Message From AHP President

Dear AHP Members,

AHP is an exciting, ever-evolving association, just as we are wonderful, ever-evolving human beings. As you are aware, in this ever-evolving context, we have not been immune, as a non-profit organization, to the effects of the economy, or to the changes produced by an online society.  Accordingly, in keeping with our commitment to serve “on the edge,” we have taken bold action to reestablish our prominent position as a professional, educational, and service organization in this age of information and technology, while retaining our deep commitment to personal and interpersonal growth and connection.  In this light, we invite you to be active and engaged participants in our ongoing plans and actions to continually evolve the Association for Humanistic Psychology in order to make it more accessible, to extend its reach, and to refine its scope.

AHP VISION STATEMENT:

In the twenty-first century, the Association for Humanistic Psychology is committed to translating new knowledge and science into humanistic applications and approaches to further the wisdom, purpose, and consciousness of individuals and communities.  AHP seeks to influence other fields so that Humanistic Psychology becomes the lens through which humanity can understand and shape an evolving world.  When we comprehend how humanistic values and themes can impact new developments and world events, and vice versa, we are better able to promote growth, awareness, interdependence, and peace.

One of our goals is to continue to identify board members, affiliates, and partners who have expertise and networks in the areas we would like to strengthen, and in areas where we would like to develop and grow.

The goal in populating the board with diverse, energetic, and multitalented board members, as well as to partner with kindred and diverse partners, is to propel AHP up and forward, as each board member, affiliate, and partner contributes to AHP;s vision in a unique way.  We are also working to enhance the benefits we provide members, strengthen our position as the leading Humanistic Psychology organization, and broaden our reach locally and globally.

Our members are our top priority, and we have created a dynamic and rich website that provides access to many different resources and professional member benefits.  We have created social media accounts that increase our regular contact with members, alerting them to relevant news developments, scientific findings, and conferences or educational opportunities.  We have re-envisioned the Perspective to provide an online access platform, and to infuse more information into the magazine about new developments in science as they relate to Humanistic Psychology and about new perspectives related to our the mind-body-spirit connection and our evolving consciousness as human beings.

We believe our initiative to get “back to basics” as a historic association with an extremely important legacy to sustain, while simultaneously broadening our scientific understanding of how humanistic principles work and can be applied, strengthens our position as the most influential organization for Humanistic Psychology.  It provides our members with useful, empirically supported information that will enhance their own lives, and the lives of those they serve.  The work of Rogers, Maslow, Satir, and other AHP luminaries was taken seriously because they used science to support their revolutionary ideas.  Equally important for us is that we inform our members of the exciting new discoveries and knowledge that emerge every day.  Current leading-edge science in the fields of neuroscience, education, and psychology is providing robust evidence supporting key humanistic psychology constructs such as therapist presence, the therapeutic alliance, authenticity and human connection, self-actualization, and the importance of meaning-making.

Because we believe this information is so important, we are also focused on reaching more people across the globe, with more interaction with our members than ever before.  We will initiate dialogues on a frequent basis with our members through social media, creating more opportunities for healthy debate, supportive relationships, and personal and professional growth.  Our members’ participation in these dialogues will help move our message forward to millions of other potential AHP members.  As mentioned, we also have plans to partner with Humanistic Psychology organizations all over the world, furthering our understanding of humanistic principles as they apply across cultures and nations, and extending our reach to those who might not otherwise have access to our organization.

We are bringing our mission into sharper focus and providing our members with much clearer expectations of what we will contribute to their lives, and how they can be part of a process of sharing wisdom and knowledge.  Also, with the intent of enhancing clarification, we have shared on this website the guidelines for submitting articles or reviews to The AHP Perspective, and intend to provide guidelines for submitting member proposals for training workshops that would qualify for AHP Sponsored Continuing Education Units.

We are very excited about our new direction and energy.  We hope you’ll check out the significant progress we’ve already made by “Liking” us on Facebook , “Following” us on Twitter, and participating in our Members’ Network.

If you like the direction we have been and are taking, and the progress we’ve made, and would like to contribute, please consider applying to become a board member.  If you have some area of expertise that you believe will contribute to our vision, but don’t have time to serve on the board, please let us know that, too.  In both cases, you can contact our Membership Coordinator at memberhelp@ahpweb.org . Monetary donations are also needed and would be very much appreciated to further our progress toward our vision.  We’ve made great strides through the generosity of a few donors, including our new website, our video-recorded conferences, and social media accounts, but there is still more to do!  Donate today and help us become the leading-most source of information, training, and exchange of ideas in the field of Humanistic Psychology.

We very much look forward to our continued relationships with you, as well as with our expanding new membership.

With Heart,