Psychology Glossary

A-D

E-H

I-L

M-P

Q-T

U-Z

Psychology Glossary – Terms [Q] – Coming Soon!

Psychology Glossary – Terms [R]

Radical Psychology: A branch of psychology whose members strive to challenge the status quo of psychology and the field’s traditional focus on minor reform. Radical psychology states that enhancing human welfare means fundamental social change and recognition that psychology has too often been used to oppress people rather than liberate them.

Resonance: In the field of interpersonal neurobiology, resonance describes a process by which our body and mind deeply attune to another living being, resulting in the experience of what some refer to as “feeling felt.” This empathic process can foster wellbeing (when sensing the care and presence of another) or discomfort (when another’s emotional state is overpowering). Researcher Daniel Siegel notes that “Resonance is how we allow our own internal state to be shaped by what we sense and perceive in someone else.”

Carl Rogers: Born in 1902, Carl Rogers was an American psychologist and one of the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology. He is considered to be one of the originators of psychotherapy research and his person-centered approach to understanding human relationships is widely used throughout psychotherapy and counseling. He believed that for a person to grow they need to experience an environment of acceptance, openness, and empathy, and that every person is capable of fulfilling their potential if their ideal self is congruent with their actual behavior.

Don Miguel Ruiz: A Mexican doctor, author, and spiritualist whose work and teachings focuses on the use of Toltec mythology as a means to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Ruiz merges ancient wisdom with modern physics and practical common-sense to create a guiding philosophy for seekers of truth and authenticity.

Rumination: the word rumination is used to describe a deep, focused, sometimes cyclical, attention on a singular thought. Rumination is commonly associated with anxious and/or depressive states of mind.

Psychology Glossary – Terms [S]

Virginia Satir: An American author and social worker known for her approach to family therapy and her work with family reconstruction. She cofounded the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California, receiving a grant in 1962 allowing for the first formal family therapy training program in which she served as director. Satir founded both the International Human Learning Resources Network and the Avanta Network with the intention to provide resources and support to mental health workers. She strongly believed that love and nurturance are the most important healing aspects of therapy, that superficial issues frequently mask deeper ones, and that mental health issues are often the product of negative family experiences and roles. Satir’s Transformational Systematic Therapy, or Satir Growth Model, emphasizes engaging the inner self and analyzing an individual’s situation and choices.

Martin Seligman: An American psychologist, educator, and author, Seligman’s main mission since 2000 has been the promotion of the field of Positive Psychology. Using the scientific method to explore happiness, Seligman has applied his research to education, health, neuroscience, and to groups such as the U.S. Army, athletes, teachers, and every-day people. A Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Seligman is also known for his theory of learned helplessness, popular among scientitic and clinical psychologists.

Francine Shapiro: An American psychologist and educator who developed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a form of psychotherapy used to treat and resolve symptoms of trauma and disturbing experiences. Shapiro founded her therapy model on her theory that when people experience trauma and it’s not fully processed, those feelings linger in the nervous system. She is a Senior Research Fellow Emeritus at the Mental Research Institute, Executive Director of the EMDR Institute, and founder of the Trauma Revocery EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs.

Daniel Siegel: Daniel Siegal is an author, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the Executive Director for the Mindsight Institute. He is known for his books on parenting and child development as well as his work in the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology and the study of mindfulness.

B.F. Skinner: An American psychologist, behaviorist, author, philosopher, and inventor, Skinner was a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until he retired in 1974. He believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the root of an action and its consequences, an approach he called operant conditioning and which he studied by conducting experiments using animals in a ‘Skinner Box.’ Considered a pioneer of modern behaviorism, Skinner also developed a philosophy of science he called radical behaviorism and founded a school of experimental research psychology.

Spiritual Counseling: Spiritual Counseling integrates religion or spirituality with psychosocial care and guidance to assist people in finding a life purpose, overcoming obstacles, or putting painful life experiences into perspective. The soul or heart, rather than the mind, is the starting point for expanding an individual’s view of life and exploring belief systems. Spiritual Counselors are highly trained professionals who have completed graduate level studies before becoming a practitioner.

Psychology Glossary – Terms [T]

Eckhart Tolle: A German-born resident of Canada best known as the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. After experiencing a profound inner transformation, Tolle devoted his time to understanding and integrating his transformation and using his understanding to work as a counselor and spiritual teacher. The core of his teachings focus on the transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening related to presence, interdependence and non-materialism he sees as the next step in human evolution.

Psychology Glossary – Terms [U-Z] – Coming Soon!