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Pictured is a Point Park psychology student presenting her poster at the Humanistic Psychology Conference.
The Society for Humanistic Psychology also held its annual conference at Point Park in 2012. Read the feature story.

"Love, Ethics and Social Justice: Transforming the Self in the Service of Others," is the theme of the 10th Annual Conference of the Society for Humanistic Psychology, Division 32 of the American Psychological Association, hosted by Point Park University.

The conference takes place March 30 - April 2, 2017, and brings psychology practitioners and researchers from all over the United States to Point Park University to discuss research, education and social responsibility in the field of humanistic psychology.

Humanistic psychology recognizes the full richness of the human experience and has traditionally been concerned with issues of social justice. Its foundations include philosophical humanism, existentialism and phenomenology.

The conference is open to practitioners, professionals, educators and graduate students from psychology and related fields. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available for select presentations for licensed psychologists, social workers and professional counselors. Point Park students may also attend conference events.

Sarah Schulz, Ph.D., LSW, assistant professor of behavioral sciences in the Department of Humanities and Human Sciences at Point Park University and co-chair of the conference planning committee, says the theme of this year's annual meeting is particularly relevant today.

"Exploring the relationship between love, ethics and social justice is always important, but we felt the themes of this year's conference were particularly compelling after what has been a very polarizing national dialogue," Schulz explains. "Our aim is to examine these themes from a humanistic perspective and to explore how as practitioners and researchers we can understand and engage with issues of social justice and social change."

The conference includes more than 70 presentations, workshops and panel discussions. There will be a poster session and art show featuring the work of Point Park students, a banquet dinner and numerous opportunities for professional networking.

Featured speakers at the 10th Annual Conference include:

  • Mary Watkins, Ph.D., chair of the M.A./Ph.D. Depth Psychology Program, a founding faculty member of community psychology, liberation psychology and ecopsychology specialization and coordinator of community and ecological field work at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, Calif.

  • Larry Leitner, Ph.D., a retired professor of psychology at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, a past president of the American Psychological Association's Division of Humanistic Psychology and former editor of The Humanistic Psychologist. He has authored more than 80 articles and chapters on experiential constructivist understandings of psychopathology and psychotherapy.

  • G. Kwame Scruggs, who has more than 20 years of experience using myth in the development of urban male youth. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in mythological studies with an emphasis in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif. Scruggs also holds an M.S. degree in technical education with an emphasis in guidance and counseling from the University of Akron.

For more information or to register for the 10th Annual Conference of the Society for Humanistic Psychology Division 32, visit PointPark.edu/SHP2017.

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