Louis HoffmanRocky Mountain Humanistic Counseling and Psychological Association · N/A
Louis Hoffman
PhD
Editor of the forthcoming APA Handbook of Humanistic and Existential Psychology.
About
278
Publications
181,758
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797
Citations
Citations since 2017
Introduction
I am currently preparing a research project on developing an approach to case conceptualization and treatment planning from an Existential-Humanisitc Therapy perspective. This will be a mixed methods research project rooted in Participatory Action Research.
Additional affiliations
January 2020 - March 2022
Position
- Adjunct Faculty
Description
- I teach the Existential and Humanistic Theory and Therapy Course and provide clinical supervision.
August 2019 - March 2022
Position
- Professor (Associate)
Description
- I teach the course Existential Psychotherapy II: Rollo May and the Existential Tradition and serve on select dissertation committees.
July 2019 - December 2019
Education
August 1995 - September 2001
August 1995 - September 1999
August 1995 - June 1997
Publications
Publications (278)
Existential therapy’s solid evidence-based foundation has not been adequately articulated to date. One challenge to this task is the lack of a singular or unified existential approach. Despite this, there remain shared themes that are common across the approaches to existential therapy. A second challenge is that many existential therapists resist...
Contemporary protests movements, which are distinguished from historic movements by relying on decentralized leadership and utilizing social media and technology, have a central role in addressing social justice issues. Black Lives Matter represents one of the most influential and controversial of the contemporary protests movements. Much of the co...
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the mental health field. The unique distress caused by the pandemic along with the need for many to transition their therapy practices to TeleHealth/Telepsychology modalities caught many therapists, including existential–humanistic therapists, unprepared to make the necessary adjustments to treat clie...
Existential-humanistic psychology recognizes that an essential part of becoming a good therapist is developing a way of being that is healing. This makes the journey to becoming an existential-humanistic therapist a personal and transforming journey. In Becoming an Existential-Humanistic Therapist, editors Julia Falk and Louis Hoffman have collecte...
Contemporary trends in higher education in the United States includes many shifts toward dehumanizing students, staff, and faculty. This includes increasing influences of capitalistic models, the corporatization of education, viewing students as consumers, the packaging and unification of curriculum, decreasing faculty governance, bullying of facul...
While Frantz Fanon’s writings are well-known in postcolonial studies and with social justice scholars and activists, his contributions to psychology and phenomenology too often have been neglected. Fanon, Phenomenology, and Psychology seeks to begin rectifying this. The contributors to this volume advance Fanonian studies through deep engagement wi...
“White privilege is a given in contemporary society with destructive social and personal implications, including its relevance for access to meaning and freedom from meaning frustration. These implications are relevant to social justice work that therapists engage in outside of the therapy room as well as dynamics that emerge within the psychothera...
This presentation examines lessons on becoming an existential-humanistic therapist derived from the experiences of influential existential-humanistic therapists. We begin by providing an overview of the process of becoming an existential-humanistic therapist, including the development of essential therapist qualities and consideration of how to uti...
This chapter is the introduction to the book, "Rising Voices: Poetry Toward a Social Justice Revolution," by Louis Hoffman, Nathaniel Granger, Jr., and Veronica Lac. The introduction provides a framework for understanding the role and potential of poetry in social justice contexts. It includes consideration of poetry and activism, narratives that c...
Poetry and art can—and should—change the world. Rising Voices: Poetry Toward a Social Justice Revolution forcefully demonstrates this truth. With 77 poems from 45 poets, Rising Voices addresses critical social justice issues of our time, including racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, homelessness, and more. Each topic is approached with sensiti...
The introduction to Becoming an Existential-Humanistic Therapist provides an introduction and overview of the book as well as brief narratives on the author's (Louis Hoffman and Julia Falk) journey to existential-humanistic psychology.
This chapter provides a summary of themes shared by the contributors relevant to their personal journeys to becoming an existential-humanistic therapist.
This appendix provides a guide for students considering becoming an existential-humanistic therapist. Drawing from lessons from the book, students are invited to reflect upon the themes and questions to help determine if this theoretical orientation is a good fit for them.
This appendix provides guides for existential-humanistic therapists to reflect upon their own journey to becoming an existential-humanistic therapist, drawing from the lessons of the book.
Critical Race Theory emerged in the 1980s out of legal theory. Since this time, it has evolved and been applied in other disciplines, including the social sciences. In actuality, there is little in Critical Race Theory that is considered in psychology through multicultural and social justice lenses. However, Critical Race Theory places a strong emp...
Frantz Fanon was an influential psychologist in the late 1950s who died of cancer in 1961 at age 30. In addition to being a psychiatrist, Fanon was involved in the Algerian liberation movement. His writings were influential on psychiatry and decolonization. One of Fanon's most controversial ideas was on the role of violence in decolonization. Fanon...
Freedom is a complex concept that frequently gets oversimplified, particularly in many Western contexts that focus on a narrow understanding and application of freedom. COVID-19 prompted reconsiderations of freedom with considerations of existential perspectives on the limitations of freedom, responsibility, and compassion for others. A more nuance...
Brilliant Sanity: Buddhist Approaches to Psychotherapy and Counseling (Volume 1: Revised and Expanded Edition) brings together influential scholars and practitioners who have studied and practiced at the intersection of Buddhism, psychotherapy, and counseling, including Karen Wegela, Mark Epstein, Han F. de Wit, Ed Podvoll, Jeff Fortuna, Robert Wal...
Existential and humanistic therapy approaches often are believed to be inconsistent with evidence-based practice in psychology. This assumption is inaccurate and frequently rooted in misconceptions of evidence-based practice as well as misunderstandings of existential and humanistic therapies. This workshop provides an overview of how existential-h...
Early humanistic and existential conceptions of the self diverged from mainstream perspectives through viewing the self as fluid. However, the self was still understood in an individualistic framework. In an increasingly diverse and global society, this conception of the self is not relevant to all clients, particularly clients from more collectivi...
This is the Introduction to "Lullabies & Confessions: Poetic Explorations of Parenting Across the Lifespan." It includes reflection on parent and poetry as well as a discussion of an existential approach to parenting
Lullabies & Confessions is an exquisite book of poetry about parenting and being parented. This volume includes over 100 poems by 45 different poets. The contributors include award winning-poets, therapists and counselors, and parents. Lullabies & Confessions is entertaining and growth-facilitating. The 11th book in the Poetry, Healing, and Growth...
Lacking or limited empathy contributes to the development of racism, setting the stage for microaggressions and racial gaslighting dynamics. Facilitating the development of empathy and more in-depth understanding in privileged individuals can play an important role in anti-racism work designed to combat various forms of racism.
Privilege, including White privilege, is a pervasive reality in contemporary culture that has implications for therapists and clients as well as the social systems in which they live and function. Discussions of privilege often quickly become polarized. For example, teachers mentioning White privilege in their courses creates the likelihood of rece...
Nature poetry is a type of poetry that engages nature and the natural environment. In contemporary culture, many people are less engaged with nature. However, there is evidence that spending time in nature and connecting with the natural environment can be psychological beneficial and healing. Similarly, research has demonstrated that poetry and ot...
This chapter is the introduction to a Tom Greening's book, "Into the Void: An Existential Psychologist Faces Death Through Poetry."
https://universityprofessorspress.com/product/into-the-void/
Empathy has been foundational to humanistic and existential approaches to psychotherapy since their early inception in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. While empathy remains foundational, it is necessary to reconsider empathy in light of emergent multicultural sensitivities and the contemporary political context (Hoffman, 2019). Two primar...
Sexual attraction is a normal human experience; however, it does not always emerge in contexts that are deemed appropriate within contemporary society. Sexual attraction, for some individuals, is more common in the context of emotionally intimate relationships, such as what occurs within the therapy context. Given this, it should be expected that a...
Chapter Abstract:
Whether considered an intervention within a therapeutic modality, an independent practice or modality, an approach integrated with a therapeutic modality (i.e., mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, MBCT), or a spiritual practice used as an adjunct to therapy, mindfulness has become one of the most popular directions in contemporar...
The premise of this book, that humanistic and existential humanistic psychology must reflect on itself with a multicultural lens if it is going to stay relevant to a fast-changing global world, is very necessary and timely.
A Walk with Nature is a powerful collection of individual experiences that stand witness to the openness and wisdom of nature speaking through poetic reflections. There is pain, isolation, healing, connection, uncertainty, and hope. As intertwined as the voices are, so is our relationship with nature. This anthology encompasses many varied experien...
Ed Mendelowitz (personal communication) noted that what existential and humanistic psychology need today is discovering ways to honor our history and legacy while seeking to apply aspects if this legacy in new ways. In this presentation, the ways in which knowing the history of humanistic psychology can honor and even help advance clinical practice...
Humanistic psychology has a complex history with multiculturalism and diversity. Despite sharing many values with the civil rights and multicultural movements, humanistic psychology struggled to embrace multiculturalism and diversity. In more recent years, this has begun to change and a strong multicultural movement within humanistic psychology has...
Providing an overview of essential topics in multicultural psychology, Humanistic Approaches to Multiculturalism and Diversity focuses on the intersection of humanistic psychology and multiculturalism, including history, theory, research, and practice.
The authors examine the unique contributions of humanistic psychology to multicultural psycholog...
Humanistic psychology recognizes empathy as a relational process or way of being that is healing in and of itself, not a mere technique or something used primarily to develop a therapeutic alliance. However, empathy is more complicated with people from different cultural backgrounds. Hoffman argues that to engage clients with effective empathy, the...
Cultural myths, rituals, and festivals reflect important aspects of cultural identity and meaning. Analysis of these cultural expressions can help individuals outside and within the culture better understand the cultural groups from which these emerge. Historically, rituals and festivals frequently served explicit functions; however, over time, the...
Existential psychological perspectives have long recognized that individuals must be understood in one’s context in the world, including their social and cultural context. For existential psychology to reach its full potential in making a positive impact upon the world, it is necessary to take seriously issues of multiculturalism and social justice...
Existential-Humanistic therapists historically have been resistant to engaging in case conceptualization and treatment planning. This resistance is rooted in a philosophical and practical critique of the purpose and implications of engaging in these processes. While there are good reasons to avoid case conceptualization and treatment planning, ther...
Diversity in various forms is important in helping advance approaches to psychotherapy, including existential-humanistic therapy. This presentation considers different forms of diversity, including multicultural and diversity emergent from interdisciplinary dialogues and integrative practices. Multicultural and international dialogues with existent...
The foundation for this chapter is a mixture of experiential and scholarly engagement with international psychology. When we began doing international psychology over 10 years ago, most of the scholarly literature on international psychology focused on describing cultural variations in different nations or regions around the world. Although this is...
Existential-Psychology East-West (Volume 2) emerged from continued dialogues on existential psychology, particularly existential-humanistic psychology, in Southeast Asia. This volume includes authors from Southeast Asia, India, Africa, Europe, and the United States, including Xuefu Wang, Louise Sundararajan, Mark Yang, Louis Hoffman, Al Dueck, Albe...
Existential‐Humanistic psychology, and what can be termed “Existential‐Integrative psychology,” originated in the United States blending ideas from European existential philosophy and psychology with an American perspective, particularly humanistic psychology. Following a period of decreased influence and declining interest, the foundations for a r...
In attempting to identify the key texts in existential‐humanistic therapy, in this chapter, the authors first aim to identify the texts that are frequently cited in the existential literature. Drawing upon the landmark contributions of their mentors, Rollo May and Jim Bugental, these authors extend the purview of existential‐humanistic psychology i...
This chapter reflects the farther reaches and leading edges of contemporary existential‐humanistic and existential‐integrative psychotherapy. It includes multicultural, Asian, and transpersonal‐spiritual trends. Although historically existential‐humanistic therapy has struggled with multiculturalism, many recent developments have begun addressing t...
A presentation of data collected from a survey of therapists that use humanistic approaches in therapy.
Existential Psychology East-West is a collection of chapters exploring existential psychology in a cross-cultural context. The original version was published in preparation for the First International Conference on Existential Psychology held in Nanjing, China in 2010. This revised and expanded edition includes several updated chapters as well as f...
Introduction to the first edition of Existential Psychology East-West.
This chapter provides an overview of existential-humanistic psychology, including a brief history, an overview of the theoretical foundations, and an overview of clinical applications. Consideration of cross-cultural applications, evidence-based practice in psychology, and integration with other approaches is included.
This chapter is a case illustration of existential-humanistic therapy. The chapter highlights connects to the overview of theory and practice discussed in chapter 1.
This chapter provides history on the early development of existential-humanistic therapy in China, including a discussion of challenges and opportunities.
This chapter is a collaborative effort to provide a synopsis of 10 years of dialogue on existential psychology, particularly existential-humanistic psychology, between the East and the West. This chapter builds off chapter 3, which discusses the early development of the dialogues prior to the First International Conference on Existential Psychology...
This selected annotated bibliography of works related to existential-humanistic psychotherapy contains entries pertaining to scholarly books, journal articles, and popular novels. Although the primary focus is on existential-humanistic therapy, we included a select number of contributions from other schools of existential psychology, particularly t...
The decade since the publication of Existential-Psychology East-West has been a fruitful period for the cross-cultural dialogue on existential-humanistic psychology. This includes seven international conferences focusing on existential-humanistic psychology in Southeast Asia, a special section of The Humanistic Psychologist based on presentations a...
The chapter provides an overview of existential-humanistic perspectives on myth, and serves as an introduction to the third section of the book, which focuses on existential-humanistic interpretations and applications of myth. The song "If I Could Read Your Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot is used as an illustration.
This chapter provides a case illustration of existential-humanistic therapy. The chapter makes connections with important aspects of theory and practice discussed in chapter 1.
Trauma informed care is one of the most influential forces in contemporary mental health. The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study conducted between 1995 and 1997 played an important role in clarifying the pervasiveness and impact of trauma. The increased number of veterans returning form combat since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the W...
Neurophenomenology is a relatively new topic representing the intersection of psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience. The term originally appeared in 1990 in the book Brain, Symbol and Experience by Charles Laughlin, Eugene d'Aquila, and John McManus; however, it was Francisco Varela's 1996 article, "Neuropheno-menology: A methodological remedy f...
Suffering is not something merely to be coped with; it holds important transformative power. Yet, it is important that suffering is not idealized or viewed as something that is, in itself, good. While suffering is not something to be sought, through embracing suffering that cannot be avoided, the suffering often can be transformed. Meaning is one o...
Humanistic psychology has been a force in psychology since the 1960s; however, the label of humanistic psychology has become increasingly complex and diffuse. Humanistic psychology is often used as an umbrella label including various psychological and therapeutic orientations such as client-centered, Gestalt, existential, transpersonal, focusing-or...
Transpersonal psychology is a highly theoretically diverse branch of psychology with many different subdivisions within the broader field of transpersonal psychology. The purpose of this research project was to clarify the primary influences upon the development of transpersonal psychology. The survey was distributed widely through transpersonal ps...
Transpersonal psychology is entering its 50th year anniversary. Despite having existed for half a century, many questions remain pertaining to who practices transpersonal psychology and how they practice it. This research project has aimed to clarify questions pertaining to the demographics and career trajectory of transpersonal psychology professi...
Existential-Humanistic therapy has struggled in embracing multiculturalism and diversity. While there has been important progress made to address these limitations (Hoffman, 2016; Hoffman, Cleare-Hoffman, & Jackson, 2014; Hoffman, Granger, & Mansilla, 2016; Serlin, 2014), it is vital that this progress be integrated into approaches to case conceptu...
Existential-Humanistic therapists have avoided developing an approach to case conceptualization and treatment planning largely due to concerns regarding how this may negatively impact therapy practice, which is understood as a dynamic, unfolding process. However, it may be possible to develop an approach that considers the existential-humanistic cr...
Constructivism and existential psychology are distinct approaches to therapy that share many important commonalities. Included in the commonalities are a focus on meaning, relationships, change, and experience. We maintain that an existential-constructivist foundation can provide an ideal foundation for integration that can deepen approaches to the...
Existential-humanistic therapists have traditionally avoided case conceptualization and treatment planning on the basis of practical, philosophical, and epistemological grounds (Hoffman & Cleare-Hoffman, 2017b). For instance, existential-humanistic therapists have voiced concern that case conceptualization and, in particularly, problem identificati...
Humanistic and existential-humanistic therapies have complex histories in relation to sexual issues. An important period in the development and advancement of humanistic and existential-humanistic psychology was the 1960s, which also was the height of the sexual revolution. As Grogan (2012) demonstrates, there were many convergences between 60s cul...
Outcomes:
1. Participants will be able to identify 2 weaknesses of humanistic psychology and ways these can be addressed.
2. Participants will be able to identify 2 key aspects of demonstrating the evidence-based foundations of humanistic clinical practice.
3. Participants will be able to identify 2 ways multicultural and social justice perspectiv...
This presentation builds upon research conducted to develop an existential-humanistic approach to case conceptualization and treatment planning (Hoffman & Cleare-Hoffman, 2017). First, we critique and discuss the limitations of traditional approaches to case conceptualization and treatment planning from existential-humanistic perspective with consi...
Projects
Projects (18)
I signed a contract with APA Books to begin working on the APA Handbook of Humanistic and Existential Psychology. This is scheduled as a 3-year contract that intends to result in a 2-volume set of 500-600 pages each. The intention is to provide the most comprehensive and rigorous overview of contemporary humanistic and existential psychology available.