Transpersonal psychology goes beyond the traditional “mental health” focus that general psychology utilizes and instead embraces a holistic “wellbeing” approach to healing.
It combines the mental, physical, social, emotional, creative and intellectual needs of the patient and supports the idea of a healthy spirit to promote healing and happiness. In short, transpersonal psychology believes that your spiritual beliefs, interests and core values play key roles in your mental and physical well-being.
The treatment method evolved from the humanistic work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung and was formalized by American psychologist Abraham Maslow and his associates in the 1960s.
Maslow and his colleagues renamed it “transpersonal therapy” because of its focus on a broader concept of how a person achieves meaning and purpose, describing it as “reaching beyond [Jung’s] humanistic concerns.” It has continued to be advanced by a Czech psychiatrist named Stanislav Grof, among others.
Transpersonal therapy originally included a focus on altered states of consciousness, where patients may see themselves and their lives outside of the self, from a different perspective. These states were partially achieved using psychedelics, such as LSD, but since psychedelics became controlled substances in the 1970s, practitioners have moved to other means of achieving elevated states, such as using meditation or breathing exercises instead.
However with the resurgent popularity of psychedelics, which is due to some promising research results and some states relaxing regulations, psychedelic legalization is going into partial effect in Oregon and Colorado, all while approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in progress (potentially).
How does transpersonal psychology work?
Honesty and self-awareness
To facilitate healing and growth, transpersonal therapy places emphasis on honesty and self-awareness in the relationship between the patient and the psychologist. A transpersonal psychologist may draw from a variety of spiritual and creative exercises, philosophies and tools that may help the patient explore areas of his or her consciousness and invoke spiritual methods to guide them through anxious or troubled times.
Identifying behavioral patterns
Transpersonal psychologists primarily work with people who feel spiritually bereft or are dealing with common modern ailments such as anxiety and depression, or just are looking for help to find themselves in order to lead a happier life. These psychologists strive to help patients change negative behaviors such as substance abuse addiction, improve their social lives and relationships, or even just discover their spiritual center.
Transpersonal therapy
Therapy in transpersonal psychology could involve traditional talk therapy but add such other methods as meditation, dream work and vision quests, which originated with indigenous peoples and contain elements of solitude and seeking understanding or purpose through connection with both the visible and invisible worlds. These therapies can help patients see themselves as connected to the larger scheme of things or as part of nature, and less on their own immediate material being.
Who can benefit from transpersonal therapy?
According to Psychology Today, transpersonal psychology may help with negative behaviors or attitudes by substituting more constructive behaviors and focusing more on spiritual meaning and inner life, and can be of benefit to patients who suffer from conditions such as:
Anxiety
Depression
Substance abuse and other addictions
Phobias
Transpersonal therapy techniques
Besides traditional talk therapy and psychology techniques and practices, transpersonal therapists use other methods and tools to help clients find meaning in their lives. Some of these may include:
Art projects
Listening to or composing music
Journal writing
Mindfulness exercises
Meditation
Breathing exercises
Creative visualization
Dream interpretation and exploration
Hypnotherapy
Psychedelics
Steps to become a transpersonal psychologist
Earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
While a bachelor’s in psychology is the most obvious choice, if you have an interest in a related area, such as sociology, political science or neuroscience, these majors will also help you pave the way to enter the field.
Earn your master’s degree.
A psychology master’s is the equivalent of a transpersonal psychology degree and the minimum level you must hold in order to practice as a therapist, and you’ll want to hone your studies on holistic psychology such as existential psychology, life coaching, meditation or spiritual psychology. Since few mainstream colleges and universities offer degree programs in transpersonal psychology you may need to gain experience or enter a program at a less traditional college after earning your master’s degree in psychology.
Earn a doctorate.
Do you want to do research or have a client-facing practice? You can earn a PhD in psychology, and work in research and academia or a PsyD, and become a practicing psychotherapist. Either way, you should plan for an additional four to six years of school in your doctorate program.
Complete an internship and residency.
You’ll be required to complete both an internship where you observe practicing professionals and a residency, where you participate in patient and client-facing interactions under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. The length of residency is determined by the state in which you live and the particular transpersonal psychology program you choose.
Get licensed to practice in your state.
Every state requires psychologists and therapists to be licensed, but the criteria may be different depending upon the state in which you intend to practice. Make sure to check your state’s licensing board to find out your exact requirements. Generally, requirements include the successful completion of supervised practice programs and the passing of national and state examinations, both written and oral.
What will my classes be like?
Once you have your bachelor’s in psychology or a related field, which should lay the groundwork in traditional psychology, your master’s program may delve more into the tenets and core practices of transpersonal psychology theory.
Here is an example of some of the coursework in the master’s program from Sofia University, which was formerly the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology:
Foundations in Transpersonal Studies
Theories of Personality
Spiritual Development Across the Lifespan
Transpersonal Approaches to Dreams and Dreaming
Complete a required Professional Practicum
These master’s programs are designed to ready students for a career in life coaching, social work, art therapy and health and wellness among others. If you’re committed to pursuing a career as a practicing transpersonal psychologist, you will likely need to finish your education with a doctorate.
Salary and job growth
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t specifically cite salaries for transpersonal psychologists, but they do document salaries for psychologists, counselors and therapists. Compare median national salaries for these three careers:
Career
Median Annual Salary
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
$82,510
Counselors, All Other
$45,160
Here are the median annual psychologist salaries by state:
Psychologists, All Other
National data
Median Salary: $102,900
Projected job growth: 2.8%
10th Percentile: $39,760
25th Percentile: $73,910
75th Percentile: $120,240
90th Percentile: $133,200
Projected job growth: 2.8%
State data
State
Median Salary
Bottom 10%
Top 10%
Alabama
$104,420
$39,560
$123,800
Alaska
$113,340
$74,360
$137,780
Arizona
$105,000
$47,780
$124,090
Arkansas
$95,200
$26,230
$119,770
California
$116,490
$52,520
$165,060
Connecticut
$113,570
$42,180
$133,760
District of Columbia
$105,300
$51,670
$135,030
Florida
$104,720
$48,690
$127,590
Georgia
$101,340
$64,650
$119,770
Hawaii
$105,640
$23,680
$142,380
Idaho
$92,120
$48,920
$113,630
Illinois
$101,600
$38,310
$130,050
Indiana
$98,280
$39,380
$120,790
Iowa
$113,630
$62,350
$129,040
Kansas
$102,380
$29,350
$122,150
Kentucky
$104,420
$64,270
$121,330
Louisiana
$103,040
$43,720
$119,930
Maine
$72,790
$48,770
$104,420
Maryland
$114,050
$52,170
$159,700
Massachusetts
$112,860
$49,170
$133,370
Michigan
$64,650
$39,340
$121,410
Minnesota
$64,500
$39,560
$130,360
Mississippi
$92,120
$26,230
$119,770
Missouri
$105,960
$46,760
$121,530
Nevada
$99,740
$48,920
$128,770
New Jersey
$98,680
$38,210
$127,750
New Mexico
$101,980
$26,350
$120,540
New York
$110,550
$30,160
$138,400
North Carolina
$96,430
$46,890
$119,770
North Dakota
$101,360
$48,920
$128,380
Ohio
$105,500
$39,090
$132,390
Oklahoma
$99,420
$39,630
$124,900
Oregon
$108,160
$49,190
$169,620
Pennsylvania
$107,540
$50,520
$130,210
Rhode Island
$62,410
$29,820
$151,680
South Carolina
$110,550
$47,580
$136,840
South Dakota
$101,340
$26,230
$119,770
Texas
$105,930
$52,960
$127,130
Utah
$104,420
$44,990
$135,690
Vermont
$98,280
$77,020
$119,770
Virginia
$107,630
$61,550
$134,780
Washington
$111,030
$56,730
$131,210
West Virginia
$40,730
$31,140
$110,550
Wisconsin
$95,200
$46,580
$124,690
Wyoming
$113,630
$26,230
$169,620
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2021 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
The BLS says that job growth for psychologists, in general, will be right around average through 2031, with a increase in jobs. The national average for all careers rests at 5% for the same timeframe. Clinical and counseling psychologists will grow the fastest, says the BLS, with a higher job growth rate of 9.9% through 2031.
FAQs About Transpersonal Psychology
Who are some notable figures in the field of transpersonal psychology?
The most notable is arguably Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who was a student of Sigmund Freud. Freud divided the human personality into the id, ego and superego, while Jung proposed the human psyche was composed of the id, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious.
The two men split over Jung’s belief that Freud was too limited in his thinking and that the unconscious was more than repressed thought and motivations and could be a prolific source of creativity. The 1960s became a primary time of growth for transpersonal therapy as Abraham Maslov announced transpersonal therapy as the “fourth force in psychology” and strived to separate it from the humanistic school of psychology. The use of the term “transpersonal” has been credited to early notable figures Stanislov Groth and Anthony Sutich, who were associates of Maslov.
The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology was opened in 1975 by Robert Frager and James Fadiman and was in response to the hostility transpersonal psychology received from the established scientific and academic environment. The Institute is now Sofia University, and offers coursework in the field, specifically at the master’s-level.
What are some common criticisms of transpersonal psychology?
Transpersonal psychology programs have drawn criticism for being outside the boundaries of mainstream psychology constructs although this is changing as Eastern therapies, philosophies and exercises, including meditation, natural health, yoga and mindfulness, become more accepted and integrated into western medicine and healthcare fields.
There are also other detractors who believe transpersonal studies lack the scientific and documented rigor that traditional psychology practice has.
What are some common applications of transpersonal psychology in education and learning?
Because transpersonal therapy utilizes the creative nature of people, those who deal with learning disabilities, have trouble expressing themselves verbally, have trauma or PTSD or need special education can benefit from the art and writing therapies used in transpersonal psychology.
ECEs, elementary school teachers, art therapists and movement therapists can all apply aspects of transpersonal psychology to their curriculum and practice so that these unique individuals have a way of expressing themselves, their anxieties, fears and phobias. Those suffering from addictions may find a way to replace the time negatively spent using with a more spiritually profound and positive outlet.
