Our monthly blog feature from MSP President, Dr. Diane Blau, discussing what’s on her mind and in her heart regarding MSP and the field of professional psychology.
When I began my studies at the Merrill Palmer Institute (MPI), I could not have imagined the Michigan School of Professional Psychology (MSP) that exists today. My cohort of seven, studying with Professors Moustakas and Perry, sought expertise in humanistic psychology and perhaps an eventual doctorate arranged with an external degree granting institution. That concentrated program formed the core curriculum of the Center for Humanistic Studies (CHS) and MSP today.
This year we marked the school’s 35th anniversary. We celebrated accreditation for the doctoral program from the American Psychological Association (APA), a 10-year continuation of accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and heralded new beginnings for campus expansion.
To me, this year felt different, perhaps because it was the 35th anniversary, maybe because of APA accreditation, or the promise of increased space. More likely it was the convergence of all three and the Reunion Gala and Foster Our Future Brunch that marked them.
This entire year captures the essence of “Realize Your Potential”. Masters and doctoral students will graduate this month and move forward on their paths. Alumni will continue to make remarkable differences in the lives of those they serve. And this fall, with full enrollment, MSP will again promote growth and foster potential.
I hope as this academic year comes to a close that the MSP community takes great pride in all of its accomplishments. It is a reflection, not of one person, one program, or one constituency; rather the whole community, past and present and all of us who continue to envision and believe in our purpose and our future.
