Psyche and Soul in America: The Spiritual Odyssey of Rollo May

Rollo May was a psychologist who contributed to the popular and professional response to personal emptiness in post-World War II America. He addressed the sources of depression, powerlessness, and conformity and mapped a path to restore authentic individuality, intimacy, creativity, and community. His books and championing of non-medical therapeutic practice contributed to the profession, and his compelling prose reached millions of readers. Psyche and Soul in America reveals his turbulent inner life, religious crises, and their influence on his contribution to psychotherapy and the culture beyond.

Format: Hardback
Length: 544 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

In the aftermath of World War II, America, particularly during the tumultuous 1960s and 1970s, grappled with a pervasive sense of personal emptiness amidst a culture in crisis. Psychologist Rollo May played a pivotal role in addressing this profound emotional void, contributing significantly to both the popular and professional understanding of the issue. May delved into the origins of depression, powerlessness, and conformity, while also charting a path toward restoring authentic individuality, intimacy, creativity, and community. Trained as a psychotherapist, he drew upon a diverse range of disciplines, including theology, philosophy, literature, and the arts, to explore the central question of how we should live.

Robert Abzug's definitive biography, Psyche and Soul in America, traces the epic life of May, from his humble origins in the Protestant heartland of the Midwest to his long-standing practice in New York City and his involvement in the therapeutic culture of California. May's books, such as Love and Will, Man's Search for Himself, The Courage to Create, and others, made significant contributions to the field of psychotherapy. His advocacy for non-medical therapeutic practices and introduction of Existential psychotherapy to America were groundbreaking. Moreover, May's captivating prose reached millions of readers across different walks of life, finding a place on the bookshelves of hippies and others seeking meaning and fulfillment.

May was a founding member of the humanistic psychology movement, which has profoundly shaped the way many Americans describe their emotional and spiritual lives. Psyche and Soul in America, based on full and uncensored access to May's papers and original oral interviews, offers a revealing glimpse into his turbulent inner life, religious crises, and their profound influence on his contributions to psychotherapy and beyond. The book adds new and intimate dimensions to the exploration of spiritual strivings and the therapeutic relationship in America, shedding light on the complex interplay between psyche life, faith, and the search for meaning.

Weight: 792g
Dimension: 167 x 243 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780199754373