9142466469?profile=originalOne of the benefits of depth psychological traditions is that they can be applied to understanding what it means to be a self or soul in this world, and to think about others who have led the way. “We stand on the shoulders of so many giants,” insists William James Jones, who completed his dissertation research on the process of self-actualization to receive his Ph.D. in the Clinical Psychology program at Pacifica last year.

In the process, Jones realized he was interested in self-actualization long before he knew the term for it. As a young boy from the streets of Chicago who didn’t really have his father growing up, he looked up to some of the strong figures in his community—including his mother, teachers, coaches, pastors, and priests—for inspiration. He was keenly interested in what it means to be a man with excellence—to really lead the life he is capable of, he realized. That desire sparked his curiosity about who exhibits the kind of traits he aspired to, prompting him to ask, “Who am I at the deepest levels, and what's my purpose in life? What's the meaning of all this?”

After studying a wide variety of individuals who have contributed to the philosophical thinking of depth and clinical psychologies, Jones discovered Maslow’s theory of self-actualization, which seemed to best describe what he had been looking for for most of his life. It also best described the qualities of certain people who inspired and moved him, including Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Oprah, and others.

basketball.jpg?t=1493313832877&name=basketball.jpg&width=320Jones recalls how, as a kid growing up in Chicago, basketball legend Michael Jordan was a tremendous symbol for the passion and the excitement of the city. Jordan was consistently excellent, Jones remembers, seeming to lose himself in the game to a point where his performance was almost magical. But, after a Bulls game, when most of the rest of the team was out celebrating, Jordan was always back in the gym or practicing shots at the court. "What drives a man like that who is already considered the best, yet who still practices as if he's at the beginning of his career?" Jones wondered. That particular pursuit of excellence is self-actualization, which Jones defines as “doing that one thing that one does well to the fullness of one's ability, and doing it consistently.”... 

Read the blog post or listen to the interview here

ABOUT THE HOSTS/PRESENTERS
BONNIE BRIGHT, Ph.D.,(Founder of Depth Psychology Alliance), is a Transpersonal Soul-Centered Coach certified via Alef Trust/Middlesex University, and a certified Archetypal Pattern Analyst®, and has trained extensively in Holotropic Breathwork™ and the Enneagram. She has trained with African elder, Malidoma Some'; with Transpersonal Pioneer Stan Grof; and with Jungian analyst, Jerome Bernstein, among others.Her dissertation focused on a symbolic look at Colony Collapse Disorder and what the mass vanishing of honeybees means to us both personally and as a collective. Bonnie’s path to soul began with a spontaneous mystical experience in 2006, and she continues her quest for awakening each day with a sense of joy, freedom, and gratitude at the magic afoot in the world.

JAMES R. NEWELL, Ph.D., MTS, (Director of Depth Psychology Alliance) earned his Ph.D. in History and Critical Theories of Religion from Vanderbilt University (2007), and holds a master's degree in pastoral counseling and theology from the Vanderbilt University Divinity School (2001). James is also the director of the Depth Psychology Academy, offering college-level courses in Jungian and depth psychology. James has spent much of his working life as a professional musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with interests in jazz, blues, folk, world, and devotional music. Since his youth, James has worked with a variety of blues greats including John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Jr. Wells, Hubert Sumlin, Big Joe Turner, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and others.