The Birth of Conscientious Psychology

Fifty years ago 3 events were the original foundation for the announcement today:

• I finished my neurosurgical training
• I began my life work to find safe ways to help people with chronic pain and depression
• The Association of Humanistic Psychology was founded
  

Forty-four years ago a fourth event completed the foundation:

My wife and I moved to Brindabella Farms where she focused on raising prize Appaloosas and developed the Success-Centered Riding and Training workshops.

Both of us worked with individuals who often needed to recover self-esteem. Over the past two years it has become obvious that the single most important requirement for physical and mental health and for longevity is conscientiousness. Indeed, the least conscientious among us are prone to severe depression, drug abuse and even criminal behavior. We know a great deal about the benefits of being conscientious. A major question for the next 50 years is development of effective methods for enhancing conscientiousness. This is the purpose of creating the Mary-Charlotte Bayles Shealy Chair of Conscientious Psychology at Missouri State University.

I have been fortunate to develop many safe approaches to relieve pain and depression. Now I feel equally fortunate to work with Brent Dunn, Clif Smart, Anson Elliott and Tim Dougherty at Missouri State University and many others to initiate this future.