Foundations of Existential-Humanistic Practice

Foundations of Existential-Humanistic Therapy

Certificate Program Director: Orah T. Krug, Ph.D. [1]

Recent research places existential-humanistic therapy not on the fringe, but squarely at the center of psychological theory and practice. The certificate provides a foundational core that focuses on both theory and skill development. The theoretical part focuses on existential-humanistic therapy with an emphasis on two of its founders, Rollo May and James Bugental. An overarching assumption of existential-humanistic therapy is that the client’s in-the-moment experience forms both the underlying and actual process in therapy. This assumption anchors the existential therapist in the principles of practice that focus on experience over explanation and process over content.

The skill-development part focuses on learning to:

• Identify meaning-making processes unfolding in the present moment.
• Illuminate these “actual but often unrecognized” processes by cultivating intra-psychic and interpersonal presence.
• Develop a safe and intimate therapeutic relationship.
• Recognize and work with existential life issues which may be present but disguised.
• Recognize and work with transference and counter-transference issues within an existential framework.

By gaining competency in these fundamental principles, you will have a solid core of practice and a foundation from which additional modalities, such as a cognitive-behavioral approach, can be employed. The program is intended as a mentoring experience that emphasizes your development as a whole person, appreciating that psychotherapy is an art as much as a science.

Eligibility

The certificate program, run by the Existential-Humanistic Institute [2] and Saybrook University, is open to full or half-time students in good standing. Coursework may satisfy both certificate and degree requirements. Students without previous clinical training or not involved in a clinical psychology degree program at Saybrook may be eligible if they have a strong background in existential or humanistic therapy. It will take one-to-two years to complete this certificate. 

Curriculum

The certificate requires three credits each for five academic and experiential courses, plus one credit for final integrative paper, for a total of 16 credits.

1.  Three academic courses taken via distance learning. Instructors will be assigned after you have been accepted.

• HTP 2040 Existential Psychotherapies
• HTP 6150 Existential Psychotherapies II: Rollo May and the Existential Tradition
• HTP 2047 Existential Psychotherapies III: James Bugental and the Existential-Humanistic Tradition

2. Two experiential courses:

• HTP 2045 Existential-Humanistic Therapy: Experiential I
• HTP 2046 Existential-Humanistic Therapy: Experiential II
• These two four-day experiential courses offer a total of 48 hours of skill development training. They are held in San Francisco in January and August, several days prior to the start of the PII Residential Conference, under instructors Orah Krug and Kirk Schneider. 

3. Final Integrative Paper

• This paper synthesizes and analyzes your academic and experiential learning.
• This culminating assignment also gives you an opportunity to assess your strengths, identify further learning needs, and develop a specific plan for continuing your personal and professional development in the area of existential-humanistic therapy.

4. A year of personal therapy taken either before or during the yearlong program is strongly recommended.

5. As an added bonus, students enrolled in the Certificate Program will be able to:

• Attend the annual conference of the Existential-Humanistic Institute (EHI) [2]in November at a reduced rate
• Receive an additional 12 hours of skill development training, specifically intended for certificate program students

Cost of Program

There is no additional cost for Saybrook students, except added expenses for food and lodging for the additional days needed for the experiential courses at the Residential Conference.

If you are a current Saybrook student in good-standing, you should apply and register for this certificate at: http://ehinstitute.org/ehi-eh-therapy-certificate.html [3]. Complete and submit the application online. Once accepted to the program, you will receive the course registration information. This certificate may be taken either as part of, or in addition to, your current degree studies.

For more information on this or other certificate programs, please complete the form on the right. You may check multiple options.

For specific questions on this program, contact:

Orah T. Krug, PhD
Certificate Program Director, Saybrook Faculty
Director of Training, Existential-Humanistic Institute
orahkrug@sbcglobal.net [4]