The Saybrook Forum

Can America come to terms with the post-911 reality it created?

Emotions have run high since United States president Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden.

“The head of the snake is gone,” said Rudi Dekkers, the owner of the flight school that trained the two terrorist pilots responsible for killing thousands in the World Trade Center towers.

Bin Laden’s death marks a turning point of nearly a decade of grief, anger, and insecurity for all effected by the tragedies of 9-11. The tragic events of that day will forever be present as a reminder and a threat of the destructive capacities of terrorism.

But always remembering must not mean we stay locked in the past:  Amidst great pain and fear, issues of remorse, forgiveness, and rehumanization are beginning to surface in light of the gross human rights violations that followed September 11, 2001.

In the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, author Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela draws on experiences from the South African apartheid to remind us what remorse, forgiveness and rehumanization look like in the aftermath of gross human rights violations.

There are no shortcuts to wisdom

If you were wise, what would it be like?

I don’t mean “what would you know” – I mean “what would the experience of life be like?”  Are wise people different from the rest of us?  How do they live?

That’s the question Pscyhologist Dolores Pushkar set out to answer in a recently published piece:  “What Philosophers Say Compared with What Psychologists Find in Discerning Values: How Wise People Interpret Life”.

Pushkar, Etezadi, and Lyster acknowledge that there is no consensus on what defines wisdom, but they propose the following as being key aspects; knowledge, deep understanding of human nature, life contentment, empathy and the flexibility to see issues from others’ perspectives.

What does it take to get mentally healthy in 21st century America?

There is no health, without mental health. 

May is Mental Health Month—bringing hope and awareness for more than 54 million adults in America who have a diagnosable mental health condition. One and four American adults live with a mental illness that is diagnosable, debilitating and better yet: treatable.

It’s estimated that up to half of the more than 54 million people with a mental illness do not seek help. Cost, stigma, lack of information, or insufficient health insurance coverage account for the disparity—with frightening repercussions for individuals, families, society.

Poor mental healthcare is a public health crisis. Regrettably, it effects are widespread. Here are some of the frightful side effects--

• Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds.
• Older adults with untreated depression and diabetes—die at twice the rate of those who receive effective treatment and care for their depression.
• Research suggests that students ages 14-21 with emotional disturbances or mental health conditions drop out of school at twice the rate of students with other disabilities.

Reforming America’s mental healthcare system begins as a grassroots level; by embracing the foundational principles inherent in humanistic psychology.

Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies

Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies

Every individual has a unique role and influence in the world that can be realized through their life’s work.

Saybrook’s College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies helps you find your passion, prepare for your career, and engage with the world to make it a better place. 

The premier graduate university for education in humanistic psychology;  a cutting edge pioneer in the study of organizational systems;  and the only American university offer accredited degrees in Human Science (the European tradition of social sciences) – Saybrook’s College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies (PHS) offers a truly unique opportunity to advance one’s life’s work through humanistic study, scholarship, and activism.

PHS degrees are offered in low-residency programs, allowing students to study while remaining in their careers and without relocating.  Students are required to attend a small number of Residential Conference each year for workshops, seminars, training, and intensives – and otherwise can complete coursework online. 

Learn about the degrees available from Saybrook's Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies.