to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.
— Abraham Maslow
President
Carroy U. “Cuf” Ferguson, Ph.D.
Cuf earned his PhD in Psychology from Boston College and made history in 2006 as the first African American and first person of color to be President of AHP since its founding. He is a tenured Professor and Past Dean, of the College of Public and Community Service at University of Massachusetts-Boston, and currently serves as the college’s first Human Service Internship Coordinator. Additionally he is a co-founder of two visionary organizations (Interculture, Inc. and Association in Human Understanding), is co-founder of Massachusetts’ historic Commonwealth Diversity Fellows Program, has been a clinical practitioner for over thirty-five years; is a human relations, multicultural, and organizational development consultant and workshop facilitator; is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology; and is a published author of books, articles, and other writings (e.g., A New Perspective on Race and Color; Transitions in Consciousness from an African American Perspective; and Innovative Approaches to Education and Community Service). His newest book, scheduled to be released in July 2014 is entitled Evolving The Human Race Game. In his free time, Cuf enjoys dancing, biking, skating, movies, kayaking, sports (particularly basketball & football), traveling, and other eclectic activities.
Board Members
Jon Freeman
Judith Gold
Judith Gold was born in New York City and is a graduate of Cornell University, Antioch New England Graduate School, and the Core Energetics Institute. She is an MA psychologist who has worked on three continents and in four languages as a psychotherapist, social worker, and group leader. She has led more than 50 workshops and retreats in the USA, Europe and Brazil. She is a member of the European Psychotherapy Association, the European Body Psychotherapy Association and the Organization of Portuguese Psychologists. She is a new member of the Gambian Think Tank and is a Board member of America’s Association for Humanistic Psychology. She currently lives in Europe.
Stan Charnofsky, Ph.D.
Stan is a Professor of Educational Psychology & Counseling at California State University Northridge. He is past President of AHP and has been a board member for 20 years. In addition to his work with AHP, Stan is the author of When Women Leave Men: How Men Feel, How Men Heal; Therapy With Couples: A Humanistic Approach; and The Deceived Society; Stan is also the author of two published novels entitled Enemies and Ruthless. In his free time, Stan enjoys playing tennis, playing scrabble, and attending the theatre regularly.
Robert McGarey, M.A.
Bob grew up in a family headed by two holistic M.D.’s, so he came by his interest in humanistic psychology honestly. He graduated from Johnston College in 1978 with a Master of Arts in Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology, and subsequently founded the nonprofit Human Potential Center in Austin, Texas in 1986. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Center, where he leads workshops and works with clients to help them embrace and live into the person they really want to be. He is the author of the “Polyamory Communication Survival Kit” and has presented thousands of workshops nationally and internationally. He recently presented a plenary workshop on self-esteem at the annual International Human Learning Resources Network conference, which is based on Virginia Satir’s work. He is the Executive Director of AHP.
Michael G. Laurent, Ph.D.
Michael G. Laurent, Ph.D. is the Chair for the Department of Marital & Family Therapy at California State University, Dominguez Hills, located in Carson, California. He has had extensive teaching, coordinating and supervision experiences at the University of Southern California, Cal State University Northridge and Phillips Graduate University. He is both licensed as a psychologist and Marital & Family Therapist in California. He started with AHP in 2015. But has been an active participant in APA, AAMFT, CAMFT, California Black Faculty & Staff, the Association of Black Psychologists and the United Red Cross for almost 30 years. His research areas include Gender Issues in Counseling, African American Men’s Mental & Physical Health, and the Study to Defeat Against All Models of Physical and Psychological Oppression. He is known for creating empowering support/therapy groups for Black men of different ages and his mentors and big influences in Humanistic Psychology include Leo Buscaglia (The Love/Hug Doctor)and Joe White (The Father of Black Psychology).
Bruce Southers, SCPM, M.B.A., B.A.
Bruce Southers, SCPM, M.B.A., B.A. (Psychology), is a former drug/alcohol counselor now working in the financial services industry. He has experience leading and working with non-profit organizations, including Rural Africa Outreach and also volunteers with Donate Life/LifeCenter. Bruce has had a lifelong interest in Humanistic Psychology and lives in Kentucky with his wife and two children.
Affiliate Board Members
Leland “Chip” Baggett, M.A.
Affiliate Board Members
Leland “Chip” Baggett, M.A. LPC received an M.A. in Humanistic Psychology from the University of West Georgia in 1977. He has been an active member on the Board of AHP since 1991, having served as president (2001-2002) and later as co-president (2009 – 2011). He is also past president of the North Carolina Mental Health Counselors Association. Chip has maintained a private psychotherapy practice for over thirty years in Asheville, North Carolina, where he integrates humanistic, existential, and archetypal elements into a mindfulness based approach to therapy. He has developed a unique approach to couples work which is presented in his book, “Waking Up Together: An Interactive Practice For Couples”. In 1988 he published a book of poetry, “So Where’s The Dawn”, which depicts the journey of emotional healing after the loss of a relationship. He and his partner, Natalie, love to ground their spiritual journey by tending to their home and property in the country just outside of Asheville, tending to its gardens and communing with the land and wildlife.
Support Personnel
Jameson Richards, M.P.S.
I am the Special Assistant of Membership Enthusiasm for AHP. I have a formal education in Public Health and Public Services which I earned for Utah Valley University. I am extremely interested in humanistic psychology, various themes related the the psychology of healthy humans, and anything related to personal development. I am a fan of sci-fi, fantasy, comics, video games, anime, etc! Feel free to strike up a conversation about Star Wars, Star Trek, Star Gate, the Wheel of Time, the Storm Light Archives, the Cradle series, the Land, a Thousand Li, the Witcher, Rick and Morty, Dragon Ball Z, Spider-Man, or any other sci-fi/fantasy movie, book, game, or any that I may not know until you tell me. Always fun to learn more about these amazing worlds, characters, and stories. My ultimate goal is to establish a lifestyle where self-actualization and the pursuit of self-actualization can become more than a hobby. I look forward to getting to know the members of AHP.
Robert McGarey, M.A.
Bob grew up in a family headed by two holistic M.D.’s, so he came by his interest in humanistic psychology honestly. He graduated from Johnston College in 1978 with a Master of Arts in Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology, and subsequently founded the nonprofit Human Potential Center in Austin, Texas in 1986. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Center, where he leads workshops and works with clients to help them embrace and live into the person they really want to be. He is the author of the “Polyamory Communication Survival Kit” and has presented thousands of workshops nationally and internationally. He recently presented a plenary workshop on self-esteem at the annual International Human Learning Resources Network conference, which is based on Virginia Satir’s work. He is the Executive Director of AHP.
Angela Bonilla
Special Assistant to the President
Angela Bonilla graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from CSULA and is a member of Psi Chi – The International Honor Society in Psychology. She is currently enrolled in graduate studies and serves as AHP the Special Assistant to the President. Please contact Angela for any issues related to joinng AHP, renewing your membership, or any issues relating to your member benefits.
Sohiel Nikbin M.C.S., PhD student
Webmaster and Internet Marketer
Sohiel Nikbin is a senior software engineer and a mobile application developer at California Web Solutions in the Greater Los Angeles Area. He has worked there since 2011. He is an analyst and team leader who possess technical management and communication skills as a senior software engineer, a chief technology officer to formulate and define technical scope and objectives of project, and developing high-end software design and architecture, reviewing and debugging codes, identifying and executing tasks in software development lifecycle, automating tasks through appropriate tools and scripting, collaborating with internal teams to improve product efficiency, documenting development phases, monitoring systems, and ensuring that the software is up-to-date with the latest technologies.
Sohiel earned his BE (Bachelor of Eng.) from SBU, his Master of Engineering (M.Eng) from The George Washington University, and his Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng) from The George Washington University (in progress).