Drake Spaeth

Drake Spaeth, PsyD is currently the Existential-Humanistic Psychology Specialization Coordinator in the Psychology Program in the Humanistic and Clinical Psychology Department at Saybrook University, where he was Psychology Chair for three years. He is also an alum of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where he currently serves as Associate Adjunct Professor and was core faculty for 13 years. He was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of TCSPP for 2020. He also hold a Lecturer position at Northwestern University. He served as President of the Society for Humanistic Psychology (American Psychological Association, Division 32) from 2019-2020.

Dr. Spaeth also founded one of TCSPP's first blended learning programs in 2008 at the Grayslake University Center campus. He has additionally served as online faculty since 2015 in various programs at Saybrook.

Dr. Spaeth's philosophy of teaching encompasses the belief that students learn best when they feel inspired by the course material, perceive its relevance to their personal and professional life circumstances, and long to apply wisdom and insights gleaned through the course material to those circumstances. He seeks through gentle encouragement and challenges to help them meet and exceed their perceived personal limitations. He espouses the value of the healing relationship formed between therapists and clients, helping students enhance relationship skills (as opposed to exclusive emphasis on techniques and treatments) in working with clients to achieve positive change in their lives. He encourages humor, resourcefulness, and curiosity in his students-as well as active participation and discussion of course topics both in and out of the classroom context.

Dr. Spaeth's academic and clinical interests include trauma and PTSD, spirituality and spiritual competency in therapy and counseling, indigenous healing practices, existential-humanistic perspectives in counseling and therapy, constructivist approaches, and contemporary applications of Jungian/analytical psychological perspectives.

Dr. Spaeth currently resides in Waukesha, Wisconsin with his wife and two dogs.