. We don’t take off our ruby

Saybrook’s fire flames hot, and the inner spark leaps out to the world.

slippers, but sometimes we forget we’re wearing them. As an example,

How? That is easy: via our faculty, students, and alumni.

we often get pushed or pulled by what Buddhists refer to as the poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance. But if we shut down those poisons, we can become open to that which is vastly, vastly more important. Still, it’s 29

You will find Saybrook Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faculty both in the library and on the street.

CHAPTER

F E I S T Y, Y E A S T Y C O M M U N I T Y

32 CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER

F E I S T Y, Y E A S T Y C O M M U N I T Y

W E I N S I S T U P O N O P E R AT I O N A L A N D A C A D E M I C R I G O R I N O R D E R T O P R O V I D E A N E X C E P T I O N A L E D U C AT I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E F O R O U R S T U D E N T S.

A N D N O W, L A D I E S A N D G E N T L E M E N, L E T ’ S P L AY J E O PA R DY !

Contestant: I’ll take “Professions” for $500, Alex. Alex: And the answer is: they thrive on challenges, prefer questions to

answers, push the edge, believe work is fun, voluntarily take on a heavy workload, champion self-growth, demand rigor, and love to help others. Contestant: What is Saybrook University’s faculty?! Alex: Congratulations! You win! Go directly to the JEOPARDY! Hall of

ignored or discouraged by mainstream Universities. And we do. For me, that is humanistic, transpersonal, and existential psychology—specifically, hypnosis, shamanism, parapsychology, dream work, and human sexuality. As faculty, we give our students the same freedom. It is emotionally and intellectually rewarding to read students’ “alternative” essays, theses, and dissertations and observe how many, many of them are published as journal articles or books.

Fame. I N T H E L I B R A RY A N D O N T H E S T R E E T UNIQUE

Saybrook University’s faculty personifies some of the greatest minds

S TA N L E Y K R I P P N E R S AYS :

in the world. They are intellectuals—intelligent scholars, respected

Saybrook University’s faculty members are unique. We are allowed and

academicians. They earn advanced degrees . . . publish books . . .write

encouraged to complete serious scholarly work in disciplines usually

for journals . . . complete world renowned research . . . present papers 33

CHAPTER FOUR

S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y FA C U LT Y at prestigious conferences . . . participate in professional associations . . . receive coveted awards. What faculty does NOT do is hide, safely, in the proverbial ivory tower. They are activists. Cutting-edge leaders. They use their knowledge to get involvedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to touch lives in heartfelt, practical ways. M A R K S C H U L M A N S AYS :

The faculty is a feisty, yeasty community that talks about important issues in important ways. Often, it is not done in a collaborative, dialogic way. Truth be told, they have heated arguments. But that is okay. At Saybrook, we are not as concerned with finding the right answers as we are with asking the right questions. If you seek only to find the right answers, you will pre-package what you discover. Asking questions is risky, but our faculty is willing to risk asking hard questions. They could do what everybody else does, but walking the safe path is not in their DNA. They think about what education means in a very practical way and get involved in the real world. You will find Saybrook Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faculty both in the library and on the street.

I N T H E L I B R A RY A N D O N T H E S T R E E T

A R T B O H A R T, P H . D.

A R N E C O L L E N, P H . D.

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

S T U D I E S ; C O L L E G E O F M I N D - B O DY M E D I C I N E

STUDIES

As President of the Association of Transpersonal Psychology,

Dr. Bohart’s work focuses on integrating streams of psychological

Dr. Collen is the Director of Research at Saybrook University.

Dr. Achterberg was Senior Editor of its Alternative Therapies in

thought into positive outcomes for psychotherapy clients. His

He earned a Ph.D. in experimental and general psychology from

Health and Medicine. She is currently Executive Editor of the

most recent books are: How Clients Make Therapy Work: The

the Ohio State University. Dr. Collen is an active and regular

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Therapies. Her book

Process of Active Self-healing and Empathy Reconsidered: New

contributor to several international organizations, professional

Rituals of Healing won the American Nursing Association’s

Directions in Psychotherapy; and Foundations of Clinical and

societies, and publications that focus on his research interests:

“Book of the Year” award. Dr. Achterberg’s most recent research

Counseling Psychology (Second Edition). Dr. Bohart received the

advancing research methodology for human inquiry, graduate

accomplishment is a six-year study of distance healing and

prestigious Rollo May Award from the Division of Humanistic

education, research processes and human knowing, and

intercessory prayer.

Psychology of the American Psychological Association.

exploring parallelisms and convergences among forms of human

Jeannie’s focus on the psychological aspects of cancer, biofeedback

Art’s work pioneers the self-healing capacities clients bring to

inquiry found in the arts, humanities, and sciences.

and physical therapy for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,

therapy—how clients’ work can support personal growth and

Dr. Collen’s most recent papers include: Research Proficiencies

and behavioral strategies for pain and anxiety associated with

development in nearly any psychological setting. Art is a master

in Human Inquiry Applied to Doctoral Level Distance Education,

orthopedic trauma confirms that medicine is best when it is at

at thinking outside the proverbial box: Buddhist meditation,

presented at Seventeenth World Congress of the International

its most human level.

depression in foreign countries, the feminine side of sex

Sociological Association, Gothenburg, Sweden; and Auto/

Jeannie is acclaimed for her work on imagery in healing, psycho

therapy, shamanism, self-help for asthmatics, the Afro-centric

biography meets Phenomenology, Research Illuminating a Living

perspective, and transgender studies are part of his daily life.

Methodology, presented at the Annual International Human

immunology, behavioral strategies for reducing pain and anxiety, and the role of women as health consumers. In pioneer work

Science Research Conference, Molde, Norway.

with National Institutes of Health, she showed how guided

The theme of Arne’s work with Saybrook University students

imagery is a successful form of treatment for cancer patients.

is research methodology for human inquiry. His sought-after

Time Magazine named Jeannie one of the “six innovators in

courses involve hands-on, expert oversight to each student’s

integrative medicine for the new century.”

research. Arne especially enjoys working with students who

F E I S T Y, Y E A S T Y C O M M U N I T Y

J E A N N I E A C H T E R B E R G, P H . D.

share a common interest in innovative ways to advance human oriented research methodologies. Arne’s students say, “Arne is the best!” 35

CHAPTER FOUR

A M E D E O G I O R G I , P H . D.

T O M G R E E N I N G, P H . D.

D E N N I S J A F F E , P H . D.

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

STUDIES

Dr. Giorgi is a pioneer in humanistic psychology. He founded

Dr. Greening earned a B.A. from Yale University, spent a year

Dr. Jaffe is the author of fifteen management books, including

the phenomenology program at Duquesne University and the

in Vienna on a Fulbright Fellowship, and then earned a Ph.D.

the newly released Stewardship in Your Family Enterprise. He

Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. Based on the thoughts of

in psychology from the University of Michigan. He is a licensed

co-authored Russia’s Wealth Creators Campden Research study:

Husserl and Merleau-Ponty, Dr. Giorgi developed an innovative

clinical psychologist in California, where he practices client-

The New Wealth Paradigm. His research on the governance of

phenomenological method that he shares worldwide. Dr. Giorgi

centered, psychodynamic, existential-humanistic psychotherapy.

start-up companies, After the Term Sheet, was reprinted numerous

is the author of numerous publications including books entitled

Between 1970 and 2005 Dr. Greening was Editor in Chief of

times. In 2007, Dr. Jaffe was named “Thinker in Residence” for

Phenomenology and Psychological Research and The Descriptive

the Journal of Humanistic Psychology and currently serves as its

South Australia, where he helped design a strategic plan for the

Phenomenological Method in Psychology: A Modified Husserlian

International Editor. He is a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology

future of its entrepreneurial and family businesses.

Approach.

and a Fellow of five APA Divisions. Dr. Greening’s publications

Family businesses are the bricks and mortar of the global

Phenomenology (in layman’s terms: the study of the mind

include Existential Humanistic Psychology (Editor) and American

economy. Yet, they struggle to survive. Over thirty-five years

through subjective experiences) is the foundation of every

Politics and Humanistic Psychology (Editor).

human being’s knowledge of the world. Yet, it is often left

Tom is a long-time activist for citizen diplomacy. His first

of Research for the MacArthur Foundation Network on Healthy

out of psychology. Amedeo, though, is its champion. As the

overseas trip was in 1952, with the Quaker International

Companies, he stepped up and became one of the world’s

leading researcher of phenomenology in the world, he develops

Volunteer Service. That was followed by a Fulbright Fellowship

leading researchers and practitioners to support and develop the

new approaches to using phenomenology as the foundation

to Vienna. During the Cold War, Tom made five trips to the

field of family businesses.

of psychological processes in clinical settings. Amedeo was

Soviet Union and recently continued his mission in China. Tom,

recently honored by the College of Medicine of the University

along with Saybrook graduate Clay Foreman, created Saybrook’s

Dennis went on to become a co-founder and Board member of

of Orebro, Sweden for “planting the seeds” of phenomenology

course in Citizen Diplomacy—the first of its kind in the world.

in their country.

ago, Dennis recognized this dilemma. As the Deputy Director

Family Firm Institute (FFI), where he was awarded the Richard Beckhard Award for contributions to practice. He still presents at FFI’s annual conferences and writes for its journal Family Business Review. Dennis co-created the Enterprising Family Sustainability Index, the Aspen Family Business Inventory, and the Aspen Family Wealth Inventory—all tools for assessing family business success.

P H . D.

D O N A L D M O S S, P H . D.

M A R C P I L I S U K , P H . D.

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

C O L L E G E O F M I N D - B O DY M E D I C I N E

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

STUDIES

Dr. Moss is an internationally recognized authority on integrative

STUDIES

Dr. Krippner is one of the world’s most celebrated researchers

health, who conducts mind-body medicine training for medical

Dr. Pilisuk applies research, teaching, and activism to the areas of

in the field of consciousness. He has published over 20 books

personnel around the globe. He is the editor of Biofeedback

caring and health, conflict resolution, community intervention

and 900 articles, chapters, and book reviews in scholarly

Magazine and a practicing partner at the Psychological Services

skills, human consequences of globalization, youth violence

publications.

Center in Grand Haven, Michigan. Dr. Moss’s Handbook of

prevention, terrorism, and environmental and social justice. He

Dr. Krippner received three awards from the American

Mind-Body Medicine for Primary Care introduces an evidence-

is one of the world’s leading scholars of the underlying causes of

based mind-body approach to the medical and behavioral

war. Dr. Pilisuk’s most recent book is Who Benefits From Global

“Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement

problems of primary care patients.

Violence and War: Uncovering a Destructive System.

of Psychology.” The International Association for the Study

But for thousands of people in Third World countries, Don is

Marc’s research touches hundreds of lives in diverse situations.

best known as the humanitarian who helps them find clean water

From a hospice in rural New Mexico, to self-help support

and receive adequate health care. From organizing community

groups for post-mastectomy women, to civil commitment for

mental health education for nurses in Jamaica, to leading

the mentally ill homeless, to causes and prevention of war and

hurricane relief efforts in Honduras, to bringing clean water to

terrorism, Marc’s work supports a worldview of peaceful and

families in Haiti and Honduras, Don’s work reduces waterborne

sustainable living.

Psychological Association, including the coveted award for

of Dreams awarded Dr. Krippner its prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award.” The Life Science Foundation and the University of Minneapolis awarded Dr. Krippner the “Ways of Knowing” award for “exploring culturally based healing traditions and practices.” Stanley’s lifework ranges across multiple disciplines (dreams,

and respiratory illnesses throughout the Caribbean basin and

shamanism, human sexuality, hypnosis, parapsychology) and

Central America. As the North American contact for two

multiple continents, but it always comes back to his central

Rotary Foundation grants, he is instrumental in constructing

question: What is the mind and how does it manifest?

water delivery systems for twelve villages in the rural areas of

Hundreds of Stanley’s Saybrook students and over 3,000 of his

Lempira and Copan.

F E I S T Y, Y E A S T Y C O M M U N I T Y

S TA N L E Y K R I P P N E R ,

Facebook Friends cannot be wrong: “Stanley IS Saybrook.”

CHAPTER FOUR

S T E V E N P R I T Z K E R , P H . D.

R U T H R I C H A R D S, P H . D. , M . D.

N A N C Y S O U T H E R N, E D. D.

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

STUDIES

Dr. Pritzker earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the

Dr. Richards earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology and sci-

Dr. Southern earned an Ed.D. from the University of San

University of Southern California, where he researched creativ-

ence education from the University of California, Berkeley and

Francisco where her work included a cross-cultural study of lead-

ity and film, collaborative creativity in writing and business,

an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Richards edited

ership and learning for transformational change in the United

creativity and spirituality, the effect of alcohol on creativity, and

two books: Everyday Creativity and New Views of Human Nature

States and China. Her publications include Transforming Social

the creativity process in high achieving writers. Dr. Pritzker,

and (with Saybrook’s Mark Runco) Eminent Creativity, Everyday

Systems: Moving from Domination to Partnership and Proceedings

along with Saybrook’s Marc Runco, is the Editor in Chief of

Creativity, and Health. She is the principal author of The Lifetime

of the Eighth International Conference on Transformative Learning.

both the 1st and 2nd editions of The Encyclopedia of Creativity

Creativity Scales. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological

(Academic Press’s best-selling encyclopedia).

Association and winner of the Arnheim Award for Outstanding

Nancy works with local government agencies, across the U.S.

In another career life Steve had the proverbial “to die for” job:

Lifetime Achievement in Psychology and the Arts.

he was a successful Hollywood sitcom writer . . . Room 222, The

Dr. Richards is on the Advisory Board of the interfaith orga-

workshops and retreats, Nancy helps policy makers make

Partridge Family, and The Mary Tylor Moore Show were just three

nization Ahimsa—an organization that works toward greater

plans for sustainable operations and growth. Nancy’s emphasis

of his achievements. Then, Steve decided he wanted to become

mutual understanding and peace. She, along with Saybrook’s

on sustainable leadership models that can work across multi-

a scholar of creativity and work as an advocate for creativity in

Dr. Steven Pritzker, helped establish Saybrook’s premier M.A.

ple cultures started early in her career when she attended the

U.S. school systems. Through his involvement with the Division

in psychology with focus on creativity—the first of its kind in

first study groups in Vietnam after the U.S. embargo was lifted

10 American Psychological Association, Steve lobbies to pro-

the country.

in 1994.

mote mainstream influence on creativity.

Ruth is passionate about creativity. Although psychologists have studied creativity for decades, it is Ruth Richards’s vanguard discoveries that teach us how to use creativity to solve everyday problems. Her breakthrough makes creativity accessible, manageable, and usable in everyday life. And in case you wonder how this works “in the streets,” take a look at Ruth’s newly released Everyday Creativity and New Views of Human Nature.

and internationally, that seek to implement sustainable policies and transformational change. From direct consulting to

A L A N VAU G H N, P H . D.

T I M O T H Y W E B E R , P H . D.

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

L I O S G R A D UAT E C O L L E G E O F S AY B R O O K

STUDIES

UNIVERSITY

Dr. Taylor earned a Ph.D. in the University Professors Program

Dr. Vaughn earned his Ph.D. in psychology from New York

Dr. Weber completed a postdoctoral residency in family therapy

at Boston University. He is a historian, philosopher of psychol-

University. He is a certified Jungian analyst and director of

at the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center in New York, where he

ogy, and an internationally-recognized scholar on the life and

Saybrook University’s Jungian Studies program. Dr. Vaughn

served as faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and was the

work of William James. Dr. Taylor specializes in the history of

investigates African historiography, mythology and religion,

Coordinator of Family Therapy Training. In addition to numer-

dynamic theories of personality, the origins of existential-human-

and African-American cultural history and psychology. In addi-

ous and articles in journals such as Family Process; Psychotherapy,

istic and transpersonal psychology, classical Asian psychology,

tion, he examines the psychology underlying U.S. Supreme

Journal of Psychology and Theology, and The Gerontologist, Dr.

and Western interpretations of Asian ideas.

Court cases as manifestations of America’s cultural attitudes

Weber is the co-author of two books: Systems Consultation: A

Dr. Taylor’s books include A Psychology of Spiritual Healing;

and behavior.

New Perspective for Family Therapy and Coming Home Again: A

Shadow Culture: Psychology and Spirituality in America, The

Alan loves to teach, and at Saybrook University he and his

Family of Origin Consultation.

Mystery of Personality: A History of Psychodynamic Theories,

students flourish in the tripartite model of mentorship, face-to-

Tim is a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in

William James on Exceptional Mental States, and William James

face learning, and distance learning of the pedagogy unique to

Bellevue, Washington, where he specializes in couple and family

on Consciousness beyond the Margin.

Saybrook. He and his students roll up their proverbial sleeves,

therapy. His innovative family of origin work is a gift to both his

Eugene is Saybrook University’s chair of the concentra-

and commit to a future of psychology that taps into globalism.

private clients and LIOS’s core curriculum. Tim’s focus on the

tion in humanistic and transpersonal psychology. He represents Saybrook’s Institutional Affiliation with the Philemon

F E I S T Y, Y E A S T Y C O M M U N I T Y

E U G E N E TAY L O R , P H . D.

themes related to the integration of the spirit into everyday life is, yet, another way he makes a difference in lives.

Foundation, which in addition to Jung’s Red Book, is introducing unpublished letters that comprise Carl Jung’s correspondence and a new edition of Jung’s complete works.

P I C A S S O A N D M AT I S S E S T E V E P R I T Z K E R S AYS :

Saybrook University is the Picasso and Matisse of Universities. These artists worked tirelessly to recapture the energy and freshness of their youth, just as Saybrook faculty works tirelessly to provide students with the open, creative excitement found in early education. Saybrook encourages unique programs based on the belief of our humanistic founders: creativity is a core ingredient in self-actualization and should be encouraged at both the individual and societal level. My fellow faculty members are unique, highly accomplished, eclectic individuals who provide support, nourishment, and inspiration to our students. Faculty’s philosophy is based on appreciating that each student is different, and their differences are nurtured, so learning becomes a joyful growth experience, where magical changes happen. So, one might wonder,

“Isn’t joyful education an oxymoron?” Read on . . .

Different, though, does not deter magic.

CHAPTER

SPECIAL

CHAPTER

SPECIAL

W E A R E S C H O L A R - P R A C T I T I O N E R S W H O S E E K A N D A P P LY K N O W L E D G E T O S O LV E P R O B L E M S A N D F O S T E R S O C I A L T R A N S F O R M AT I O N.

W A N T E D : M AT U R E , I N D E P E N D E N T, C O M M I T T E D, I N T E L L I G E N T, PA S S I O N AT E , H U M A N I S T I C S E L F - S TA R T E R S. M U S T B E W I L L I N G T O W O R K L O N G H O U R S, M E E T R I G O R O U S D E M A N D S, A N D P O S T P O N E P E R S O N A L P L E A S U R E S. R E P U TAT I O N F O R “ W E I R D N E S S ” A P L U S. H E F T Y F I N A N C I A L , S O C I A L , E M O T I O N A L C O M M I T M E N T. N O PAY. A P P LY O N L I N E , A D M I S S I O N S, S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y.

SPECIAL

MY TRIBE

If you were asked to flip-open the dictionary and paste a picture next to

Still, all of these special individuals have come together to don the hat of

the word special, you could, appropriately, opt for a snapshot of a smiling

belonging and find their place in the world.

Saybrook student.

G E O R G E A I K E N S AYS :

M A R K S C H U L M A N S AYS :

Almost 100% of Saybrook students say, “I came to Saybrook and finally

Saybrook students are special. In their normal, workaday worlds their

found my tribe.” And that tribe is a tribe of like-minded humanists who

unique and special qualities may not be apparent, in particular if they are

believe people are good to the core—a tribe that recognizes potential—a

not around like-minded, like-spirited people.

tribe that allows its members to grow and develop without passing judgment.

CHAPTER FIVE

LIFE-CHANGING

faculty committees, develop dissertation proposals, and receive SIRB

Not every student will find his or her tribe at Saybrook University, but

(Saybrook Institutional Review Board) approval.

those who do describe their education as “life-changing.” Saybrook students complete commendable academic course work, write meaningful theses and dissertations, and when they reenter the “real” world their lives are changed forever.

They complete research. Then, they write (and rewrite, and rewrite, and rewrite . . .) dissertations. Finally, the day that was once but a dream arrives: it is time to defend.

K I R K S C H N E I D E R S AYS :

My experience as a Saybrook student opened possibilities I never before imagined. Courses had (and still have) a basic format, but students are allowed and encouraged to expand it—to form it—to use it as a guide to meet their unique interests and needs. And through that, they learn to be self-reliant and self-searching; they learn to venture off the well-trodden path. I can tell you, up close and personal, that changes you. It stays with you, supports you, and guides you for the rest of your life.

J O A N N M C A L L I S T E R S AYS :

When students complete their dissertations it is time for them to celebrate, but it is also time for the committee to celebrate. At Saybrook, dissertation orals are usually completed at-a-distance. Students and the three committee members, who are often located all over the country, set up a conference call, and during the call, students defend their dissertations. It is called a “defense,” and in some ways it is. But at Saybrook it is more a

VA L U A B L E , U N I Q U E G I F T S

flowering—a sharing of everything the students gained in their programs.

A L I S O N S H A P I R O S AYS :

The students are now experts in their domains. They tell faculty what

Many schools admit students to a program where the students enter

they learned, so “defense” is a wonderful fruition that happens between

at one end and exit at the other, learning a prescribed “X.” Saybrook

the three faculty members and the students. For faculty, little compares

University doesn’t do that. Saybrook says, “You, Ms. or Mr. Student,

to saying, “Congratulations! Your work is significant.”

come to us, and we will help you discover your unique gift. Then, we will help you find rigorous and academic ways to develop it, so when you are ready to present your gift to the world, it is very, very valuable. At Saybrook, education is not drudgery. It is joyful.”

SACRIFICE

An education at Saybrook University is not easy. Saybrook students, commonly, are mid-career professionals who already have busy lives— full-time jobs, significant others, children, pets, friends, day-to-day

EXPERT

Saybrook students are busy, committed, and diligent: they select classes, write papers (lots of papers), and engage in experiential and didactic learning. Students in doctoral programs continue on: they write essays, select 46

duties. They give back to their communities; they have diverse interests. And because Saybrook students are who they are, they are dedicated to focused inquiry; they want to do more; they want to explore new ways to contribute; they want to enrich, or even change, careers. Yet, how and when, can they meet the demands of a rigorous graduate program?

J E F F M C AU L I F F E R E M E M B E R S :

interests, even relationships.

I’ll never forget the next to last RC I attended as a student: RCs are

But is a graduate education at Saybrook University really a sacrifice? J U D I T H K O LVA S AYS,

By the end of my second year, Saybrook equated to natural childbirth.

intense. You love every minute. But as you near the end, you are ready to go home and practice what you learned. Well, about midnight, after the closing party with the entire community, one of my colleagues suggested that the six men in our cohort walk up Crystal Mountain. I was tired but

Natural? Not! It would never end. It did. I still get teary when I remember

thought: Okay . . . guess I’ll go along.

my chair, Steve Pritzker, saying, “Congratulations! Let me be the first to

There is a valley at the base of the mountain that was enveloped in fog,

call you Dr. Kolva.” And it got better. If it weren’t for the “sacrifices” I made as a Saybrook student, I would still be stuck in the quagmire of an okay, but not outstanding life.

SPECIAL

Sacrifice. Yes. It is a reality. Saybrook students sacrifice time, money,

and as we climbed, the fog surrounded us. We didn’t hike far before we stopped and built a campfire. Then, we talked. Now, we were of different ages, backgrounds, political beliefs, and professions. Still, we shared our deepest desires; we shared parts of ourselves we’d never shared with

D I S TA N C E C O M M U N I T Y

RO . . . RC . . . Yes . . . Every discipline has its acronyms. Saybrook University, although unique, is no different. For the uninitiated, RO translates to Residential Orientation and RC translates to Residential Conference. New students in the Colleges of Psychology and Humanistic Studies and Mind-Body Medicine attend an RO, where they are introduced to the Saybrook community and begin to build relationships with other students

anyone. Three hours later we started down the mountain. Again, the fog surrounded us and led us back to our hotel. It was as if the whole world was with us, guiding us to have sacred time together. That was in 1997. But because we bonded at the RC, every year, for fourteen years, we’ve made time to be together. And I predict we’ll do the same for the next fourteen years and counting.

and faculty. Each program in each College has RC requirements. The frequency varies by program. Dennis Jaffe describes RCs as “moveable

ELEVEN-RING CIRCUS

feasts that come around a couple times a year.”

Ruth Richards says, “RCs are like an eleven-ring circus on steroids. There

But no matter what College, what program, what degree, Saybrook’s ROCs and RCs bond the distance community.

are eleven events, plus, going on at the same time, and students choose which ones meet their needs and interests.” But the events are not just events. They are built on what it means to be a community of like-minded spirits—they are the foundation of Saybrook’s commitment to graduate education for a humane and sustainable future.

CHAPTER FIVE

G E O R G E A I K E N S AYS :

empathy. Well, an amazing Saybrook student, who is now a Zen master,

Technology has advanced, so Saybrook University is developing ways

told a story about Vietnam during the War. He was imprisoned in a tiny

for students and faculty to connect through social media. Still, the RC

cage and guarded by a Vietnamese soldier. Even though he was hardly

is the heart of a Saybrook experience. Day after day, hour after hour,

able to move for months, he felt only empathy and compassion for the

students and faculty are together talking, learning, planning, taking

young man who kept him in that awful place.

short courses, attending workshops, participating in Stanley Krippner’s dream table, meeting at the Café Philo, experiencing the real world of leadership, and establishing relationships and friendships that last long after the RC is over.

At Saybrook we are privileged to be around people who are at that level of spiritual development—people who add academic rigor to their compassion, wisdom, and spirituality, so they can journey even further on their pilgrimage to help others.

MAGICAL

RCs are held at hotels or conference centers, where up to four hundred students, faculty, and keynote speakers converge—where different is the

Ask Saybrook University faculty to tell you a story about a memorable

norm: different ages, career experiences, countries, ethnicities, traditions,

student, and without fail, they say, “OH! There are so many.”

languages, wardrobes, indigenous costumes, sexual orientations, spiritual

The following are but five of the so many.

beliefs. Different, though, does not deter magic. J O A N N M C A L I S T E R S AYS :

RCs are the highlight of the year. They are laced with energy— excitement—ideas. Students sit on sofas in the hotel’s common areas and hang out at the bar late at night, discussing their courses, research, and practicum; they meet one-on-one with their advisors; they develop relationships with faculty; they enjoy meals together; they complete

F R O M T H E C O L L E G E O F M I N D - B O DY M E D I C I N E

Students in the College of Mind-Body Medicine combine rigorous coursework and research with deep experiential learning and a strong mentorship program. They enrich their lives so they can enrich the lives of others. This isn’t easy in an external degree program. Still, a recent student satisfaction survey confirms that eighty to ninety percent of students are VERY satisfied.

mini-courses; they attend all-community presentations in the ballroom;

JIM GORDON REMEMBERS:

they participate in community social activities. The best way to describe

We have many, many excellent students, but I’ll tell you a story about

an RC is “magical.”

one woman who is on fire. Initially, she enrolled at the Center for Mind-

RUTH RICHARDS AGREES:

RCs are magical, and I’m not overusing that word! I’ll give you one example of many magical moments. Years ago, I led a RC seminar about

SO MANY

Body Medicine to learn more about nutrition. She was so excited she returned to San Diego, where she created an organic food bank for low income people that evolved into a multi-city project.

work, they learn about their roots, triggers, and automatic responses. This,

to be a leader, so she continued her work at the College of Mind-Body

in turn, provides context that leads to self-awareness. LIOS graduates are

Medicine. Well, because of the expertise and credibility she gained, she

living proof that leaders who lead with integrity lead from within.

is now developing a program for the entire San Diego school system and plans to take her work internationally.

SPECIAL

Then, she decided she wanted an education that would credential her

DAN LEAHY REMEMBERS:

The family of origin assignment is part of LIOS’s core curriculum. Each student finishes it as a changed person. As just one of many, many

F R O M T H E O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L S YS T E M S

examples I remember a student who came to LIOS from Vancouver. She

PROGRAM

was an excellent student—asked great questions—engaged completely.

Students in the Organizational Systems Program study and practice how to become effective and humanistic leaders in institutions, organizations, not-for-profits, corporations, governments, collective groups, and communities. Businesses can be prisons, but at Saybrook University students learn to become creative, values-based change agents. DENNIS JAFFE REMEMBERS:

I have been honored and privileged to serve on over a hundred dissertation

Well, as she reviewed her family of origin work, she talked about being a Caucasian who grew up in South Africa during Apartheid. Come to find out, she was wounded by this experience, which was the main reason she left her homeland and moved to Canada. So, just to plant a seed that might help with her assignment, I asked, “What would it take for you to go home, and if you did, what would

committees. There is a very special shelf in my home that holds each and

you do?”

every one of these dissertations plus over thirty books authored by my

She finished her program, and at graduation she said, “You know, I

former students.

have a sense that I’m called to go home and start a counseling school for

As just one example, I had a student who worked at a utility company

African women.”

that went on strike. Because he was a member of the labor union who

I didn’t hear anything for two years. Then, one day, I received a letter. She

moved into management, he interviewed people from both sides and introduced a very unique perspective on organizational change. It is wonderful to watch phenomenal students change the world because of the work they do at Saybrook.

told me she was, indeed, returning to South Africa to start her counseling school. Then, just two months later, I received another letter. She wrote, “I’m home. And I decided my school is more than just a counseling school. It is a finishing school for young women from the townships, particularly those orphaned by AIDS.”

F R O M L I O S G R A D U AT E C O L L E G E O F S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y

LIOS’s heritage is experiential learning. One of the most powerful experiences is called “family of origin work.” But students don’t just read books and study theories: they conduct structured interviews with family

I now receive her newsletters. They are complete with pictures and stories of kids—kids that, because of what one student learned in a LIOS family of origin assignment, have a chance to move from a place of desperation to a place of hope.

members, complete a genogram, and write an autobiography. Via this 49

CHAPTER FIVE

FROM THE HUMAN SCIENCE PROGRAM

RUTH RICHARDS REMEMBERS:

Saybrook University’s Human Science Program is a way to live. It prepares

I want to start by telling you that I teach in the consciousness and

students to view critically the theory, methodology, social practices,

spirituality concentration. Creativity is my specialty. I’ve studied it for a

conditions, and deep meaning of human life. Students learn to put aside

very long time. Halleluiah! What a joy! There are not many schools that

personal biases, assumptions, worldviews, and cultural traditions—to ask

focus on creativity, but at Saybrook it is an important area.

questions, and most importantly, to listen. JOANN MCALLISTER REMEMBERS:

Creativity is a process—a way of life. Unfortunately, it is often misunderstood as light and fluffy. It’s not! Creativity allows us to be

I am excited because I have so many memorable students, but let me

present, and that opens us to rich options created by our imaginations.

tell you about a student who leads a not-for-profit organization. She has

Some people believe creativity is JUST for geniuses, or artists, or famous

a family and all the demands of daily living. Still, with all that, she is

people. It’s not! Everyday creativity is about everyone; it is fundamental

the brightest penny in the pocket—full of questions about how she can

to our survival.

improve her organization and her personal life.

Now, I want to tell you something else: at Saybrook, faculty is a catalyst.

In the tradition of human science, she then listens and takes what she

Ultimately, whatever happens is up to the student. And here’s just one

learns and applies it to bettering humankind through her professional

example: I had a student who worked children afflicted with ADHD—

work and personal well-being.

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. When she started her Saybrook

And, you know, like the roots of a Banyan tree, professional and personal are intertwined perpetually.

program she knew she wanted to help these kids focus but wasn’t sure how. As her work proceeded, she decided she would teach them to “train their

F R O M C R E AT I V I T Y S T U D I E S

Saybrook University students who elect to study creativity learn how to reach beyond conventional lives, realities, and consciousness to access deeper ways of knowing and even profound spiritual realizations. They

brains” and developed software that allowed them to play computer games with their minds. Then she wrote her dissertation and ended up changing her entire career to become a neurotherapist who works with neurofeedback equipment.

become grounded in how to move life forward and what it means to live

Here, again, this is the creative process. When you start something you

in a way that’s open to difference and change.

can’t always tell where it will lead, but if you continue to explore and remain open to options, it will unfold in a way that opens opportunities you never before imagined.

CIRCLE OF LIFE

In the circle of academic life, students “grow up” to become alumni . . .

SPECIAL

You will find Saybrook Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faculty both in the library and on the street.

CHAPTER

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

CHAPTER

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

W E L I V E A N D C O N D U C T O U R A F FA I R S W I T H I N T E G R I T Y. W E H O L D O U R S E LV E S A C C O U N TA B L E F O R H O N O R I N G C O M M I T M E N T S T O O U R S E LV E S A N D T O O N E A N O T H E R , T O S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y, A N D T O T H E C O N S T I T U E N C I E S A N D C O M M U N I T I E S W I T H I N W H I C H W E L I V E A N D W O R K , I N C L U D I N G T H E N AT U R A L W O R L D.

TRUE HUMAN BEINGS S O M E S T U D E N T S C O M P L E T E T H E I R P R O G R A M I N T W O Y E A R S ; S O M E I N F I V E ; O T H E R S I N, W E L L , M O R E .

Whatever time passes between a student’s ROC (or first RC) and

At the end of the joyful day, when the heartfelt thanks, goodbyes, hugs,

approval of their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, graduation is a

and promises to stay in touch are over, it is time for Saybrook University’s

monumental occasion—Pomp and Circumstance all dressed up for its

new alumni to do what they do best: meet the challenges of contemporary

matchless moment.

human experience and 21st century needs.

Graduation would not be graduation without caps and gowns, music,

D O R E E N C AT O S AYS :

flowers, photos, laughter, tears, and even cake and punch. But nothing

Where we go from here [graduation] is continuing to make a difference in

outshines the graduating class—a class prepared to go forth into a

all of our communities through servant leadership. By acting as stewards

world Shelley Drogin describes as one filled with “great promise and

and change agents, whether in your family, in your work environment, in

extraordinary opportunity . . . a world that hungers for Saybrook

nature, out in the global community, your new skills and knowledge can

graduates whose work, and whose calling, is to be true human beings

bring about transformation. Each of you has special gifts to give others.

on this earth.”

“Service above Self ” is what creates an enlightened community.

CHAPTER SIX

PROUD

simply could not enroll in another traditional educational program. The

From Activists to Zen Masters, Saybrook University is proud of its

humanistic foundation and educational model of Saybrook responded to

almost 1200 alumni—alumni who live and work on 6 continents, in 20

my desire to engage in a deep and transformative learning process. Plus

countries (spread north/south from Iceland to Argentina and east /west

working with mentors, like Bela, would be my dreams come true. Thus,

from Japan to Colombia), in 46 U.S. States, and 5 Canadian Provinces.

Saybrook was my first and only choice for a Ph.D. program. My Saybrook experience was positive and fruitful. It went beyond my

IN TURN

And, in turn, Saybrook University alumni are proud to share how Saybrook shaped their lives.

expectations: I earned my Ph.D. and started my own organization; ten years later I became Teaching Faculty in Saybrook’s Organizational Systems program. Saybrook University is my academic home—a place where I find freedom to think and explore questions that matter to me—a

K AT H I A C A S T R O L A S Z L O, P H . D.

place where I find resonance with other people on a similar path—a place

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

where it is okay to expand boundaries and to redefine the status quo.

STUDIES

Saybrook empowered me to follow my curiosity and desire to serve,

S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y T E A C H I N G FA C U LT Y

while grounding my work through rigorous thinking and scholarship. It

I was in the middle of my M.Ed. program in my native Monterrey, Mexico, highly frustrated by the disconnect between theory and practice. Although I learned amazing theories about collaboration, cognitive

allowed me to activate my desire to engage in lifelong learning. Now, it is my turn to support others on their learning journeys.

development and learning, the program was impersonal and mechanistic. T E R R I G O S L I N - J O N E S, P H . D.

Then, I participated in a conversation event of the International Systems

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

Institute (ISI), a nonprofit educational organization founded by Bela

STUDIES

H. Banathy (Saybrook Emeritus Professor), where I met Saybrook

F O U N D E R , O W N E R D I S C O V E RY C O N S U LT I N G,

students, alumni, and faculty. My experience at ISI was an awakening. I

W W W. T E R R I G O S L I N - J O N E S. C O M

experienced, for the first time, an authentic learning community engaged in fun and meaningful self-directed inquiry. The ISI conversation became a yearly event in which I “recharged my batteries”—a ritual that helped me to survive the rest of the year. I started to wonder: what would I have to do to work and live in environments where this kind of collaboration and learning was part of everyday experience? I realized I would not be able to answer my question with the perspectives I gained through my M.Ed. studies and 56

On the surface, I fit into the conservative Midwestern, business environments where I worked as a leadership development and executive coach/consultant: my clients were leaders and high-potential executives in finance, healthcare, public relations, and pharmaceutical sales. But I wanted to delve further into the research and development of meaningful work and creativity in the workplace. So after searching for a doctoral program that offered alternative thinking, a willingness to explore the mystery of life, and help in answering my burning questions

During my very first residential orientation dinner, I had the good fortune to sit between two amazing faculty members: Ruth Richards and Steve Pritzker. Their enthusiasm, generous spirit, and intellectual curiosity pulled me immediately into the Saybrook vortex. Ruth and Steve mentored and guided me through my program that included rigorous coursework in humanistic psychology, creativity, consciousness and spirituality, expressive arts, and organizational systems; I became immersed in Person-Centered Expressive Arts with Natalie Rogers. All this changed me from the inside out. It gave me the

information session, it all hit home: I knew this was the program for me. Unlike other schools, in addition to skills and curriculum, LIOS focuses on developing personal awareness, emotional intelligence, integrity, and leadership. During my program I grew in ways I never thought possible—I learned to accept and love all of me; I evolved into a more whole, integrated, and intentional practitioner. Because of LIOS, I am more confident in both my skills and in my authenticity. I learned to lead my life with integrity and intention, and this energy has motivated me to move, simultaneously, into private practice and agency work.

academic rigor and personal support to incorporate what I learned into

Immediately after graduation I started a private practice in Bellevue,

my consulting practice.

Washington that focuses on individuals, couples, and families. As I build

My business mission is to “Discover the Wonder of People at Work,” and because of my Saybrook education, my professional work has expanded. I recently developed a process to expand Creative Living in which participants use expressive arts to explore personal potential and participate in designing a Creative Living Plan for growth, change, and personal renewal.

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

about human potential, I found Saybrook University.

my practice, I am also working part time at Sound Mental Health, a nonprofit community mental health agency in Puget Sound. I am a Child and Family clinician working with many At Risk Youth, children, and their families. I find great balance and fulfillment working in both the public and private sectors and intend to continue to serve diverse populations through my career. I plan to start group counseling and facilitated support groups, focusing on identity development and transitional issues

Thank you, Saybrook University, for creatively leading me to an ever-

for individuals and couples. Through speaking engagements, I plan to

evolving path of discovery.

share the wisdom I learned at LIOS. The greatest gift we can give to others is our truth, authenticity, and

S A R A N I E D, M A L M H C A

generosity of spirit. Because this lesson has impacted me so profoundly,

L I O S G R A D UAT E C O L L E G E O F S AY B R O O K

I have great energy and passion to share this wisdom with the world. I

UNIVERSITY

intend to spend my life helping others elicit all of who they are, so they,

T H E R A P I S T, O W N E R S A R A N I E D C O U N S E L I N G,

too, can live more peacefully, more joyfully, and in greater health and

W W W. N I E D C O U N S E L I N G. C O M

harmony.

As far back as I can remember I knew I would enter the helping profession. I spent years researching career paths and graduate programs, never feeling connected to any. When I attended a “Taste of LIOS”

Thank you, LIOS, for helping me to discover my life’s path. J U D I T H P E R K I N S, P H . D.

CHAPTER SIX

COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMANISTIC

A N G E L I N E S I E G E L , P H . D.

STUDIES

C O L L E G E O F M I N D - B O DY M E D I C I N E

SENIOR MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES GOLDEN

F O U N D E R , O W N E R T H E Z E N O F F I D O,

R A I N F O U N D AT I O N

W W W. Z E N O F F I D O. C O M

My Saybrook experience began with what my husband referred to as

I began my journey at Saybrook University filled with excitement and

the Dog and Pony Show—an informational meeting with members of

wonder. Not only was I one of the first students in the College of Mind-

the Saybrook community who promised, “You can study anything you

Body Medicine, I had no idea that the rigors of academia would make

want, as long as you study with rigor.” Wow! What a promise, and what

such difference in my life and my career. It did. By the end of the first

a wonderful future.

term, my ability to engage in relationships and improve my work with

Saybrook’s worked its magic in two areas. The first was exposing me to

the human-animal bond had already improved profoundly.

systems thinking. But it wasn’t the formal education, academic classes,

My Saybrook experience was holistic: it went far beyond my expectations

research, or wonderful conversations with Bela H. Banathy, Sr. and

for an academic institution—it pushed me to ask the difficult questions,

Bela A. Banathy, Jr. that qualify as “most important.” Instead, “most

to seek out and understand multiple truths—it allowed me to bond with

important” grew from the intimate realization of the profound and

a forever cherished, close-knit community. I was privileged to work with

foundational nature of systems thinking in the ways I live my life and

leaders in the field who truly walk their talk of compassion, openness,

approach my profession. My husband and I both profited, personally

respect for individual truths, and a deep desire to create health and

and professionally, from the ability to recognize, articulate, use, and teach

happiness in this world.

systems thinking.

By the time I graduated, full of increased self-confidence and depth of

And the other area? Well, one of Bela Senior’s passions was the agora—a

knowledge, I recognized life can be anything I want it to be, but it is my

civil center for discussion, learning, and dialog. In a Bela-style agora, no

responsibility to choose what I want!

idea was sacred and every idea was worthy of being heard. And Lounge Lizards—Saybrook students from different disciplines on different places in their journeys—were the perfect example. We were an informal, fluid, supportive social system that bonded in a pressure-ridden, distance-learning community. We drank wine, talked, laughed, cried, edited papers, shared research sources, booed our adversaries, cheered our victories, and laughed at each others’ jokes. Most important, thanks to Saybrook University, we never stopped learning.

I wouldn’t change a moment.

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Three represents creative powerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;GROWTH. It embodies the vision of moving forward.

CHAPTER

THREE

CHAPTER

THREE

W E S E E K D I V E R S I T Y B E C AU S E W E R E C O G N I Z E T H AT T H E R E A R E M A N Y W AYS O F K N O W I N G A N D T H E R E A R E I N H E R E N T S T R E N G T H S I N M U LT I P L E P E R S P E C T I V E S.

G E S TA LT G E S TA LT. I T I S A R O B U S T W O R D. I T I S A N O R T H S TA R W O R D T H AT L I G H T S S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S T H R E E C O L L E G E S.

MARK SCHULMAN EXPLAINS:

THE COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND

The key to creating Saybrook University is gestalt, which is the conviction

HUMANISTIC STUDIES

that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Our University benefits

PHS

from the different sizes, different emphases, and different disciplines of each College. Although each College has a different identity, we

2 1 S T C E N T U RY A N D B E YO N D

come together as one University under the umbrella of our humanistic

Tradition. For almost thirty years, Saybrook meant psychology and

tradition.

human science. Then, in 2000 the organizational systems degree

Saybrook University’s story embodies the spirit—the story—of each of its three Colleges . . .

program was added. The 2003-2004 Graduate School Catalog4 describes Saybrook as “a unique, learning-centered environment for advanced studies in psychology, human science, and organizational systems based in the humanistic emancipatory tradition. Imbued throughout our entire program is a vision of graduate education as a transformational process

CHAPTER SEVEN

where learners expand their knowledge and, more importantly, expand

world today is very different from the world forty years ago and because

themselves and their capacity to make a difference in the world.”

it agrees to play by the new rules, we have the opportunity to maintain

Saybrook was humanistic—a way of being in the world. That has not changed. What has changed, though, is the name. What was once known

R U T H R I C H A R D S S AYS :

simply as Saybrook is now the College of Psychology and Humanistic

I’ve been around Saybrook many, many decades, so I know it well. Like

Studies—PHS.

others, I came from mainstream psychology because at Saybrook I could

Although some still forget PHS is the College’s new name, no one forgets PHS is still committed to the principles of the humanistic tradition; no one forgets PHS still seeks to understand what it means to be fully,

(and still can and do!) push the edge. In the beginning, Saybrook was viewed as an “alternative school.” So even though our work was rigorous, we didn’t have much credibility.

experientially human; no one forgets PHS still asks questions that

Over time, though, we did a 360. Saybrook is now a respected force

illuminate a vital and full life.

in the APA [American Psychological Association], and nothing is more

And no one forgets PHS enters the 21st century with new opportunities. D E N N I S J A F F E S AYS :

My memories of Saybrook go back to 1970. We (and I say “we” meaning Saybrook before it became Saybrook University) had more changes in the last two years than we had in the thirty-eight years prior. We were basically a psychology program with a few satellites, such as the organizational systems program I developed. Then, partly because of necessity and partly because of an awakening, we added new programs and new people, and became a much larger, much different entity. We were always interested in Jung, but to bring in the Jungian Studies program and actually teach it was exciting. Then, we discovered LIOS was looking for a home, and they were compatible with our beliefs, so they joined us. Then I introduced my friend Jim Gordon to Lorne Buchman, and they agreed on a Mind-Body Medicine program, so they joined us. With the creation of Saybrook University we became part of a group of kindred spirits. This is good. Like all industries, the University system is facing changes, and because Saybrook University understands that the

our legacy in the 21st century and beyond.

mainstream than APA. Recently, four of the fifty regional APA Presidents were from Saybrook—probably even more than Harvard. With that said, I see only more opportunity for what we now call “PHS.” As we join with LIOS and Mind-Body Medicine to become one of Saybrook University’s three Colleges, we will reshape and reposition ourselves. We will improve. We will discover an even deeper richness. And in doing so, we will become our own model for how the creative process works. Remember this: without creativity, human beings would not even be alive, and isn’t PHS a group of human beings?!

UNIVERSITY LIOS

THE RIVER

The year was 1953. The location was Boston University. Bob Crosby

and Lee Bradford—carried on. Kurt Lewin’s theory was so simple, yet so profound: behavior isn’t a function of just the person or just the environment; instead, it’s both. And, in that, he brought psychology and sociology together into a powerful systems theory.

was a young student interested in leadership. He scrutinized his

I didn’t sign up for this, but it had an amazing influence on me. I

options—a class in group dynamics seemed to be a good place to start.

absolutely loved it and never let it go. I pursued more T Group training,

Bob took classes before, and a class was a class; a professor was a

and as I did, Ronald Lippitt became my mentor. My head was spinning.

professor—predictable. Sure, this was Boston University. But so what? The class would be a cinch: he’d read the book, take a couple of tests, and probably write a paper. After all, that was education.

Then, in the ‘60s, I had an opportunity to go to Nashville to be in charge of T Group training for the national Methodist Church, which meant I was responsible for one T Group every month. To hone my skills the

Almost sixty years later, Bob adjusts his purple ascot, pats his matching

church sent me here and there to get extra training myself. So for that

purple beret, and settles back to tell his story:

entire decade I was absolutely immersed in T Groups.

The day I signed up for my class in group dynamics, the professor said,

Then, in 1969, I settled in Spokane, Washington and started a not-for-

“This is going to be a course IN, not ABOUT group dynamics.”

profit business. Of course, my business needed a name, so I came up with

“Yeah. Okay,” I answered. But I had no idea what he meant. Then I went to my first class. There I was in a classic T Group setting: I had to deal with my relationships with other group members and help make group decisions. That was strange in itself, but even stranger was the fact that group members had to fill the vacuum left by the professor when the professor abandoned his traditional role. In all my previous classes the professor assigned topics; the professor told us what to do. But out of the blue, I was involved in true experiential education, where leadership had to emerge. You see, during the late ‘40s/early ‘50s there was a convergence of great

THREE

L I O S G R A D U AT E C O L L E G E O F S AY B R O O K

Leadership Institute of Spokane—LIOS—because that meant I could move to any city in the United States that started with an S and still call my business LIOS! Fortunately, during the early ‘70s, the Nixon administration allocated significant funds to train youth workers, who flocked to LIOS, so we became very strong. Then in 1973, students started to ask about getting credit for their training. So I talked to the President of Whitworth College, who was an amazing futurist. He said, “Well, why don’t you do a graduate program here at Whitworth?” “Really? What do I have to do to get it started?” I asked.

minds in leadership. First of all Kurt Lewin spawned a movement in

He said, “Come with me,” and walked me down the hall to Dave Winters,

group dynamics called the “T Group.” Well, in 1947, Kurt died an

who was the academic vice president. After five minutes with Dave, we

untimely death, but three of his followers—Ronald Lippitt, Ken Benny,

had a master’s program in applied behavioral science. 65

66 CHAPTER SEVEN

them down to three finalists. Saybrook was in third place. Well, a Board

much more—it is a joy because hundreds of students leave LIOS with

member posed a good question: what is the essential quality we’re

their lives altered. LIOS graduates make a difference in the world because

looking for in a partner? As we pondered, we realized the answer was

they learn how to create their individual worlds, and once they get that,

differentiation—we needed to be part of an institution that honored and

they turn the entire world upside down.

supported our uniqueness but would also challenge us and work with us

I think of myself as the stream that became the river, and LIOS bubbled from there.

THREE

So, initially, founding LIOS was a business decision, but it became so

in a collaborative way. Initially, my assumption was we needed our own accreditation. Yet, this was the fourth time in our history we sought affiliation that didn’t work

A N O T H E R W AY

out. And without accreditation we would literally die.

And, indeed, LIOS did bubble. There was a time, though, when its

During a conversation with Lorne Buchman it came to me: there is

bubble almost burst . . .

another way—Saybrook’s vision for its new University is exactly the

Some claim LIOS was the best kept secret in the Northwest. Still, in its own quiet way it grew. But to continue to grow it needed accreditation.

differentiation we need. So at the end of the proverbial day, LIOS chose Saybrook and Saybrook chose LIOS.

No problem. LIOS was affiliated with Bastyr University, a full accredited

Now, because of our union, LIOS’s legacy of training people to effectively

University located in Kenmore, Washington. The two institutions had

lead individuals and organizations in service of creating positive and

a good relationship. LIOS’s administration, faculty, and staff just knew

sustainable change will continue.

that by yearend 2007, LIOS would be a fully accredited College at Bastyr University.

HEARTS TOUCHED HEARTS

S H E L L E Y D R O G I N T E L L S T H E S T O RY:

The LIOS community celebrated. Still, things would be different. LIOS

LIOS was all set to become a College at Bastyr, but somehow during

faculty was collegial, friendly, a team. Would that change? It was time for

the process of negotiations, things broke down, and we realized it wasn’t

colleague to meet colleague.

going to happen. I was Dean at the time, but even though I knew we were a ship going down, I stepped up to be President. Why? For me, LIOS is like coming home. It is my calling. It is where I belong.

PA M J O H N S O N R E M E M B E R S :

I’ll never forget the first day faculty from LIOS went to San Francisco to meet our new colleagues. We all had questions and wondered if and

Anyway, one of the first things I did was create a prospectus. We sent it

how this threesome would work. Lorne Buchman greeted us and ushered

to forty or fifty institutions. I was astounded with the response: not a

us into the Rollo May Library, where a welcome reception for all three

single, “No!” We were heartened because institutions ranging from State

Colleges was in progress. It was like a first date—you were on your best

Universities to an Ivy League school were interested in us.

behavior: chit-chat politely and made sure you don’tt spill your drink or

As we examined our options to determine the best fit, we narrowed

have spinach in your teeth. 67

CHAPTER SEVEN

When I met Dennis Jaffe, John Adams, and Nancy Southern, I liked

T H E C O L L E G E O F M I N D - B O DY M E D I C I N E

them and knew it was a right fit. I felt as if we were in the same tribe. We

MBM

could live with that.

LET’S DO IT

Then, a PHS faculty member talked about a student’s dissertation: this

A teenager opens a book. He reads. He thinks. The world is changed

student’s Saybrook work changed her life; it made a difference in the

forever.

world. As he talked I could hear it in his voice: he has a passion for teaching; he has pride and affection for his students. I knew, without a doubt, his feelings reflected the feelings of Saybrook’s entire faculty. I sat back in my chair and thought YES! Saybrook’s faculty loves teaching. Saybrook’s faculty loves students. That makes them just like us!

J I M G O R D O N T E L L S T H E S T O RY:

Socrates was my first teacher. When I was a thirteen-year-old kid I started to read the dialogues of Plato. “Know thyself ” was his guiding rule; he suggested an unexamined life is not worth living. I was hooked.

At that moment I felt a heart connection, and I knew, because hearts

I embraced the idea that I can look at myself and learn—I can change

touched hearts, our partnership will be a good one.

and expand my consciousness—I can be more fully human. I went on to Harvard medical school, where I studied to be a psychiatrist. From its very beginning, psychiatry understood the mind-body connection. So, now, my formal training supported my belief that, as human beings, our emotional state can affect us physically. With that, I developed an interest in meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi; I ventured into Chinese Medicine; I explored the therapeutic uses of food and herbs. Initially, it was about me—What will help me understand myself better? What can I do to feel better? What can I do to open my mind to forms of knowledge not easily accessible in classic psychoanalysis or psychotherapy? As I discovered approaches that were useful to me, I began to realize how, as a physician, I could use them to help others. So about 1970, I started to include them in my practice and recognized I could work with patients biologically as well as psychologically, without the psychotropic drugs that so often seemed dangerous as well as ineffective. Then in 1991, I founded the not-for-profit Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington DC, where we strive to create a more effective, comprehensive, and compassionate model of healthcare and health

F U N D A M E N TA L

understanding how everything that happens in our mind affects every

Supported by Jim Gordon’s world renowned work in Mind-Body

organ and cell in our body and vice versa. Mind-Body Medicine is

Medicine, Saybrook University’s newest College offers a curriculum that

an approach that helps people use that connection to heal themselves

is fundamental to health care in the 21st century and beyond. It is a

through techniques such as meditation, guided imagery, relaxation

central element of a worldwide healing community and will, itself, be a

therapy, biofeedback, yoga, hypnosis, Tai Chi, and chi gong.

community of healers.

Anyway, in 2008 my long-time friend and colleague Dennis Jaffe, who

D O N M O S S S AYS :

sits on the Boards of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and Saybrook

Health care is at a crisis point. Today’s bio-medicine offers superb,

said, “I want you to meet Saybrook’s President Lorne Buchman because

sophisticated medical technologies, as exemplified in cardiac care and

I think you two can work out something very interesting for Saybrook

cancer care. Yet, instead of getting healthier, our population is getting

students.”

sicker. People are becoming more and more overweight, and the emotional

I said, “Great! Let’s do it,” and flew to San Francisco. Twenty minutes after Lorne and I met, he said, “I want to start a College of Mind-Body Medicine, and I want you to be Dean.” I was more than busy and wasn’t looking for another job. But as we talked, it became apparent that the Center and Saybrook had the same soul. So I left promising Lorne I would at least present the idea to my Board. I fully expected them to say, “NO! We can’t be part of Saybrook. It’s just too much.” Well, wasn’t I surprised? Board members said, “Great idea! . . . Lots of people who come to the Center want degrees in Mind-Body Medicine. .

stress levels in workplaces and families seems to worsen steadily. This leads to escalated levels of diabetes, hypertension, and other forms of chronic illness. Graduates from the College of Mind-Body Medicine are well-equipped to deal with this crisis. Mind-body medicine and integrative health provide knowledge about self-care, life style change, and self-regulation strategies that can enable human beings to participate in their own healing from illness, and, of equal importance, in the pursuit of a higher level of wellness. The College offers a rich integration of core mind-body disciplines such as clinical hypnosis, biofeedback, and guided imagery, along with newer developments in health care such as health coaching, mindfulness

. . This is perfect. . . . The partnership makes sense.”

practices, and meditation for healing.

So I went back to Lorne and said, “Okay. My Board agrees.” We worked

The partnership between Saybrook University and the Center for Mind-

out an agreement for Don Moss to be Chair and Dan Sterenchuk to handle administrative details. With that, Dan, Don, and I sat down and, within a very few months, developed a curriculum for M.A. and Ph.D. programs. On August 10, 2009 we announced the official opening of the College of Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University.

THREE

education. You see, Mind-Body Medicine is really a statement about

Body Medicine makes it possible to offer each of our students a basic training in mind-body and self-care skills. We, then, build on that foundation, by offering a wide range of courses in spirituality and health, energy medicine, and narrative medicine. We also recruited a unique faculty: our instructors include health psychologists, specialists in nutrition and functional medicine, medical 69

CHAPTER SEVEN

anthropology, and a biophysicist who researches the human energy field. I am proud to have a central role in developing the learning community within our College. THREE

Three. It is an interesting number. Its power is universal: three is the tripartite of heaven, earth, and waters; body, soul, and spirit; birth, life, and death; beginning, middle, and end; past, present, and future. Yet, there is more: Three represents creative powerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;GROWTH. It embodies the vision of moving forward.

THREE

Saybrook University is a joyous place, and joy is essential to long term flourishing.

CHAPTER

VISION HOPES DREAMS

CHAPTER

VISION HOPES DREAMS

W E C R E AT E R E L AT I O N S H I P S A N D C O M M U N I T I E S B U I LT O N C O M PA S S I O N, R E S P E C T, AU T H E N T I C V O I C E , D E E P L I S T E N I N G, R E F L E C T I V E A W A R E N E S S, S U P P O R T A N D C H A L L E N G E L E A D I N G T O R E S P O N S I B L E A C T I O N.

E M A N C I PAT O RY, L I B E R AT O RY E D U C AT I O N S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y I S G O O D — E V E N G R E AT — P E R H A P S S U P E R I O R . S O W H Y, E V E N I N S A N F R A N C I S C O, C A L I F O R N I A W H E R E S AY B R O O K W A S B O R N A N D R A I S E D, I S I T A W E L L - K E P T S E C R E T ?

In the Saybrook tradition of appreciative inquiry, the community

FEDERAL MODEL

recognizes the power of important questions. And this is an important—

Saybrook University’s future starts with vision, hopes, and dreams. And its

a very important—question.

vision, hopes, and dreams are built on the humanistic—gestalt—Federal

From the important question opportunity emerges.

Model. In Saybrook University’s version of the Federal Model, Central Administration is equivalent to the United States Federal Government;

M A R K S C H U L M A N S AYS :

the three current Colleges are equivalent to States of the Union; future

I will push us to offer emancipatory—liberatory—education, which

Colleges and programs will also be equivalent to States.

means education for everybody. And in doing so we will grow; we will become engaged worldwide, not because we want prestige but because we can contribute on that level. I am very optimistic about our future.

The Federal Model is apropos because as Mark Schulman says, “We do not want a command and control model for our University, where all decisions flow from the ‘Federal Government’ down. The ‘States’ are each different. Thus, they need to make appropriate decisions at the ‘State’ level. This model gives us a collaborative sensibility.” 75

CHAPTER EIGHT

ADVENTUROUS

We will do this with an openness and flexibility that does not exist in

EXPERIMENTING

many other institutions. And we will do this in ways that offer not only a

RADICAL

Saybrook’s vision, hopes, and dreams are also built on principles—

Board with a humanistic place to work.

ADVENTUROUS . . . EXPERIMENTING . . . RADICAL. A D V E N T U R O U S.

It is in Saybrook’s DNA. Saybrook has always been bold, bright, brave, even brash. E X P E R I M E N T I N G.

Saybrookians like words. Just ask them. They will tell you there is a distinction between experimenting and experiment. Experimenting implies a University that experiments. And some experiments fail. But fail is not failure (Yes. More words.) The University keeps experimenting, but remember, its experiments are part of a thoroughly thought-out strategic plan. RADICAL.

Radish and radical have the same etymology. Interesting. But what does that have to do with Saybrook University? Both words mean to the roots. And an education at Saybrook University grows from the roots of what it means to be human.

J U S T T H AT S I M P L E

So built on the solid foundation of the Federal Model and the principles of ADVENTUROUS . . . EXPERIMENTING . . . RADICAL, how will Saybrook University shed the well-kept secret moniker? M A R K S C H U L M A N S AYS :

We have the possibility to be the kind of place other places cannot be. It is just that simple. Our vision, hopes, and dreams are to create a humanistic University that offers an array of programs sheltered under our tradition of asking our central question: what does it mean to be human? 76

humanistic education for our students but provide our staff, faculty, and

BRAINSTORM

No one can predict precisely how Saybrook University’s vision, hopes, and dreams will come to be or how they might change as its story evolves. Everyone, though, is sure that promise and possibilities are endless . . . that synchronicity and serendipity are welcome.

Yes. Saybrook University grew from humanistic roots. And it will

C O L L E G E O F E D U C AT I O N C O L L E G E O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N A R T S COLLEGE OF DESIGN

continue to grow. It embodies highly regarded values and sits strong and proud on a model of collaborative sensibility. Saybrookians are guided by purposeful principles and excited about possibilities. Saybrook’s Board is supportive, its leader courageous,

C O L L E G E O F B U S I N E S S T H AT O F F E R S A M B A

faculty rigorous, staff diligent, students special, and alumni enlightened.

C O L L E G E O F L E G A L S T U D I E S T H AT O F F E R S A

AND, as Alison Shapiro says, “Saybrook University is a joyous place, and

“ C U T T I N G - E D G E L AW ” P R O G R A M

DREAMS

include:

HOPES

J OY

VISION

The Saybrook community brainstorms. Our vision, hopes, and dreams

joy is essential to long term flourishing.”

P H . D. I N C R E AT I V I T Y M FA P R O G R A M LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING S P E C I A LT Y I N T H E C O L L E G E O F M I N D - B O DY MEDICINE U N D E R G R A D U AT E P R O G R A M S A “ R E A L” C A M P U S A C E N T R A L A D M I N I S T R AT I O N B U I L D I N G W O R T H Y OF

S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S S E N S E O F P L A C E

E X PA N D E D S C H O L A R S H I P S F O R M U LT I - C U LT U R A L LEADERS 3 , 0 0 0 S T U D E N T S A N D 7 N E W C O L L E G E S, W I T H I N THE NEXT 10 YEARS M O R E G E O G R A P H I C, C U LT U R A L , L I F E S T Y L E DIVERSITY IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY MORE ENGAGED LEARNING IN ALL COLLEGES O N S I T E T R A I N I N G F O R N AT I V E H E A LT H PROFESSIONALS IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS HAITI

How do you want to open humankind to new ways of thinking窶馬ew possibilities for being?

CHAPTER

B E YO N D T H E E N D

CHAPTER

B E YO N D T H E E N D

W E A R E C R E AT I V E , R I S K - TA K I N G L E A D E R S W H O C H A L L E N G E A S S U M P T I O N S A N D I M A G I N E N E W P O S S I B I L I T I E S.

S O, D E A R R E A D E R , T H I S I S S AY B R O O K U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S S T O RY.

Most stories, appropriately, end with The End. But like Saybrook

supporting student research, investing in new technology—each is a way

University itself, its story is different, even extraordinary. It will not end

to touch thousands, even tens of thousands, of lives.

when you close the book and switch off the light. It will continue to grow, evolve, reach out and change the world. And you can be part of its rich heritage, its lasting legacy. Saybrook University is a small, private, not-for-profit institution, not by

What is your particular interest? How do you want to open humankind to new ways of thinking—new possibilities for being? How do you want to partner with Saybrook University to go beyond The End and create new stories about human beings who dare fly over the rainbow?

any means wealthy. It is, though, authentic. And, candidly, authenticity is not found readily in the world today. Humankind needs Saybrook University: it is a rare oasis where spirit befriends rigor, where ideals hug actions.

BETWEEN THE LINES

Thank you, Mark Schulman, for making the commitment to tell Saybrook University’s story. Thank you for trusting me to be the storyteller.

In a small school, even a small gift makes a substantial difference.

Through your leadership, Saybrook’s story will continue to reach out and

Endowing a chair, funding a new program, contributing to scholarships,

touch tomorrow.

CHAPTER NINE

Thank you, Contributors, for graciously, generously, and candidly opening your minds and hearts. Thank you for sharing your personal storiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;stories that are indelibly written into Saybrook Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collective story. Thank you, Sigrid Badinelli and Alda Yu, for taking time out of your already busy days to manage the project. Thank you, Kelly Macy, for bringing the story to life through compelling design. Thank you, Chuck Schwabe, my husband and friend, for supporting and promoting my unwavering quest to be the best personal historian on the planet. Thank you, Saybrook professors and colleagues, who confirmed that weird is, actually, cool. Thank you, Steve Pritzker, Ruth Richards, Arne Collen, for being the best committee a student could hope for. Finally, through my dissertation, Life Story Telling by Older Adults to Elucidate the Meaning of their Lives, I was able to fulfill my lifelong dream to explore meaning in life. Like other Saybrookians, I love words. But words are not enough to say thank you, Saybrook University, for heartening my pilgrimage to become fully human.

J U D I T H K O LVA , P H . D. ( S AY B R O O K A L U M N A â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 0 4 )

is a personal historian, founder and CEO of Memoir Shoppe. She is a trusted interviewer, expert researcher, gifted writer, and talented speaker who travels worldwide transforming precious memories into priceless, bespoke memoirs.

www.memoirshoppe.com

Please contact Judith at Office: 954.759.4531 Mobile: 954.856.6646 Email: judith@memoirshoppe.com

NOTES 1

Taylor, E., Martinez, S., Martin, F. (2000). Old Saybrook one: Landmark

in the history of humanistic psychology. Cambridge, MA: The Essene Press.

Ibid.

2003-2004 Saybrook Graduate Catalog.