David N Elkins
Biographic Data
| ID | 5454439 |
|---|---|
| NAME | David N Elkins |
| GIVEN NAMES | David N |
| FAMILY NAME | Elkins |
| SIGNATURE | ELKINS D N |
| AFFILIATIONS | Pepperdine University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4486-8464 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 150 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1985 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Common Factors: What Are They and What Do They Mean for Humanistic Psychology
Although common factors have been widely discussed in the clinical literature, the two questions addressed in this article remain relevant: (a) What are the common factors? (b) What do they mean for humanistic psychology? The first question is important because there is no “definitive list” of common factors, and lists presented in the literature often differ dramatically. In response to this question, the article suggests that an evidence-based …
Open Letter to the DSM-5
In October 2011, the Open Letter to the DSM-5 was posted as an online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dsm5/ . To the surprise of its authors, the petition garnered the endorsements of over 15,000 individuals and over 50 professional organizations, including 15 additional divisions of the American Psychological Association. It is here reproduced in print for the first time. For more details on the history of the Open Letter, see Rob…
DSM-5 Reform Efforts by the Society for Humanistic Psychology
Since 2011, the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32 of the American Psychological Association) has taken a lead in organizing an international coalition of organizations and individuals that share major criticisms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth edition ( DSM-5) diagnosis and the search for alternatives. Inspired by the British Psychological Society’s public criticism of the DSM-5, Society for Humanistic …
The Paradigm Shift in Psychotherapy: Implications for the DSM
The thesis of this article is that understanding the current paradigm shift in psychotherapy, which is the movement from a medical to a nonmedical view of psychotherapy, can provide perspective and guidance as authors critique the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM) and explore alternative ways to describe patterns of emotional distress. After defining the paradigm shift, the article presents four implications of the shif…
The American Psychological Association and the Hoffman Report
Based on findings documented in the Independent Review Relating to APA Ethics Guidelines, National Security Investigations, and Torture, more commonly known as the Hoffman report, this guest editorial describes how the American Psychological Association (APA) colluded with the Department of Defense during the Bush administration to provide ethical cover for the Department of Defense’s interrogation program and for psychologists working in the pro…
David Elkins Responds
Why Humanistic Psychology Lost Its Power and Influence in American Psychology: Implications for Advancing Humanistic Psychology
Why did humanistic psychology lose its power and influence in American psychology? Previous answers have focused on the historical shortcomings of the humanistic movement, a perspective that essentially “blames the victim.” In contrast, this article suggests that two outside forces—mainstream American psychology and conservative forces in the larger culture—also played a role in undermining the humanistic vision. The article concludes that humani…
The Medical Model in Psychotherapy: Its Limitations and Failures
This article discusses the limitations and failures of the medical model in psychotherapy. Specifically, the article shows that (a) the medical model does not accurately describe what actually occurs in psychotherapy; (b) the model continues to dominate the field not because of its accuracy but because of its questionable ties with medicine, science, and the health insurance industry; (c) the model obscures the fact that psychotherapy is an inter…
Short-Term, Linear Approaches To Psychotherapy: What We Now Know
This article critiques short-term, linear approaches to psychotherapy and raises fundamental questions about the claims for their effectiveness. The article delineates the inherent weaknesses of short-term, linear approaches; summarizes a recent meta-analysis that challenges their effectiveness; and summarizes research showing they are less effective than longer-term, traditional psychotherapy. The author suggests that psychologists who are drawn…
Empirically Supported Treatments: The Deconstruction of a Myth
This article summarizes recent findings from analyses and meta-analyses of psychotherapy research that show that so-called empirically supported treatments (ESTs) are no more effective than are traditional psychotherapies. In addition, the findings show that specific modalities and techniques have little, if anything at all, to do with therapeutic benefits and that client improvement and therapeutic outcome are instead the result of other factors…
Why I left psychology (almost): A fictional story that might be true
Editor’s Note: David Elkins writes about ethics, using the example of dual relationships, from a long and rich background in clinical and academic psychology. He raises important questions about what it means to be ethical, and whether that meaning has been reduced to legalistic discussions of rules of conduct. For those who agree that there must be a more holistic approach, Cedar Barstow’s article “Ethics: The Right Use of Power and Influence ” …
The deep poetic soul: An alternative vision of psychotherapy
This is the presidential address of David N. Elkins, who served as president of Division 32 in 1998–1999. Current mechanistic models of psychotherapy are criticized as failing to honor the complexities of human growth and the therapeutic process. The article presents an alternative vision of psychotherapy, grounded in an artistic perspective, that focuses on the deeper, more complex processes of clients’ growth and becoming. Four major pillars of…
Old Saybrook I and II: The Visioning and Re-Visioning of Humanistic Psychology
This article provides an overview of the process known as Old Saybrook II, which is re-visioning humanistic psychology for the 21st century. In 1964, an eminent group of humanistically oriented psychologists and scholars met at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to clarify the development of the movement up until then and develop a vision for this new orientation in psychology. Now, 36 years later, Old Saybrook II is an effort to update that original vis…
"Paths to spirituality": Response by the author
Attitudes and values of humanistic psychologists: Division 32 survey results
A 71‐item survey questionnaire was mailed to all 615 members of Division 32, Humanistic Psychology, of the American Psychological Association (APA), and was completed by 230 for a return rate of 37%. The survey assessed humanistic psychologists’ views relative to continuing education, manualized procedures, managed care, the future of private practice, prescription privileges, religion and spirituality, relationships with clients, personal issues…
My Old Jungian Analyst
I Went in Search for the Meaning of Life
Psychothe Rapy and Spirituality: Toward a Theory of the Soul
This is a theoretical article that emphasizes the importance of the spiritual dimension and focuses on the soul as the central, organizing construct for psychotherapy. The article calls for psychology to return to its roots as "the study of the soul" and provides a beginning map for a theory of psychotherapy from the perspective of soul. The author wishes to acknowledge his debt to the Jungian scholar James Hillman, whose writings helped inspire …
Humanistic psychology gives me “leave to be” what I “inly” am
Rise up, Wild Man
Toward a Humanistic-Phenomenological Spirituality: Definition, Description, and Measurement
This is an account of research on spirituality being conducted by a group of professors and students at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology of Pepperdine University. The article presents a humanistic definition and description of spirituality based on the writings of Abraham Maslow, John Dewey, William James, Carl Jung, and others. A preliminary report is also made on the development of the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, a measure o…
The debate on primary prevention: Toward a synthesis
Toward a Humanistic-Phenomenological Spirituality: Definition, Description, and Measurement
This is an account of research on spirituality being conducted by a group of professors and students at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology of Pepperdine University. The article presents a humanistic definition and description of spirituality based on the writings of Abraham Maslow, John Dewey, William James, Carl Jung, and others. A preliminary report is also made on the development of the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, a measure o…
The Medical Model in Psychotherapy: Its Limitations and Failures
This article discusses the limitations and failures of the medical model in psychotherapy. Specifically, the article shows that (a) the medical model does not accurately describe what actually occurs in psychotherapy; (b) the model continues to dominate the field not because of its accuracy but because of its questionable ties with medicine, science, and the health insurance industry; (c) the model obscures the fact that psychotherapy is an inter…
Empirically Supported Treatments: The Deconstruction of a Myth
This article summarizes recent findings from analyses and meta-analyses of psychotherapy research that show that so-called empirically supported treatments (ESTs) are no more effective than are traditional psychotherapies. In addition, the findings show that specific modalities and techniques have little, if anything at all, to do with therapeutic benefits and that client improvement and therapeutic outcome are instead the result of other factors…
Psychothe Rapy and Spirituality: Toward a Theory of the Soul
This is a theoretical article that emphasizes the importance of the spiritual dimension and focuses on the soul as the central, organizing construct for psychotherapy. The article calls for psychology to return to its roots as "the study of the soul" and provides a beginning map for a theory of psychotherapy from the perspective of soul. The author wishes to acknowledge his debt to the Jungian scholar James Hillman, whose writings helped inspire …
Why Humanistic Psychology Lost Its Power and Influence in American Psychology: Implications for Advancing Humanistic Psychology
Why did humanistic psychology lose its power and influence in American psychology? Previous answers have focused on the historical shortcomings of the humanistic movement, a perspective that essentially “blames the victim.” In contrast, this article suggests that two outside forces—mainstream American psychology and conservative forces in the larger culture—also played a role in undermining the humanistic vision. The article concludes that humani…
Short-Term, Linear Approaches To Psychotherapy: What We Now Know
This article critiques short-term, linear approaches to psychotherapy and raises fundamental questions about the claims for their effectiveness. The article delineates the inherent weaknesses of short-term, linear approaches; summarizes a recent meta-analysis that challenges their effectiveness; and summarizes research showing they are less effective than longer-term, traditional psychotherapy. The author suggests that psychologists who are drawn…
Open Letter to the DSM-5
In October 2011, the Open Letter to the DSM-5 was posted as an online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dsm5/ . To the surprise of its authors, the petition garnered the endorsements of over 15,000 individuals and over 50 professional organizations, including 15 additional divisions of the American Psychological Association. It is here reproduced in print for the first time. For more details on the history of the Open Letter, see Rob…
DSM-5 Reform Efforts by the Society for Humanistic Psychology
Since 2011, the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32 of the American Psychological Association) has taken a lead in organizing an international coalition of organizations and individuals that share major criticisms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth edition ( DSM-5) diagnosis and the search for alternatives. Inspired by the British Psychological Society’s public criticism of the DSM-5, Society for Humanistic …
The American Psychological Association and the Hoffman Report
Based on findings documented in the Independent Review Relating to APA Ethics Guidelines, National Security Investigations, and Torture, more commonly known as the Hoffman report, this guest editorial describes how the American Psychological Association (APA) colluded with the Department of Defense during the Bush administration to provide ethical cover for the Department of Defense’s interrogation program and for psychologists working in the pro…
David Elkins Responds
Old Saybrook I and II: The Visioning and Re-Visioning of Humanistic Psychology
This article provides an overview of the process known as Old Saybrook II, which is re-visioning humanistic psychology for the 21st century. In 1964, an eminent group of humanistically oriented psychologists and scholars met at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to clarify the development of the movement up until then and develop a vision for this new orientation in psychology. Now, 36 years later, Old Saybrook II is an effort to update that original vis…
Common Factors: What Are They and What Do They Mean for Humanistic Psychology
Although common factors have been widely discussed in the clinical literature, the two questions addressed in this article remain relevant: (a) What are the common factors? (b) What do they mean for humanistic psychology? The first question is important because there is no “definitive list” of common factors, and lists presented in the literature often differ dramatically. In response to this question, the article suggests that an evidence-based …
The Paradigm Shift in Psychotherapy: Implications for the DSM
The thesis of this article is that understanding the current paradigm shift in psychotherapy, which is the movement from a medical to a nonmedical view of psychotherapy, can provide perspective and guidance as authors critique the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM) and explore alternative ways to describe patterns of emotional distress. After defining the paradigm shift, the article presents four implications of the shif…
The debate on primary prevention: Toward a synthesis
Toward a Humanistic-Phenomenological Spirituality: Definition, Description, and Measurement
This is an account of research on spirituality being conducted by a group of professors and students at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology of Pepperdine University. The article presents a humanistic definition and description of spirituality based on the writings of Abraham Maslow, John Dewey, William James, Carl Jung, and others. A preliminary report is also made on the development of the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, a measure o…
Rise up, Wild Man
Humanistic psychology gives me “leave to be” what I “inly” am
Psychothe Rapy and Spirituality: Toward a Theory of the Soul
This is a theoretical article that emphasizes the importance of the spiritual dimension and focuses on the soul as the central, organizing construct for psychotherapy. The article calls for psychology to return to its roots as "the study of the soul" and provides a beginning map for a theory of psychotherapy from the perspective of soul. The author wishes to acknowledge his debt to the Jungian scholar James Hillman, whose writings helped inspire …
I Went in Search for the Meaning of Life
My Old Jungian Analyst
"Paths to spirituality": Response by the author
Attitudes and values of humanistic psychologists: Division 32 survey results
A 71‐item survey questionnaire was mailed to all 615 members of Division 32, Humanistic Psychology, of the American Psychological Association (APA), and was completed by 230 for a return rate of 37%. The survey assessed humanistic psychologists’ views relative to continuing education, manualized procedures, managed care, the future of private practice, prescription privileges, religion and spirituality, relationships with clients, personal issues…
Old Saybrook I and II: The Visioning and Re-Visioning of Humanistic Psychology
This article provides an overview of the process known as Old Saybrook II, which is re-visioning humanistic psychology for the 21st century. In 1964, an eminent group of humanistically oriented psychologists and scholars met at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to clarify the development of the movement up until then and develop a vision for this new orientation in psychology. Now, 36 years later, Old Saybrook II is an effort to update that original vis…
The deep poetic soul: An alternative vision of psychotherapy
This is the presidential address of David N. Elkins, who served as president of Division 32 in 1998–1999. Current mechanistic models of psychotherapy are criticized as failing to honor the complexities of human growth and the therapeutic process. The article presents an alternative vision of psychotherapy, grounded in an artistic perspective, that focuses on the deeper, more complex processes of clients’ growth and becoming. Four major pillars of…
Why I left psychology (almost): A fictional story that might be true
Editor’s Note: David Elkins writes about ethics, using the example of dual relationships, from a long and rich background in clinical and academic psychology. He raises important questions about what it means to be ethical, and whether that meaning has been reduced to legalistic discussions of rules of conduct. For those who agree that there must be a more holistic approach, Cedar Barstow’s article “Ethics: The Right Use of Power and Influence ” …
The Medical Model in Psychotherapy: Its Limitations and Failures
This article discusses the limitations and failures of the medical model in psychotherapy. Specifically, the article shows that (a) the medical model does not accurately describe what actually occurs in psychotherapy; (b) the model continues to dominate the field not because of its accuracy but because of its questionable ties with medicine, science, and the health insurance industry; (c) the model obscures the fact that psychotherapy is an inter…
Short-Term, Linear Approaches To Psychotherapy: What We Now Know
This article critiques short-term, linear approaches to psychotherapy and raises fundamental questions about the claims for their effectiveness. The article delineates the inherent weaknesses of short-term, linear approaches; summarizes a recent meta-analysis that challenges their effectiveness; and summarizes research showing they are less effective than longer-term, traditional psychotherapy. The author suggests that psychologists who are drawn…
Empirically Supported Treatments: The Deconstruction of a Myth
This article summarizes recent findings from analyses and meta-analyses of psychotherapy research that show that so-called empirically supported treatments (ESTs) are no more effective than are traditional psychotherapies. In addition, the findings show that specific modalities and techniques have little, if anything at all, to do with therapeutic benefits and that client improvement and therapeutic outcome are instead the result of other factors…
Why Humanistic Psychology Lost Its Power and Influence in American Psychology: Implications for Advancing Humanistic Psychology
Why did humanistic psychology lose its power and influence in American psychology? Previous answers have focused on the historical shortcomings of the humanistic movement, a perspective that essentially “blames the victim.” In contrast, this article suggests that two outside forces—mainstream American psychology and conservative forces in the larger culture—also played a role in undermining the humanistic vision. The article concludes that humani…
David Elkins Responds
The American Psychological Association and the Hoffman Report
Based on findings documented in the Independent Review Relating to APA Ethics Guidelines, National Security Investigations, and Torture, more commonly known as the Hoffman report, this guest editorial describes how the American Psychological Association (APA) colluded with the Department of Defense during the Bush administration to provide ethical cover for the Department of Defense’s interrogation program and for psychologists working in the pro…
Open Letter to the DSM-5
In October 2011, the Open Letter to the DSM-5 was posted as an online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dsm5/ . To the surprise of its authors, the petition garnered the endorsements of over 15,000 individuals and over 50 professional organizations, including 15 additional divisions of the American Psychological Association. It is here reproduced in print for the first time. For more details on the history of the Open Letter, see Rob…
DSM-5 Reform Efforts by the Society for Humanistic Psychology
Since 2011, the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32 of the American Psychological Association) has taken a lead in organizing an international coalition of organizations and individuals that share major criticisms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth edition ( DSM-5) diagnosis and the search for alternatives. Inspired by the British Psychological Society’s public criticism of the DSM-5, Society for Humanistic …
The Paradigm Shift in Psychotherapy: Implications for the DSM
The thesis of this article is that understanding the current paradigm shift in psychotherapy, which is the movement from a medical to a nonmedical view of psychotherapy, can provide perspective and guidance as authors critique the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM) and explore alternative ways to describe patterns of emotional distress. After defining the paradigm shift, the article presents four implications of the shif…
Common Factors: What Are They and What Do They Mean for Humanistic Psychology
Although common factors have been widely discussed in the clinical literature, the two questions addressed in this article remain relevant: (a) What are the common factors? (b) What do they mean for humanistic psychology? The first question is important because there is no “definitive list” of common factors, and lists presented in the literature often differ dramatically. In response to this question, the article suggests that an evidence-based …
Psychology (22 works) · Epistemology (13 works) · Philosophy (12 works) · Psychotherapist (12 works) · Psychoanalysis (10 works) · Humanism (9 works) · Philosophy (9 works) · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications (9 works) · Humanistic psychology (8 works) · Social Psychology (8 works)