Michigan School of Professional Psychology
Encyclopedia
Michigan School of Professional Psychology (MiSPP) is an independent graduate school located in Farmington Hills
, Michigan
. The Master of Arts
in clinical psychology
is offered in a one year full-time, or a two to three year part-time format. The Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree is a full-time, minimum four-year, post-masters program.
MiSPP offers an educational climate that values personal choice, self-determination, and free-will, important components of human potential addressed by the humanistic model of psychotherapy. Maintaining its emphasis on a small interactive learning environment, MiSPP recognizes individualized attention for each student as a priority. MiSPP encourages personally relevant clinical research and cultivates purposeful connections through social action and outreach efforts. MiSPP strives to create a diverse community of teaching and learning and a sense of community that is foundational to enhancing cooperative and collaborative relationships.
While preserving its legacy of humanistic and existential roots, MiSPP integrates contemporary theories and practices to promote quality education of competent practitioner-scholars. MiSPP searches for opportunities to contribute to the well-being of individuals and society through its leadership in humanistic and clinical psychology and the advancement of qualitative research.
Areas of faculty expertise include:
Dr. Clark Moustakas joins the faculty at the Merrill-Palmer Institute (MPI) in Detroit, Mich.
1953
First book by Moustakas Children in Play Therapy, emphasizes the relationship as central in effective therapy.
1956
Publication of The Self is the impetus for the original dialogues between Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Clark Moustakas and others, forging the Humanistic Psychology movement. Meetings were held at 40 E. Ferry Ave. in Detroit, later to become the first home of the Center for Humanistic Studies (CHS).
1961
Loneliness by Moustakas is released, to public acclaim. Book becomes the basis of heuristic research.
1962
Moustakas participates in the formation of the American Association of Humanistic Psychology and the creation of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
1970-1971
Enhancing Human Potential (EHP) Certification is established by Clark Moustakas and Cereta Perry.
1978
The first degree program, MA in Humanistic and Clinical Psychology, is launched at MPI.
1979
MPI announces it will close due to bankruptcy.
1980-1981
Clark Moustakas, Cereta Perry, Diane Blau and Bruce Douglass commit to keep the psychology programs alive. The Center for Humanistic Studies (CHS) establishes its independence from the Merrill-Palmer Institute. CHS is awarded the degree-granting charter of MPI.
1981-1982
With the aid of dedicated students, CHS moves into 40 E. Ferry Ave. in Detroit. Candidacy for accreditation with the North Central Association (NCA) is granted. EHP Certification evolves into a Specialist Degree (PsyS) and graduates its first class.
1984
Full accreditation is received from NCA.
1989
Moustakas is instrumental in starting the Consortium of Diversified Psychology Programs (CDPP). He advocates nationally and internationally for licensing of CHS and other students of alternative programs of education and training.
1990-1994
Publication of Heuristic Research: Design, Methodology and Applications and Phenomenological Research Methods impact the field of qualitative research.
1997
Relationship Play Therapy is printed and marks 50 years of theory and application in child therapy.
1998
President-elect, Dr. Kerry Moustakas becomes CHS President.
2000
The Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association of Colleges and Schools extends CHS accreditation for a Doctoral Program (PsyD) in Humanistic and Clinical Psychology.
2001-2003
Land is purchased and a new campus is built in Farmington Hills, Mich.
2004
Clark and Kerry Moustakas publish Loneliness, Creativity and Love: Awakening Meanings in Life.
2005
The Moustakas Johnson Library Dedication is held which includes the naming of the Wilkinson Research Center and the Joan S. Snyder Clinical Lab.
2006
CHS celebrates its rich history on its 25th Anniversary and the dedication of its new name: Michigan School of Professional Psychology (MiSPP).
2006
President’s Circle established for lead donors. Members of the President’s Circle join the President at the first annual reception to honor lead donors and highlight student scholarship recipients.
MiSPP receives re-accreditation from North Central Association: next visit required in 2016-2017
2007
1st Annual MiSPP and Council for Asian Pacific Americans Partnership Event
MiSPP receives 1st grant from the Max M and Marjorie S. Fisher Support Foundation
A co-sponsor of the 1st Annual APA – Division 32 National Conference: “Humanistic
Psychotherapies for the 21st Century,” San Francisco, CA
2008
10 Year Anniversary of Kerry Moustakas Presidency
2010
Clark Moustakas receives Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions in Humanistic
Psychology from the Society of Humanistic psychology – Division 32 at the 118th APA Conference in San Diego, CA
First Honorary Doctorate Degree awarded to State Senator Gilda Z. Jacobs for her contribution to Professional Psychology in Michigan
MiSPP mourns the death of Professor Emerita and Co-Founder, Cereta E. Perry. The
Cereta Perry Alumni Scholarship was created in her memory.
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills is a community in southeastern Michigan. It is the largest city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 79,740 at the 2010 census...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
is offered in a one year full-time, or a two to three year part-time format. The Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree is a full-time, minimum four-year, post-masters program.
Mission
The mission of the Michigan School of Professional Psychology (MiSPP) is to educate and train individuals to become reflective practitioner-scholars with the competencies necessary to serve diverse populations as professional psychologists and psychotherapists.Values
The Michigan School of Professional Psychology (MiSPP) is a unique school that emphasizes personal growth, authenticity and creativity as integral parts of the academic process.MiSPP offers an educational climate that values personal choice, self-determination, and free-will, important components of human potential addressed by the humanistic model of psychotherapy. Maintaining its emphasis on a small interactive learning environment, MiSPP recognizes individualized attention for each student as a priority. MiSPP encourages personally relevant clinical research and cultivates purposeful connections through social action and outreach efforts. MiSPP strives to create a diverse community of teaching and learning and a sense of community that is foundational to enhancing cooperative and collaborative relationships.
While preserving its legacy of humanistic and existential roots, MiSPP integrates contemporary theories and practices to promote quality education of competent practitioner-scholars. MiSPP searches for opportunities to contribute to the well-being of individuals and society through its leadership in humanistic and clinical psychology and the advancement of qualitative research.
Vision
The vision of the Michigan School of Professional Psychology is to be an international leader in graduate education, to embody the core tenets of humanistic-existential theory, research and practice, and to prepare students for diverse careers in psychology.Accreditation
The Michigan School of Professional Psychology is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North . It is also approved by the State of Michigan Board of Education to grant graduate degrees in clinical psychology and is an associate member of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology .Campus
Housed on a wooded, four-acre campus in Farmington Hills, Michigan, MiSPP was created specifically to generate a learning climate that reflects the school's mission and its emphasis on growth and potential. The carefully designed facilities offer open and welcoming surroundings that foster intimate, collaborative education. The campus includes the Moustakas Johnson Library, Wilkinson Research Center, Joan S. Snyder Clinical Lab, a spacious atrium for gathering, and many spaces for reflection, such as the Diane Sklar Blau Sculpture Garden.Students
MA students enter the program with academic preparation in psychology - many also have related work experience. PsyD students enter the program with a graduate degree and have a background of study in psychology or related field. MiSPP graduate students seek to become practicing clinicians committed to the humanistic principles and values of psychology.Student Profile
Students for Fall 2010:- 53 MA students
- 85 PsyD students
- 78% Women
- 22% Men
- 1% International students
- 25% Students of color
The Faculty
The faculty at MiSPP are committed to professional practice and their role as instructors. Most faculty maintain private practices and other professional activities that serve to enhance the classroom experience. All faculty hold doctoral degrees. With a commitment to scholarship, faculty are engaged in professional organizations, conduct research, publish in psychological journals and books, present seminars and trainings, and contribute to the growth and mentoring of individuals entering the profession.Areas of faculty expertise include:
- humanistic psychology
- existential philosophy
- experimental modes of teaching
- mindfulness practices
- multicultural psychology
- psychodynamic psychotherapy
- psychological assessment and psychometrics
- quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
- psychoanalytic psychotherapy
- psychology and law
- forensic psychology
- women's issues
Historical Timeline
1949Dr. Clark Moustakas joins the faculty at the Merrill-Palmer Institute (MPI) in Detroit, Mich.
1953
First book by Moustakas Children in Play Therapy, emphasizes the relationship as central in effective therapy.
1956
Publication of The Self is the impetus for the original dialogues between Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Clark Moustakas and others, forging the Humanistic Psychology movement. Meetings were held at 40 E. Ferry Ave. in Detroit, later to become the first home of the Center for Humanistic Studies (CHS).
1961
Loneliness by Moustakas is released, to public acclaim. Book becomes the basis of heuristic research.
1962
Moustakas participates in the formation of the American Association of Humanistic Psychology and the creation of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
1970-1971
Enhancing Human Potential (EHP) Certification is established by Clark Moustakas and Cereta Perry.
1978
The first degree program, MA in Humanistic and Clinical Psychology, is launched at MPI.
1979
MPI announces it will close due to bankruptcy.
1980-1981
Clark Moustakas, Cereta Perry, Diane Blau and Bruce Douglass commit to keep the psychology programs alive. The Center for Humanistic Studies (CHS) establishes its independence from the Merrill-Palmer Institute. CHS is awarded the degree-granting charter of MPI.
1981-1982
With the aid of dedicated students, CHS moves into 40 E. Ferry Ave. in Detroit. Candidacy for accreditation with the North Central Association (NCA) is granted. EHP Certification evolves into a Specialist Degree (PsyS) and graduates its first class.
1984
Full accreditation is received from NCA.
1989
Moustakas is instrumental in starting the Consortium of Diversified Psychology Programs (CDPP). He advocates nationally and internationally for licensing of CHS and other students of alternative programs of education and training.
1990-1994
Publication of Heuristic Research: Design, Methodology and Applications and Phenomenological Research Methods impact the field of qualitative research.
1997
Relationship Play Therapy is printed and marks 50 years of theory and application in child therapy.
1998
President-elect, Dr. Kerry Moustakas becomes CHS President.
2000
The Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association of Colleges and Schools extends CHS accreditation for a Doctoral Program (PsyD) in Humanistic and Clinical Psychology.
2001-2003
Land is purchased and a new campus is built in Farmington Hills, Mich.
2004
Clark and Kerry Moustakas publish Loneliness, Creativity and Love: Awakening Meanings in Life.
2005
The Moustakas Johnson Library Dedication is held which includes the naming of the Wilkinson Research Center and the Joan S. Snyder Clinical Lab.
2006
CHS celebrates its rich history on its 25th Anniversary and the dedication of its new name: Michigan School of Professional Psychology (MiSPP).
2006
President’s Circle established for lead donors. Members of the President’s Circle join the President at the first annual reception to honor lead donors and highlight student scholarship recipients.
MiSPP receives re-accreditation from North Central Association: next visit required in 2016-2017
2007
1st Annual MiSPP and Council for Asian Pacific Americans Partnership Event
MiSPP receives 1st grant from the Max M and Marjorie S. Fisher Support Foundation
A co-sponsor of the 1st Annual APA – Division 32 National Conference: “Humanistic
Psychotherapies for the 21st Century,” San Francisco, CA
2008
10 Year Anniversary of Kerry Moustakas Presidency
2010
Clark Moustakas receives Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions in Humanistic
Psychology from the Society of Humanistic psychology – Division 32 at the 118th APA Conference in San Diego, CA
First Honorary Doctorate Degree awarded to State Senator Gilda Z. Jacobs for her contribution to Professional Psychology in Michigan
MiSPP mourns the death of Professor Emerita and Co-Founder, Cereta E. Perry. The
Cereta Perry Alumni Scholarship was created in her memory.
See also
- Humanistic PsychologyHumanistic psychologyHumanistic psychology is a psychological perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, drawing on the work of early pioneers like Carl Rogers and the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology...
- Clark MoustakasClark MoustakasDr. Moustakas is an American psychologist and one of the leading experts on humanistic and clinical psychology. He helped establish the Association for Humanistic Psychology and the Journal for Humanistic Psychology. He is the author of numerous books and articles on humanistic psychology,...
- Carl RogersCarl RogersCarl Ransom Rogers was an influential American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology...
- Abraham MaslowAbraham MaslowAbraham Harold Maslow was an American professor of psychology at Brandeis University, Brooklyn College, New School for Social Research and Columbia University who created Maslow's hierarchy of needs...