humanistic psychology

What is creativity and how do we study it? If you’re curious to learn more about the study of creativity and innovation, this episode is for you.

My guest today is Dr. Robert Cleve, head of the Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership Specialization at Saybrook University. We talk about how Robert recently updated the curriculum to better address the complex problems we face as a global community. We also discuss everyday creativity, and how we can use our innate creativity not only to survive, but heal ourselves and to enrich our lives.

For our Creativity Pro-Tip today,  think about how you utilize creativity in your everyday life, sometimes just to get through the day, and to make meaning of your experiences. Once we recognize and honor the ways we’re constantly using our creativity to navigate life, we can then direct our it toward healing, helping others, and maybe even changing the world for the better.

At Syncreate, we’re here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea and you’re interested in our help, please reach out to us about 1x1 coaching, or join our Syncreate 6-Month Coaching Group starting in April of 2024. We’ll guide you through our Syncreate process to help bring a creative project to life. More at syncreate.org.

Credits: The Syncreate Podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse and produced by Christian Haigis with assistance from  Michael Osborne. Video editing by Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the psychology of creativity, check out Episode 8: Grief, Healing, and the Artist’s Life with Anne Myers Cleary, Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera.

We're now on Patreon! We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly donation, you’ll receive exclusive content and access.

Episode-specific hyperlinks: 

Robert Cleve, PhD on LinkedIn

The Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership Program at Saybrook University

Humanistic Psychology

International Psychology

Dr. Ruth Richards

Everyday Creativity

The Four C Model of Creativity

Vlad Glaveneau

Robert’s Glass-Making Website

Show / permanent hyperlinks: 

The Syncreate Podcast

Syncreate Website
Syncreate YouTube

Syncreate Instagram
Melinda Rothouse Website

Welcome to another episode of Saybrook Insights. One of the joys of my time doing Saybrook Insights is the opportunity to interview Saybrookians - past and present - who have contributed to Saybrook's amazing legacy. Individuals like former President Lorne Buchman and numerous alumni shed amazing light on their Saybrook experience and their work in the world regarding impact to advance positive social change. Today, I have the privilege of speaking with Dr. John Adams, one of the influential founding faculty members in our organizational systems program. John's career is long, varied, and powerful, given his extensive work in applying organizational leadership and development concepts, something we could use a lot more today in our nation's corporations and institutions. 

 All right, let's get to it with Dr. John Adams.
 
Learn more at Saybrook.Edu

Season 5, Ep 6 (Rebroadcast): Dr. Jackson (Department Chair, Clinical Psychology at Saybrook University) offers brilliant, powerful observations which serve as key lessons for how we journey together through these extraordinary, challenging times. Our hour-and-a-half covered a range of topics from humanistic psychology, COVID-19, race, and social justice.

Listen. Learn. Be part of the solution… Boldly stand up!
 
 To learn more about Saybrook University, visit us online at www.saybrook.edu.

About Dr. Jackson

Theopia Jackson, Ph.D. received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Howard University, Washington, D.C. and doctorate from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. She has held several leadership roles in higher education and is currently the Department Chair for Clinical Psychology in the Department of Humanistic and Clinical Psychology at Saybrook University in Pasadena, California.

Dr. Jackson is a licensed clinical psychologist with having served at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; she practiced in the Healthy Hearts program, Department of Psychiatry, and Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. In addition, she is the President for The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc. (ABPsi) and past president for the Bay Area chapter. Her other professional affiliations include membership in the Association of Family Therapists of Northern California (co-founding member of the Cultural Accountability Committee), American Psychological Association (Division 32 Society for Humanistic Psychology: Member-at-Large), California Psychological Association (Chair: Division VII Diversity and Social Justice; Member: CARE Committee), and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Additionally, she has served on the medical advisory council for Baykids Studios and for the Sickle Cell Community Advisory Council (SCCAC). Dr. Jackson has a long history of providing child, adolescent, and family therapy services, specializing in serving populations coping with chronic illness and complex trauma. She is an accomplished scholar-practitioner and educator who provides cultural competency workshops, seminars, and consultation. She has been invited to participate on several national and local California initiatives intended to establish integrative health care that is culturally-attuned and linguistically responsive.

Dr. Jackson is a life-learner who believes that professional knowledge both shapes and is shaped by community wisdom. She and her husband of 30+ years are the proud parents of three children, her best teachers! Honoring culturally-affirming spiritual healing of creativity, social justice, and resilience, Dr. Jackson espouses: “What you help a child to love can be more important than what you help him [or her] to learn.” ~African proverb

The Lindisfarne Tapes are selected recordings of presentations and conversations at the Lindisfarne Fellows’ meetings. In March of 2013 William Thompson granted permission to the Schumacher Center for a New Economics to transfer the talks from the old reel-to-reel tapes to digital format so that they could be posted online and shared freely. In 2021, the Schumacher Center used the digital audio to create the Lindisfarne Tapes Podcast. Reposting should include acknowledgment of williamirwinthompson.org. Learn more about the Lindisfarne Tapes here.

Bateson delivered this lecture in 1976 at the Lindisfarne Summer Conference, "A Light Governance for America: The Cultures and Strategies of Decentralization."

The Lindisfarne Tapes are selected recordings of presentations and conversations at the Lindisfarne Fellows’ meetings. In March of 2013 William Thompson granted permission to the Schumacher Center for a New Economics to transfer the talks from the old reel-to-reel tapes to digital format so that they could be posted online and shared freely. In 2021, the Schumacher Center used the digital audio to create the Lindisfarne Tapes Podcast. Reposting should include acknowledgment of williamirwinthompson.org. Learn more about the Lindisfarne Tapes here.

Bateson delivered this lecture in 1975 at the Lindisfarne Summer Conference, "Conscious Evolution and the Evolution of Consciousness."

Season 2, Episode 39: A National Vision for the American Psychological Association...

In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Kirk Schneider, author of The Polarized Mind and current candidate for President of the American Psychological Association. Our talk today is particularly timely given the current national ethos as well as Dr. Schneider’s candidacy for president of the APA (voting closes on October 29 which is this week). To learn more about Saybrook University, visit us online at www.saybrook.edu.

Dr. Schneider's Bio and Website - Click Here

Kirk is a licensed psychologist and leading spokesperson for contemporary existential-humanistic psychology. His experience and contributions are extensive: Kirk is a cofounder and current president of the Existential-Humanistic Institute (an award-winning psychotherapy training center), Council Member for the American Psychological Association (APA), past president (2015-2016) of the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32) of the APA, recent past editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2005-2012), a trained moderator for the conflict mediation group Braver Angels, and an adjunct faculty member at Saybrook University and Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Schneider is also an Honorary Member of the Society for Existential Analysis and the East European Association for Existential Therapy. He received the Rollo May Award for “outstanding and independent contributions” to the field of humanistic psychology from the Society for Humanistic Psychology, APA and is a Fellow of Divisions of the APA (32, 42, 12, 29, and 24). His work on existential-integrative psychotherapy has been featured in a special issue of the Journal of Psychotherapy Integration (March, 2016) and is the inspiration for the psychotherapy training program of the Living Institute, Toronto, Canada. Dr. Schneider has published over 200 articles, interviews and chapters and has authored or edited 13 books. 

Season 2, Episode 5:

Description: In this episode, Saybrook University alumnus Dr. O’Dell Johnson and I met to discuss several topics near and dear to his heart and Saybrook’s, including social equity and prison reform. His insights are derived from both his scholarly and on-the-ground activities ultimately driving towards durable, transformational change, especially in the area of prison reform and justice. For more information on Dr. Johnson, go to his non-profit website at risejustice.org. 

To learn more about Saybrook University, visit us online at www.saybrook.edu.

Dr. O'Dell Johnson Key Information

• Organizational Website: http://www.risejustice.org/
• Email: odell@risejustice.org

Today’s episode features Alumna Dr. Ginger Charles. In this episode, Dr. Charles and I discuss her background as a police officer, her research and current work re-shaping policing culture, and ways in which police departments and communities can come together to effect positive change. 

To learn more about Saybrook University, visit us online at www.saybrook.edu. 

Link to Dr. Charles' Book: Police Pursuit of the Common Good

Dr. Charles' Website: http://www.spiritualityandpolicing.com/home.html

Books by Dr. Charles 

• Police Pursuit of the Common Good: https://www.balboapress.com/BookStore/BookDetails/725812-Police-Pursuit-of-the-Common-Good
• Leadership Resilience: https://www.routledge.com/Leadership-Resilience-Lessons-for-Leaders-from-the-Policing-Frontline/Charles-Smith/p/book/9781138279384

About Dr. Charles

Ginger Charles, Ph.D. is a retired police sergeant, having served 27 years as a police officer in Colorado. Her experience in the police culture gives her a unique, boots on the ground, approach in the law enforcement world. Ginger has served in patrol, administration, and investigations.

In 2005, Dr. Charles received her doctorate from Saybrook University in Health Psychology, focusing on Health Risk Factors in the police community, specifically in the area of health and spirituality. Ginger recently retired in 2013 after living in the "petri dish" and relocated to Northern California to continue research, writing, and consultancy in the law enforcement culture.

Today’s episode is part of a new feature entitled “The Saybrook Experience” in which I connect with students, faculty, staff, and alumni about what it’s like to be part of our unique, powerful institution. Today, I met with Sam and Lori who brought unique insights – Sam from his work as a PhD student to Lori who has been a faculty member with the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Program. 

To learn more about Saybrook University, visit us online at www.saybrook.edu. And now, Sam and Lori reflecting on their Saybrook Experience….

Dr. Jackson (Department Chair, Clinical Psychology at Saybrook University) offers brilliant, powerful observations which serve as key lessons for how we journey together through these extraordinary, challenging times. Our hour-and-a-half covered a range of topics from humanistic psychology, COVID-19, race, and social justice.

Listen. Learn. Be part of the solution… Boldly stand up!
 
 To learn more about Saybrook University, visit us online at www.saybrook.edu.

About Dr. Jackson

Theopia Jackson, Ph.D. received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Howard University, Washington, D.C. and doctorate from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. She has held several leadership roles in higher education and is currently the Department Chair for Clinical Psychology in the Department of Humanistic and Clinical Psychology at Saybrook University in Pasadena, California.

Dr. Jackson is a licensed clinical psychologist with having served at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; she practiced in the Healthy Hearts program, Department of Psychiatry, and Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. In addition, she is the President for The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc. (ABPsi) and past president for the Bay Area chapter. Her other professional affiliations include membership in the Association of Family Therapists of Northern California (co-founding member of the Cultural Accountability Committee), American Psychological Association (Division 32 Society for Humanistic Psychology: Member-at-Large), California Psychological Association (Chair: Division VII Diversity and Social Justice; Member: CARE Committee), and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Additionally, she has served on the medical advisory council for Baykids Studios and for the Sickle Cell Community Advisory Council (SCCAC). Dr. Jackson has a long history of providing child, adolescent, and family therapy services, specializing in serving populations coping with chronic illness and complex trauma. She is an accomplished scholar-practitioner and educator who provides cultural competency workshops, seminars, and consultation. She has been invited to participate on several national and local California initiatives intended to establish integrative health care that is culturally-attuned and linguistically responsive.

Dr. Jackson is a life-learner who believes that professional knowledge both shapes and is shaped by community wisdom. She and her husband of 30+ years are the proud parents of three children, her best teachers! Honoring culturally-affirming spiritual healing of creativity, social justice, and resilience, Dr. Jackson espouses: “What you help a child to love can be more important than what you help him [or her] to learn.” ~African proverb

Dr. Brewer brings to this episode a wealth of insights about her background, online learning, her specific passions related to academic research, what it means to do research, the purpose of that mysterious Institutional Review Board, and the nature of being a humanistic researcher, and numerous other topics. She brings a true joy to her work and passion for supporting students. 

If you're new to research or graduate work, Dr. Brewer's podcast is an outstanding introduction. If you're a seasoned researcher, she offers several insights that bear further reflection. We had a great conversation! Her passion, her kindness, and her accessible approach to higher education made for a truly inspirational conversation.

For more on Dr. Brewer go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-c-brewer/

For more information about Saybrook University, go to: www.saybrook.edu. You can also learn more about the Saybrook Mind-Body Medicine program by going to https://www.saybrook.edu/areas-of-study/mind-body-medicine/

Today’s episode features Dr. Dennis Jaffe, a long-time Saybrookian who has served in several capacities including as core faculty and trustee. In his life as emeritus faculty, Dr. Jaffe continues his unique research on family wealth providing important insights into this particular group of individuals. His work has taken him around the world and back resulting in cutting-edge scholarship on the topic. We also dive a bit into humanistic psychology and the impact of COVID-19 around the globe.

About Dennis Jaffe (from www.dennisjaffe.com)

For over 40 years, Dr. Jaffe has been one of the leading architects of the field of family enterprise consulting. As both an organizational consultant and clinical psychologist, he helps multi-generational families to develop governance practices that build the capability of next generation leadership and ensure ongoing capability of financial organizations and family offices to serve their family clients.

His work with families helps inform financial advisors and wealth managers about the knowledge and skills needed to serve their client families. He is an acclaimed speaker and workshop leader in programs for business families and financial service firms. He is an associate with Wise Counsel Research, a think tank that sponsors my research and offers professional education workshops.

He is also a Family Business Scholar at the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell University, a faculty advisor at the Ultra High New Worth Institute, a regular contributor to Forbes Leadership channel, reporting on family cross-generational family business and wealth, and a professional member of STEP, Society for Trust and Estate Planners.

Since its inception, he has been an active member of the Family Firm Institute, presenting at annual conferences, serving on the board, designing and delivering educational courses in their GEN program and writing for the Family Business Review. In 2017, he was recognized by the Family Firm Institute for my international work, and in 2004, received the prestigious Richard Beckhard Award for contributions to professional practice.

For 35 years, he was professor of Organizational Systems and Psychology at Saybrook University in San Francisco (now located in Pasadena, California), where he is now professor emeritus. He received his B.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Management and Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University.

Dr. Walker Ladd, Saybrook University faculty member in the Department of Research, offers listeners insights on the research process, humanistic philosophy, and how to stay focused on the goal at hand: completing that dissertation or thesis, especially in these very challenging times. On top of all of that goodness, we also learn some interesting tidbits about her family history! A really great interview with a phenomenal person. 

For more information about Saybrook University, please go to www.saybrook.edu. 

About Our Interviewee

• Dr. Ladd's Website: https://walkerladd.blog/  
• Dr. Ladd's Bio: https://walkerladd.blog/about/

Dr. Drake Spaeth and Dr. Marina Smirnova, Saybrook University faculty members in the Department of Humanistic Psychology, provide key insights on how we can cope and use this time during the COVID-19 crisis to connect with others. 

For more information about Saybrook University, please go to www.saybrook.edu. 

Resources: 

Five Love Languages: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/2018/06/the-five-love-languages-defined/

Choice: Embrace the Possible by Eva Eger (Saybrook 1978): https://www.amazon.com/Choice-Embrace-Possible-Edith-Eger-ebook/dp/B01HMXRZ6O

The Internet is full of coaches advertising their services to help you find your ‘authentic self’ (maybe it’s just under the couch), or to ‘unlock its power’ (sounds risky, why was it imprisoned in the first place?). In this episode, we look at where this notion of an ‘authentic self’ came from, and why it actually fits more within a religious framework than a scientific one. As coaches, we also look at how we’d approach this Cartesian dilemma in our own practice.