Psychology Faculty

Core and Adjunct Faculty

John Amodeo received his Bachelor's from Hofstra University, his Master's from Lone Mountain College, and his Doctorate from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. He has been in private practice as a psychotherapist for over 20 years. John lectures widely and has also been a teacher of Focusing since 1982. Among his many publications in the areas of relationships and psychotherapy are his three books, Being Intimate; Love and Betrayal; and The Authentic Heart.

James Armstrong received his Bachelor's from the University of Virginia, his Master's from the University of Northern Colorado, and his Doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago. Jim has previously taught at CIIS, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Saybrook Graduate School, and the Presidio School of Management. He is a management consultant with an interest in Executive Coaching, Organizational Development, and Strategy Development.

Michael Barclay (Core Faculty) received his Bachelor's from Colgate University, his Master's from Sonoma State University, and his Doctorate from Saybrook Institute. For over 15 years, Michael has been in private practice as a Clinical Psychologist and serves as the Clinical Director of New Directions Adolescent Services. Michael’s research articles have been published in the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, Journal of Music Therapy, The Humanistic Psychologist, and Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology. Michael also leads a blues/jazz band.

Dyrian Benz received his Bachelors from Rutgers University, his Master’s from Montclair State College and his Doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. He is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He is a co-founder of the Hakomi Institute, the Embodied Psychology Association, and the Group Field Training Association. Dyrian’s interests relate to group processes, Somatic training, and Relational Psychology.

Ed Biery (Core Faculty) received his Bachelors and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis. He also received his Master’s and Doctorate from Meridian University. Ed’s interests relate to the practical interface of neurobiology with clinical practice in imaginal psychology, to help clients better understand what is going on in their bodies as well as their psyches, primarily through the exploration of image and the expression of affect.

Art Bohart received his Bachelor’s from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was the President of Saybrook Graduate School and for over 23 years, has been in private practice as a clinical psychologist. He is co-author of the book, Foundations of Clinical and Counseling Psychology.

Lorna Catford received her Master’s from Sonoma State University and her Doctorate from Stanford University. For the last 17 years, she has been co-teaching the Creativity in Business course at Stanford University with Michael Ray, with whom she coauthored the book, The Path of the Everyday Hero. Lorna has lead seminars on creativity in corporate and academic settings for the last 20 years.

John Conger received his Bachelor's from Harvard College, his Master's from New York University, and his Doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology. John’s interests include the integration of spirituality, somatic awareness, and psychodynamic theory. He has been in private practice as a Clinical Psychologist for 25 years. Among his many publications in the areas of somatic psychology and psychotherapy are his two books, Jung and Reich: The Body as Shadow and The Body in Recovery: Somatic Psychotherapy and the Self.

Eleanor Criswell (Core Faculty) received her Bachelor's and Master's from the University of Kentucky and her Doctorate from the University of Florida. She has been a professor of psychology at Sonoma State University since 1969 and has formerly been its Chairperson. She is the editor of the journal Somatics and the Director of the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training. As a Counseling Psychologist, she maintains a private practice in psychotherapy and somatics and is the author of Somatic Yoga and Somatics and Biofeedback.

Kate Donohue received her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and her Doctorate from Temple University. She is a psychologist in private practice in San Francisco. Kate’s interests include dreamwork, depth psychology, EMDR, and Sandplay. She is a registered Expressive Arts Therapist.

Carolyn Shoshana Fershtman, JD, Ph.D., (Core Faculty) is the Director of Assessment and Student Development at Meridian University. Shoshana received her Bachelor’s from the University of California, Berkeley, her Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law, and her Master’s and Doctorate from Meridian University. She is a psychologist in private practice in Santa Rosa, whose interests include mysticism, dreamwork, depth psychology, somatic therapy and mindfulness-based approaches. Shoshana has worked as an attorney consultant for environmental and Native American groups for many years.

Marti Glenn received her Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Florida. Marti was co-founder of the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. She has been a pioneering psychotherapist and educator for over 25 years. She is a board member of the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health and has been chair of three of their past International Congresses. Marti was also Pacifica Graduate Institute’s founding Academic Dean. She is a licensed MFT and works in the following areas of interest: Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology; Somatic Psychology; Gestalt Therapy; Psychotherapy with Adults, Families, and Children; Clinical Supervision; and Group Psychotherapy.

Dianna Grayer received her Bachelor's from San Francisco State University and her Doctorate from Meridian University. In private practice as a psychotherapist, Dianna specializes in issues of childhood maternal wounding, parenting, and foster care and adoption.

Lisa Herman (Core Faculty) received her Bachelor's from the University of California, Berkeley, her Master's from California State University, Hayward, and her Doctorate from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Lisa’s publications focus on trauma, play therapy, qualitative research, and transformative learning. In addition to the United States, Lisa has worked as a psychotherapist and teacher in Canada and Israel.

Kim Hermanson Kim Hermanson received her Bachelor's from Iowa State University, her Master's from the University of Minnesota, and her Doctorate from the University of Chicago. She has taught at, University of California Berkeley and Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Her books include Getting Messy: A Guide to Taking Risks and Opening the Imagination for Teachers, Trainers, Coaches and Mentors and Sky's the Limit, which received an Independent Publisher Award in 2005.

Rae Johnson received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo, a Master’s degree from Lesley University, and a Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Toronto. She is a registered Social Worker, a registered Somatic Movement Therapist, and has been in clinical practice as a somatic psychotherapist for over twenty years. Rae is former Chair of the Somatic Psychology Department at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and former Director of the Body Psychotherapy Program in the Somatic Counseling Psychology Department at Naropa University.

Jacob Kaminker received his Bachelors from Rutgers College, his Masters from Sonoma State University and his Ph.D. from the Sofia University. He has co-authored a chapter on Transpersonal Models on Mental Health for the Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology. His interested include expressive arts, dreams, and alchemy.

Jeannie Lemesurier received her Bachelor’ s and Master’s from McGill University and her Doctorate from the University de Montreal. Jeannie has been in private practice as a clinical psychologist for over 20 years. Her primary interests include working with children and adolescents.

Courtney Lubell (Core Faculty) received her Bachelor’s and Master’s from Sonoma State University. Her interests include transformative learning, affect regulation, community development, and the role of ritual in the restoration of experience and memory.

Aftab Omer (Core Faculty) received his Bachelor’s from M.I.T. and his Doctorate from Brandeis University. Formerly the President of the Council for Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychologies. Aftab is a fellow of the International Futures Forum and The World Academy of Arts and Sciences. Aftab’s research has focused on the emergence of human capacities within transformative learning communities and his work includes assisting organizations in tapping the creative potentials of conflict, diversity, and complexity. His published articles include “The Spacious Center: Leadership and the Creative Transformation of Culture” and “Between Columbine and the Twin Towers: Fundamentalist Culture as a Failure of Imagination.”

Orren Perlman received his Bachelor’s from Haverford College and his Medical Degree from Harvard University School of Medicine. For over 16 years, Orren has been in private practice as a psychiatrist. Orren is certified as a Diplomate and utilizes EMDR, Interactive Guided Imagery, and AEDP in his work with clients.

Laury Rappaport received her Bachelor's in Art Therapy from the State University of New York/ Buffalo, her Master's in Art/Expressive Therapy from Lesley College, and her Doctorate from Union Institute. Prior to relocating to California, Laury taught art therapy and expressive therapies at Lesley University for over 25 years. Laury is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Expressive Arts Therapist. Additionally, as a Certified Focusing Trainer, Laury is a pioneer in the integration of expressive arts therapies with renowned psychologist Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing. Her book, Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy, is widely used in art therapy and expressive arts classes.

Sophia Reinders received her Master’s and Doctorate from Saybrook Institute. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has been practicing in San Francisco for over 20 years. Her interests include expressive arts and Somatic Psychology.

Kim Rosen received her Bachelor’ s from Y ale University and her Master’s from Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words. Her interests include Core Energetic Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Drama Therapy, and working with issues of oppression.

Regina Rowland received her Bachelor’s from Meredith College, her Master’s from the North Carolina State University School of Design and her Doctorate from California Institute of Integral Studies. She has written a chapter on “A Field Guide for Evolutionary Leaders” and the book, Mapping the Co-construction of Meaning. In the Summer 2010, she was a Fellow on The Role of Innovations in Sustainable Development 4S Symposium on Sustainable Systems International Consortium of Universities and UNESCO in Helsinki, Finland.

Melissa Schwartz (Core Faculty) received her Master's from Beacon College and her Doctorate from Rosebridge Graduate School (now Argosy University). Formerly a faculty member in both the Psychology and Counseling departments at Sonoma State University, she maintains a private practice as a Clinical Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist, is a member of the California Psychological Association’s MCEP Review Committee, and is a Peer Reviewer for the APA journal, Psychology of Women Quarterly. Her interests include the psychology of women, adult development, and qualitative research.

Linda Sussman received her Bachelor's from Pomona College, her Master's from the University of Redlands, and her Doctorate from the Union Institute. Linda is a storyteller and mythologist who has been a teacher of storytelling for 20 years. Linda’s publications include her book on the story of Parzival, The Speech of the Grail: A Journey Toward Speaking that Heals and Transforms.

Priscilla Taylor received her Bachelor's from the University of California, Berkeley, her Master's from Phillips Graduate Institute, and her Doctorate from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Priscilla has been a psychotherapist and family therapist at Kaiser Permanente and has been in private practice for 20 years. Her interests include child therapy, drama therapy, the mythic nature of dreams, and the mythic and cultural dynamics of marginalization.

Daniel Wile received his Bachelor's from the University of Chicago and his Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. Dan has been in private practice as a Clinical Psychologist for over 30 years and trains psychotherapists in his unique approach to collaborative couples therapy. Dan has published extensively in the area of couples therapy, including his three books: Couples Therapy: A Nontraditional Approach; After the Honeymoon: How Conflict Can Improve Your Relationship; and After the Fight: Using Your Disagreements to Build a Stronger Relationship.

Jonathan Young received his Bachelor's from Azusa Pacific University and his Master's and Doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology. Jonathan has a consulting practice as a Clinical Psychologist and teaches courses on mythic stories throughout California. Jonathan was the Founding Curator for the Joseph Campbell Archives and Library and is currently the Director of the Center for Story and Symbol. Among his publications in the area of mythological studies are the two volumes of his book SAGA: Best New Writings on Mythology.

Contributing Faculty

David Abram, Ph.D. is an eco-psychologist and philosopher interested in “bettering relations between humans and the more than human world.” His essays on the cultural causes and consequences of ecological disarray have appeared often in such journals as Environmental Ethics, Tikkun, Orion, Parabola, Adbusters, and The Ecologist. He is the author of several publications including his book:

The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World.

Angeles Arrien, Ph.D. is an anthropologist and an organizational consultant. She teaches about indigenous wisdom and is the author of several books including:

The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom
The Nine Muses: A Mythological Path to Creativity
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary
Working Together: Producing Synergy by Honoring Diversity The Signs of Life

Susan Griffin is a well-known writer and poet who was named by Utne Reader as one of a hundred important visionaries for the new millennium. She is the author of several books including:

A Chorus of Stones: The Private Life of War
The Eros of Everyday Life
Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her
The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues
What Her Body Thought
Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen

Jean Houston, Ph.D. is the Director of the Foundation for Mind Research in Oregon and the author of over twenty books, including:

The Search for the Beloved: Journeys in Sacred Psychology
The Possible Human
A Mythic Life
Manual for the Peacemaker
The Hero and the Goddess
The Passion of Isis and Osiris

Joanna Macy, Ph.D. is a scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology, as well as a leading voice in movements for peace, justice, and sustainability. She is the author of several books, including:

Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World
World as Lover, World as Self
Widening Circles
Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory
Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings

Shaun McNiff, Ph.D. is the founder of several graduate programs bringing the arts to psychotherapy and education. He is the author of several books including:

Art as Medicine: Creating a Therapy of the Imagination
Art-Based Research
Art Heals: How Creativity Cures the Soul
Depth Psychology of Art
Fundamentals of Art Therapy
Educating the Creative Arts Therapist
The Arts and Psychotherapy

Michael Meade is a master storyteller and scholar of mythology. He is the founder of the Mosaic Multicultural Foundation. He is the author of several publications including:

The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul
Initiation and the Soul: The Sacred and the Profane
Entering Mythic Territory: Healing and the Bestowing Self
Fate and Destiny: The Eye of the Pupil, the Heart of the Disciple
Poetics of Peace: Vital Voices in Troubled Times
The Great Dance: Finding One’s Way in Troubled Times
Crossroads: Quest for Contemporary Rites of Passage

Thomas Moore, Ph.D. is a lecturer and teacher of religion, mythology, and Imaginal Psychology. He is the author of several books including:

Care of the Soul
The Soul’s Religion
Soul Mates
The Soul of Sex
Dark Nights of the Soul
Education of the Heart
The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life

Robert Sardello, Ph.D. is co-founder of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 20 years. He is the author of over 200 articles in scholarly journals and cultural publications including:

Facing the World with Soul
Love and the Soul
Freeing the Soul from Fear
The Power of Soul: Living the Twelve Virtues
Silence

Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D. is the President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and senior scientist at the California Pacific Medical Center. She is the author of many reserach articles in scholarly journals and co-author of:

Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation

Sobonfu Somé is a teacher from the Dagara culture of West Africa whose work focuses on intimacy, children, and community. She is the author of:

Welcoming Spirit Home
The Spirit of Intimacy
Falling Out of Grace