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Aug 30, 2025
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2025-2026 Academic Catalog and Student Handbook
Foundations of Existential-Humanistic Practice Certificate
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Return to: Academic Programs
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Overview of Certificate
Saybrook University, initially founded as the Humanistic Psychology Institute, has a long-standing history of promoting scholar-practitioners grounded in humanistic, existential, and transpersonal psychologies. The Existential-Humanistic Psychology (EHP) Specialization holds the core of Saybrook's legacy, grounding psychotherapy practitioners in the humanistic paradigm as the psychology of the whole human in a global context. Academicians and researchers are trained in an approach to psychology that honors humanistic values in research, healing, practice, and education. Therefore, affiliation with the Existential-Humanistic Institute (EHI) is in alignment with Saybrook's mission to "relentlessly pursue a socially just, sustainable world by educating humanistic leaders who transform their fields and communities." (www.saybrook.edu).
This agreement honors the work of the Existential-Humanistic Institute (EHI), which is a practice institute providing clinical training and offering courses on the principles of existential-humanistic philosophy and practice, the inner search process, and the responsibility of the therapist" (www.ehiinstitute.org). As the Existential Humanistic Institute was founded by alumni of Saybrook University, this agreement is intended to honor the vision, values, and ideals of both organizations, enrich offerings to a wider number of students, and mutually flourish.
Through the partnership between SU and EHI, Saybrook students have an opportunity to complete a unique certificate from Saybrook University Existential-Humanistic Institute (SU-EHI) titled: Foundations of Existential-Humanistic Practice.
*Students who satisfy both the course requirements and clinical training will be eligible for this Certificate.
Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Upon completion of the Certificate, students will be able to:
- Identify meaning-making processes unfolding in the present moment.
- Illuminate these actual but often unrecognized processes by cultivating intra-psychic and interpersonal presence.
- Develop a safe and intimate therapeutic relationship.
- Recognize and work with existential life issues that may be present but disguised.
- Recognize and work with transference and counter-transference issues within an existential framework.
Career Opportunities
This certificate program is well-suited for those who seek to deepen their experience in providing relational psychotherapy, as well as their grounding in an existential-humanistic and existential-integrative approach to clinical work with clients. It will also appeal to scholars of these therapy approaches to better inform research designs in qualitative and quantitative methods and methodologies. Finally, it will be attractive to those who wish to enhance their effectiveness as educators and Faculty in teaching existential-humanistic and existential-integrative approaches in graduate institutions.
Admissions Requirements
Students without previous clinical training or not involved in a clinical psychology degree program at Saybrook may be eligible if they have a strong background in existential or humanistic therapy.
One year of personal therapy taken either before or during the year-long program is strongly recommended.
Residential /University / Virtual Learning Experience
All new students begin their studies with a Welcome Week. Welcome Week activities, including a certificate program orientation, are held online during the week ahead of the start of the fall and spring semesters. Participation is strongly encouraged.
No face-to-face residential learning experiences (RLEs) are required for this certificate. However, students are invited to attend any of Saybrook's face-to-face residential learning experiences (RLEs), community learning experiences (CLEs) and/or virtual learning experiences (VLEs) where they will meet other Saybrook students, faculty and staff.
This certificate is offered in collaboration with the Existential-Humanistic Institute (EHI): Http://ehinstitute.org/ehi-saybrook-eh-psychology-therapy-certificate.html. The required experiential is managed by EHI, including associated costs, location, dates, etc.
Note: Saybrook degree-matriculating students may substitute one RLE, VLE, or CLE by attending one EHI experiential retreat.
Certificate Specific Requirements (outside of university policies)
Two experiential courses offered through EHI:
Hours
Students in the certificate program will undertake 9 hours of coursework at Saybrook (three 3-credit courses, 9 and 6 hours of coursework; two 3-credit courses through the Existential-Humanistic Institute).
Mode of Delivery
Course delivery is online, with the exception of experiential courses taken at EHI.
Length of Certificate
The Certificate Program can be completed over two years during Fall and Spring Semesters.
Required Courses
The certificate requires the following:
- Students complete the online courses in existential-humanistic practice, which will cover the content requirements for the SU-EHI certificate offered through the Saybrook curriculum.
Note: If SU-EHI students are interested in pursuing more advanced training, they will be directed to the EHI website (http://ehinstitute.org/).
- Students will participate fully, and complete residential training provided by EHI. The training will satisfy one of the Saybrook residential requirements in accordance with the Residential Learning Experience Substitution Policy.
- It is the responsibility of the student to cover all costs of the EHI experiential.
- Students will complete an additional online or in-person consultation group series of five (5) sessions offered through EHI.
- Students are responsible for paying additional fees for the experiential training and consultation directly to EHI. Related costs will be posted on the EHI website.
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