Position Statements

The Division 32 Executive Board has endorsed the Statement Opposing Legislation Targeting Transgender and Gender Diverse People, created by Division 44, The Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Legislative efforts that seek to deny gender-affirming healthcare, restrict people’s right to participate in educational and extracurricular activities, seek public accommodations, or exercise freedom of expression run counter to the values of the Society for Humanistic Psychology. In addition, they both discriminate against the rights of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people, and violate human rights. Division 32 stands in solidarity with the rights of TGD diverse people and oppose recent legislative efforts that erode the physical and psychological safety of this community. We are grateful to Division 44 for drafting this statement that utilizes psychological science and the APA ethics code to underscore the highly problematic nature of such proposed legislation.

The following is an excerpt from the report of a Division Task Force, published in the Spring, 1997 issue (Vol. 25, No.1) of The Humanistic Psychologist. It represents the position of the society on the issue of "empirically supported treatments."

Humanistic psychologists form their own community of practice and hold their own distinctive views of human nature, of science, of research methodology, and of psychotherapy. Humanistic psychotherapy deals with psychological dysfunction in the broad context of clients' enagements in life and ways of being in the world. Humanistic psychologists are oriented towards promoting the psychological development and growth of individuals, families, and communities through the support of their own creative and self-initiated efforts. Humanistic practices are therefore holistic and are based in a view of the therapeutic process as a dialogical activity, which occurs through person-to-person conversations and through intersubjective symbolic activities. Therefore humanists reject the model of the practitioner as the expert who decides for the patient what the appropriate treatment is. Humanistic practitioners recognize that their job is to place their expertise at the service of their clients and to establish a collaborative dialogical relationship with them. The joint project of client and psychotherapist is to work towards individualized goals that are framed in the clients' world view and understandings of their own aspirations rather than on normative diagnostic categories. Humanists believe that the methods used in providing services must reflect the basic value of promoting the agency and empowerment of individuals and groups.

In these days of public accountability—a movement which humanistic psychologists who offer services to the public support—various groups are producing documents specifying guidelines for appropriate practice. Division 12 of the American Psychological Association has produced its criteria for deciding upon "empirically validated treatments," (recently rechristened "empirically supported treatments").

Humanistic psychologists are concerned about documents such as these because they privilege approaches that a) adopt a medical model view of psychological dysfunction and its remediation, b) are focused on symptom removal, and c) are technological in nature. Further, they are based on a particular model of science—a positivistic natural science method which many humanists view as more appropriate for examining the effects of drug treatment than for examining the complex inter-relationships that characterize humanistic (and many other) forms of psychotherapy. Humanists do not reject natural science research. However they do reject attempts to privilege such methods in the study of human behavior, and to set these methods up as the ultimate criteria for deciding upon the effectiveness of psychotherapy. Therefore humanists reject the idea that therapy must be studied as treatment-of-disorder, and that it must be manualized, the two central criteria of the "empirically supported treatments" guidelines of Division 12.

Humanistic psychologists do support the need for empirical research, and for the provision of services that have some evidence backing up their effectiveness. However, both natural and human science methods are of value and neither should be privileged over the other. Therefore, humanistic psychologists would be in favor of "empirically supported services," only with different criteria than those specified by Division 12. A Task Force of the society is engaged in an ongoing effort to specify such criteria.

Humanistic psychology is an approach to psychology that recognizes that dignity is common to all human beings by reason of their nature or being. This is why humanistic psychology embraces holistic approaches, valuing a person to be more than the sum of his or her cognitive, behavioral and anatomical parts. This is also why humanistic psychologists understand that the person, while always situated within an interpersonal context, is not reducible to mere social meanings. By virtue of his or her innate dignity as a human being, the person transcends the simple categories of reductionistic labels and social constructs. To relate to the Other as a person of dignity is to engage in an “I-Thou” encounter, as opposed to an “I-It” encounter, as philosopher Martin Buber described; it is to encounter the other as a person rather than a thing.

For humanistic psychologists, ethics is our first philosophy, as philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas (1961) taught in "Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority," it is what calls us to our ontological and epistemological stance. This stance, rooted in the fundamental dignity of the person, is based on the call of the other. To say that ethics is the “first philosophy” of humanistic psychology is to say that humanistic psychology is guided by values. Diversity, and the move toward inclusivity, moreover, is centrally guided by the recognition of the ontological dignity of all persons – a recognition of a core value that holds preeminently and is not subject to value relativism, founded, as it is, in our very “being” as human persons.

Task Force Members:
Brent Dean Robbins (Co-chair)
Nathaniel Granger, Jr. (Co-chair)
Scott Churchill
Amanda Lowe
Jason McCarty
Robert McInerney
Donna Rockwell

The Society for Humanistic Psychology (American Psychological Association, Division 32) opposes the practice of therapy sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts (also referred to as “counseling for unwanted same-sex attraction”), or any other psychotherapy approach that proactively seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity/expression of an individual. Such practices disregard the basic human dignity of gender- and sexual-diverse people. Furthermore, any individuals seeking therapy to change their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression should be adequately informed of the potential risks of such therapy. Any attempt to deny or minimize the psychological dangers of attempts to change one’s sexual orientation or gender/identity expression is unethical and professionally irresponsible. Humanistic psychologists should seek to promote accurate information based on the scientific and clinical literature that addresses the psychological well-being of gender- and sexual-diverse people as well as proactively address prejudicial and discriminatory practices impacting gender- and sexual-diverse people.

This is a revision of a previous iteration of this position statement. The revision was initiated by Division 32’s Senior Student Representative, Jared Boot-Haury, MA, in 2022, to make the language both more current and more inclusive. It was approved by the Division 32 executive board in June 2022, with additional updates made and approved in July 2023.

[1] Calzo, J. P., Mays, V. M., Björkenstam, C., Björkenstam, E., Kosidou, K., & Cochran, S. D. (2017). Parental sexual orientation and children's psychological well-being: 2013-2015 national health interview survey. Child Development, 90(4), 1097-1108 https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12989opens in new window

[2] American Psychological Association. (2021, February). APA resolution on gender identity change efforts. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-gender-identity-change-efforts.pdfopens in new window

The Society for Humanistic Psychology (American Psychological Association, Division 32) maintains the position that all individuals should be afforded all the same marital rights as heterosexual individuals, including the right to marry a partner of their choice, regardless of sexual orientation. Any legal or other barriers to marriage for lesbian, gay, bisexual+ individuals may negatively impact the psychological health of these individuals and their children, as well as creating challenges in accessing the same economic and health resources available to heterosexual individuals.

This is a revision of a previous iteration of this position statement. The revision was initiated by Division 32's Senior Student Representative, Jared Boot-Haury, MA, in 2022, to make the language both more current and more inclusive. It was approved by the Division 32 executive board in June 2022, with additional updates made and approved in July 2023.

The Society for Humanistic Psychology (American Psychological Association, Division 32) supports the rights of same-sex couples to conceive and/or adopt and raise children. It is important for children to be raised in a loving and supportive home with caregivers who are able to provide healthy attachment relationships. The Society for Humanistic Psychology maintains there is no scientific or clinical evidence to support the position that being raised by same-sex parents causes harm. Furthermore, there is scientific and clinical support that gay, lesbian, and bisexual+ individuals are as able as heterosexual individuals to provide a loving, supportive home in which children can thrive. Humanistic psychologists should work to dispute the biases, stereotypes, and prejudices about same-sex families in regard to parenting through providing accurate scientific information.

This is a revision of a previous iteration of this position statement. The revision was initiated by Division 32's Senior Student Representative, Jared Boot-Haury, MA, in 2022, to make the language both more current and more inclusive. It was approved by the Division 32 executive board in June 2022, with additional updates made and approved in July 2023.

[1] Calzo, J. P., Mays, V. M., Björkenstam, C., Björkenstam, E., Kosidou, K., & Cochran, S. D. (2017). Parental sexual orientation and children's psychological well-being: 2013-2015 national health interview survey. Child Development, 90(4), 1097-1108. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12989opens in new window

The Society for Humanistic Psychology (American Psychological Association, Division 32) supports the basic rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The Society for Humanistic Psychology stands against any discrimination against sexual and gender minorities, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ+) individuals. As such, humanistic psychologists should be aware of and recognize the harm caused by various forms of discrimination, stereotyping, and bias against sexual- and gender-diverse people. Psychological professionals providing services to sexual- and gender-diverse people should receive appropriate training prior to working with these clients. Furthermore, humanistic psychologists should help promote the dissemination of accurate information about sexual- and gender diversity and seek to reduce harm in the public and professional spheres caused by prejudice, biases, and discrimination against sexual and gender-diverse people. Any statement suggesting that sexual- and gender-diverse people, when compared to cisgender heterosexual individuals, are not equally able to self-actualize and develop to their full potential as human beings stands contrary to the basic beliefs and values of humanistic psychology.

This is a revision of a previous iteration of this position statement. The revision was initiated by Division 32's Senior Student Representative, Jared Boot-Haury, MA, in 2022, to make the language both more current and more inclusive. It was approved by the Division 32 executive board in June 2022, with additional updates made and approved in July 2023.

APA’s Division 32 (The Society for Humanistic Psychology) is committed to social justice, human rights and human dignity. Humanistic psychologists believe in the equal rights of all human beings to dignity, respect, fairness and justice; the right to access basic resources such as food, shelter, education and health care; the right to a fair trial, to be innocent until proven guilty in a just and fair court of law; the right to freedom from violence and oppression, including epistemological and institutional oppression; the right to form relationships, marry and build families; the right not to be forced into marriage or childbearing; and the freedom of speech, thought, writing and belief.

The full statement is available online.

By: David Rennie, President, Society for Humanistic Psychology

The Society for Humanistic Psychology offers the following thoughts and proposals to the American Psychological Association's Presidential Task Force on Psychological Ethics and National Security:

The society proposes: (a) that all psychologists, including those working for the military and/or intelligence services, abide by the APA code of ethics; and also notes that (b) psychologists working for the military and/or intelligence services may be caught in a conflict between their professional ethics and practices demanded by their employers.

Accordingly, the society proposes (1) that the APA insist on legislation and other relevant action that would require psychologists, working for the military, intelligence services or associated agencies, whether in the interest or national security or not, to uphold the APA's ethical code; (2) that the legislation and other relevant action protect psychologists doing such work from being penalized by their employers for refusing to engage in practices that violate the ethical code; (3) that the employers be required to report to the APA psychologists in their employment who breech the ethical code; (4) that disciplinary action be applied as well to members who witness but fail to report other members having violated the ethical code; (5) that all such legislation and action be made known publicly; and (6) APA should make every effort to publicize this proactive stance and communicate this stance to its members.

The draft Statement on Hate Incidents in the United States was written by the Society for Humanistic Psychology Task Force on Hate Incidents. We are currently seeking feedback on this draft from Division 32 members. We would be very grateful for any comments, ideas or questions that you might have. 

This letter was constructed by the Task Force on Diagnostic Alternatives of the American Psychological Association’s Division 32 (the Society for Humanistic Psychology). This is an official statement of the Society for Humanistic Psychology and does not represent the position of the American Psychological Association or any of its other divisions or subunits.