Most traditional cultures respect and preserve the wisdom of their elders. Similarly, there is an enduring interest in Division 32 in capturing the thoughts and narratives of our elder members. As humanistic psychology moves into the future, it is important to look both forward and back, carrying the best of our past into future iterations of our discipline. Eleanor Criswell Hanna played an important role in the formation of humanistic psychology and has maintained an active presence and influence through many years and roles. As a visionary who was one of the founders of Saybrook University and Somatic Psychology, Criswell Hanna, EdD established the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training and is an emeritus professor of psychology at Sonoma State University in California. With Dr. Ilene Serlin (Serlin & Criswell, 2015), she provided a critical-historical perspective on the place of women in Humanistic Psychology. In her honor, Division 32 awards the Eleanor Criswell Hanna Award to celebrate women in humanistic psychology. She is also the recent recipient of the Saybrook Humanistic Medal of Freedom.
Ilene Serlin, PhD, a friend and colleague of hers who was a recent recipient of the Eleanor Criswell Hanna Award, interviewed Criswell Hanna on behalf of the newsletter in late March of this year, gathering her thoughts on legacy and her hopes for carrying humanistic values forward.
Serlin: How would you like to see things developing in the world?
Criswell Hanna: People do ask me how I would like things to go in the future. We really don't know what direction things are going to take, climatically and socially but, from my perspective, I plan to do whatever I can do for as long as I'm here. How long I'm going to be here is an open question, but I plan to contribute whatever I can. I am a humanistic psychologist, and I'm many other things at the same time. I have many involvements in human welfare… many. ;One of the things I love about humanistic psychology is that it is timeless. It is more needed today than ever before and it has more to contribute. There are expanding opportunities where it is contributing. For example, in social justice, globally, the principles of humanistic psychology are incredibly valuable. We're entering some new eras in which we have to see if those principles are going to hold or not. And it's up to us to make sure that they do. Otherwise, they could be swept away.
Serlin: Tell us about what you think those interests and perspectives are.
Criswell Hanna: It has to do with valuing the integrity and dignity of all people. You have a right to that for your own self, and also the people that you relate to. And it's very important for children as they are growing up, and as part of the ethic they are learning. Dance, the arts, music…these are very important components to include, and to do it in a way that is free and exciting, and full of energy for people.
Serlin: Yes…about the somatic, the whole human being.
Criswell-Hanna: I would like everyone to have knowledge about their bodies and how their bodies work, as much as possible, so they know how to self-regulate. For example, there are people running around who are enormously anxious (anxious, afraid, and uncertain)— and they don';t have any tools to self-regulate that. We can help them do that. It's part of our mandate, if you will. There's a lot of that work going on in communities and institutions. It's very prevalent today and can be shared globally. To the degree that I am able to communicate with people across the world, I am so happy to relate to people who are kindred spirits.
Serlin: I also see the opposite of this. We see distrust, and people retreating into tribes. How do we as humanistic psychologists try to help with that situation?
Criswell Hanna: I think we have to appreciate the tribes and cultures, while at the same time sharing what we have in common. So that you can have your own precious tribe and culture, and also share. The tendency in the world now is to draw away from sharing. For example, we often talk about yoga and whether it's cultural appropriation for us to be practicing yoga. Well, the world is full of cultural appropriation….We are learning from each other. We can have the best of the East and the best of the West, a sharing of cultures. But we must remember where those practices came from and appreciate their cultural home. Sharing is very important, remembering their roots in an appreciative way. We're all developing new ways of doing things all the time. To share them is very important— but not in an exclusive way, but rather in an appreciative way.
So much of what the founders of humanistic psychology pulled together is universal. It didn't just spring up in the 50s and 60s. What I really like is research coming in to enhance our understanding of practices that positively impact our health and well-being. One of my interests is brain research and how our brains influence what we do and how that can be enhanced. Some people feel that is not appropriate, but I hope they can come to appreciate the findings from many other traditions— sharing and researching multiculturally and interdisciplinarily, not in silos. We're moving into an incredible period in human existence. We have to make sure the ship stays steady.
Serlin: I'm thinking of Abraham Maslow saying something like we need a new version of human nature, our higher selves. It would be helpful to come at our world's problems from our higher selves. Not necessarily talking about humanistic values but being them and working on ourselves.
Criswell Hanna: A number of people today are working on that within themselves, with different approaches, and belief systems, and attitudes. All of them have contributions to make.
Serlin: You often leave yourself out when you talk about those people, but it's important to work on yourself as you've been doing your whole life. And that's very humanistic— not just talking about humanistic values but being those values.
Criswell Hanna: Yes, being aware on an ongoing basis that we're behaving in a way that's congruent with our values, or not. Sometimes we don't notice that we've strayed over a boundary. Yes, I have been working on myself, but I don't consider that I've achieved it— I'm still a work in progress, and I only have so much time left. I am at peace with the fact that I won't achieve it all—there is so much that I want to do before I leave. I know that I won't have time to do it all, but I also know that I have planted seeds, and they are growing. It makes me very happy, knowing that there are wonderful people who can carry it on, who are already carrying it. I go where I am needed.
Reference
Serlin, I. A., & Criswell, E. (2015). Humanistic psychology and women: A critical-historical perspective. In K. J. Schneider, J. F. Pierson, & J. F. T. Bugental (Eds.), The handbook of humanistic psychology: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 27-40). Sage.