University of Santa Monica

The most evil people in my life thrive at USM. I was physiologically scammed by a former USM executive, multiple current USM employees /​former students.
They loudly ring a cow bell in the office when they dupe someone one into join and their cult-​like recruitment tactics are deceptive at best.
I went to their annual workshop and witnessed the use of planted shills in the audience who failed to disclose their close relationship with USM, so shady! As a «student», I witnessed USM using many cult tactics each month for recruitment, to minimize anyone questioning USM teachings and keeping people paying to be part of their community. Real schools do not charge money when your homework is late and also encourage contrary views and critical thinking, yet USM students are thought not to question the USM teachings and their leaders/​mgmt.
Some of the biggest psychological scam artists I have ever known still thrive in the USM community. USM teaches there is no right and wrong, a true paradise for any sociopath a joke to real physiologists.
USM is a front company for MSIA, which is legally incorporated as a church according to the MSIA website. Also, do a Google search for their founder and «Chancellor» Roger Delano Hinkins (AKA: John Roger) and browse the alleged scandals suggesting financial improprieties as well as disturbing sexual misconduct before you spend almost $ 800 per month on this psychological and emotional con job.

tonight a comedy improv class with Sally Kirkland, looking forward! Thank you Julian Michael

I’m about as a mainstream skeptic as anyone can be, and I initially thought this program was some kind of wu-​wu, crystal, airy-​fairy BS, until I actually showed up and got into the curriculum. This was probably the hardest, most challenging, most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
I was already quite successful in my life, but I wasn’t really fulfilled and living my life the way I wanted to be living. I also wasn’t really happy. This school, and that’s all it really is for me, (a school that isn’t perfect, that has human beings with flaws, and students with flaws, etc) turned me inside out. It literally turned me inside out and upside down and around. It challenged me in nearly every way possible. The curriculum is masterfully designed to have you examine and experience every major aspect of your life as to what’s not working and how to make it work in a better way. This school is literally a life mastery school if you want it to be.
Everything about my life is better as a result of what I learned there. My relationships are richer, my bank account is richer, I have way more free time, I know what I like and what I don’t and I’ve learned how to create my life.
And some say the degree isn’t real, not accredited, it’s not a real school, it’s a cult, or the school didn’t give them what they needed, or someone wasn’t nice to them or whatever, and yes maybe some of those comments hold a grain of truth. But many of the whiners out there are victims and not willing to take charge of their own lives and want to blame others for their short falls in life. But this is how the world is, everywhere you go. I choose my own path, I choose what i want to be a part of and what I don’t, and I CHOSE to get as much as I possibly could out of that education and leave what I didn’t want. And my experience was truly life changing in a very positive way.
Anyone who thinks this school is a joke or is harshly critical of it without really knowing, I challenge you, I dare you to try and make it through two years and graduate! It’s no cake walk I can assure you; it’s way harder than a mainstream university.
If you are really wanting to create the life you’ve dreamed about, this is an opportunity for you to learn a lot of skills that can help you do that, and I don’t know of any where else on the planet that teaches a better program for that. And what’s more important?
In addition, if you’re looking to develop skills as a therapist, coach, healer, mediator, etc. I’m not sure you could find any better training anywhere. And I’ve been around the personal growth circles for a long time. Their philosophy is you can’t help others heal with their issues/​problems until you’ve learned to help yourself with your own, and this is true. A mainstream university is unlikely to challenge you in this way, and it will show when you graduate. I think some of the best therapist and healing professionals come out of this school.

I got a lot out of my time as a student at USM. I learned skills that I use to this day. The part where the place gets cult-​ish is if you choose to be a non-​paid assistant (they highly encourage you to) and get to see ‘behind the curtain’. The culture is filled with cult-​like devotees that worship and ‘hold for’ the staff. The University in no way walks their talk (heart-​centered listening is no where to be found). When challenged, they turn it around to make the challenger wrong, whether than considering their toxic behavior (especially towards the male gender!). Filled with hypocrisy and entitlement. Learn the lessons and leave!

Unilocal FOR USM
Once upon a time, I went to USM, after I had already recovered from my psychosis adventure. I learned my psychosis was just PTSD from birth trauma. My PTSD took me back to times between birth and death. My companion was my second wind, my runner’s high; some call it the Holy Spirit. We took something over 6 month’s sick leave, to get us back to work. After I had recovered, in spite of my doctors, that had no clue; I found Dr. Clancy McKenzie that did know what happened and how to help. He had a book for doctors, which explained the psychosis PTSD effect. We had a good talk, and since then he has written another book, «Babies Need Mothers: How Mothers Can Prevent Mental Illness in their Children». Dr. McKenzie’s findings and inspired solutions could take our world entirely too long to find. Surprise me anyway. Later, I was on a spiritual retreat, in the mountains of New York. I was eating lunch at a table with 3 practicing doctors, which were there for the retreat. They were talking about how they could not really help anyone, until they went to their master’s program at USM. As a practicing engineer, that got my interest. Engineers are interested in WHAT WORKS in real life. Later, when I saw that USM was giving a short introductory course, someplace else in New York. I decided to check it out. It was what I was looking for, learning psychology that was useful. Useful is another engineer’s interest. I wanted to learn why Dr. Deming in the Quality movement recommended learning psychology. I applied for their master’s program in «applied» psychology. This was before «spiritual» psychology was cool. I was accepted for the spring semester 1992. I found it interesting that USM started off with «reality therapy» back then. Dr. William Glasser’s books had already showed up in my life. I loved it that Dr. Glasser started as an engineer with a BS degree. As a doctor, he has solutions in his books, that could take our world entirely too long to find. Surprise me anyway. Rigor has been mentioned. When I was working on my BS engineering degree at UCLA, I was also a Marine Reservist, which cost me a weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. There were only 300 in my class of engineering students, with 10’s of thousands of students not interested in the rigor of engineering school. At USM, I was back in the same rigor. I was working full time plus homework, plus flying cross country for a weekend a month, plus two weeks in the summer. At least universities do not have boot camp! The Marines taught me the mental and physical disciplines that I would need later in my life for that PTSD psychosis. But even my Marines, could not program me to be their paid professional killer. They could not make me, what they wanted, because I learned of my resilience, from them. I learned more of what I really am, a peacemaker. I am grateful to my Marines, and my USM that took me deeper. Google «David Grove inner child therapy». I started learning from David when he came to present his ideas in a hotel next to my work building. USM did not teach David’s therapy, when I was there, but I was free to help someone that was ready, after all their personal work, to heal their behavior and physical challenge at the same time. David’s inspired solutions could take our world entirely too long to find. Surprise me anyway. To really understand what I am writing to you, you have to go to USM yourself, with the intention of learning all you can, to get all you can. Or, you can choose the path of «one star» ignorance, and miss learning who you really are.

Hi! I am a grad from the class of 2012.
I credit USM with completely changing the way I view the world and for helping me understand my own brain and how I can deal with tragedy or anything really. I would recommend this school wholeheartedly.
The thing is, it’s not perfect. There are some things that annoyed me during my time there, but is anything perfect? This experience is all about getting exactly what you need. And if you’re dealing with some unworthiness, feeling stuck, anger issues, or not having a clue what to do with your life… this school can help.
If you want to be a licensed therapist, this school could be a part of your training, but it won’t get you there entirely.
Here’s the REAL DEAL:
People say it’s a cult!
I don’t know anything about John Roger or MSIA. All I know is they don’t eat garlic or onions or something. Never did USM require that I know about that. They never actually required anything. We weren’t asked to believe in any religion. We weren’t asked to wear certain things or drink certain things. We were asked to really do our work, read books, analyze our own thoughts, and come to class. It’s pretty much the kind of program that rewards you with as much as you put in. Hard work means lots of rewards. That’s about it. We often said during our time as students that if it was a cult, we didn’t mind being in a cult! We laughed about it. Who cares? Any group of progressively thinking people can be considered a cult.
Accreditation
I’m pretty sure they’ve made this a masters program so people will feel less scared about spending money and time. It’s honestly not a «real» degree. And I didn’t care. I mean… If someone said that they could teach you how to be equanimous and never get angry again… to believe in yourself… to accept your family members and have better relationships… to go after things of which you’ve been scared for decades… isn’t THAT worth more than a degree?
Lost
I read a review that said people usually feel lost and start bogus careers after they graduate. That’s because USM sort of hands you the truth in a big way and many of us start over, taking a few years to get reoriented. People have the courage to finally leave the career they’ve hated for years after USM or they believe in themselves and get the balls to finally start their own thing. It’s not magic and takes a while, so YES it is common to feel lost after this school. BUT… I’m now 3 years out and I’m seeing us all begin to succeed in doing things we love!
It is scary to choose this program because it’s a lot of money and it’s not really clear on how it can help you. But I am telling you it really does help you figure out your life. Ask me any questions if you have them!

I’m a USM grad, class of 2011. I was on Unilocal and thought I would see what was being said about USM. Much to my horror, people were referring to it as a cult and as though the program was a front for John Roger and MSIA. I’m going to share my own experience. I had only a vague awareness of MSIA through a few of my classmates who were part of that movement whom I love dearly. USM does not promote MSIA for crying out loud. John Roger is the man who encouraged Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick to bring their own vision of this magnificent learning institution to life who they honor as «Chancellor» because he obviously had a tremendous impact on their lives, which frankly, is none of anyone’s business. And JR does not need a «front.»
Accreditation? Let me put it to you this way. At the end of my Master’s program at USM, it occurred to me I was actually going to get a Master’s degree. I had forgotten about the piece of paper that demonstrates to the world that I did something with my life for two years. I now KNOW peace, how to love and be loved, how to release pain, to serve as a force of love in the lives of virtually everyone I encounter (no I don’t wear an orange sheet and hand out flowers at the airport), and how to love myself. My life is a rich tapestry of miracles, love, peace, and at times, contentment. I learned this here. It wasn’t easy. I was a «mentally’ oriented person and assessed others and categorized them into groups that justified my outrage over my perception of their behaviors (things like calling others depressives, ragers, sociopath, etc.) never looking at my own set of beliefs that made it a «me against the world» experience. Once I learned the skills, applied them to my own set of beliefs, I became free to see others differently. And in so doing, am met with a life that is filled with love, compassion, truth, dignity, and honor. I’ve sat next to Christians, Buddhists, Mormons, atheists, you name it. We didn’t attend this school to validate who were are. We attended this school to uncover who we are.
When I began classes I thought I really had a handle on life… but the ache in my heart told me otherwise. I wasn’t happy. I held onto grudges, and although I never would have admitted it at the time, I found myself upset most of the time, even in traffic or the grocery store, incensed when others did not behave the way I expected (which was most of the time) and I wondered what was wrong with them AND me. Was I really such a small insecure person who reacted to life instead of creating it as I wanted it? No.
The school never promised me anything. They offered me tools to use, skills, to access MYSELF. Yeah, it pissed me off at first. My ego raged, trying to keep me trapped in the familiar misery that had become my way of life hell-​bent on sticking to my stories of how I had been victimized, always blaming everyone else for everything. «Personal responsibility» was only something I gave lip service to and didn’t really understand. It’s not easy doing a litmus test on everything you think you know. In fact, there is a good reason people don’t want to do it. It confronts EVERYTHING you have decided about life and your place in it.
For two years I diligently did my homework (first year was the most challenging and its where if you get good and pissed and decide to bolt you leave with a bad taste in your mouth) and questioned every prison bar that served as a barrier between ME and living a life of pure choice… living authentically. The doctors who think anti-​depressants are a way to survive life as a «flawed» human. The messy divorce I thought I would never recover from (after all… I claimed I had given my spouse everything and therefore I lived in a state of betrayal). The work story, the kid story, the parent story, the sibling story, the dating story, the loneliness story. Get the picture? If I had not made the commitment to myself and attended USM I would most likely be a medicated, betrayed, passive/​aggressive reactionary human being, blaming everyone else for everything and cynically embracing my misery as «the norm.»
After graduation I set out to reinvent my life. Then BAM… three car accidents in a year that threatened to leave me maimed and brain damaged. Let me tell you something, not only did I survive and am I healthier than I have ever been… I saw those tragedies as blessings in disguise. Even when I could hardly read or speak, I found my class notes. I lie in bed for nearly a year while and put my USM skills to work.
This journey of life truly is what we make of it. USM is not a cult. I’ve never been a very good follower so I would have flunked out the first week if that were the case. I read something recently that sums this experience up for those of you scratching your head and wondering about why anyone would ever WANT undertake all of this work. The two definitions of FEAR: Forget Everything And Run… OR… Face Everything And Rise. I chose the latter.

I approached my USM education with a healthy skepticism as I had received a Ph.D. two years prior in a science-​related field (Toxicology) from The University of Rochester (which is recognized world-​wide and accredited in every which way you can imagine… for you folks hung up on accreditation).
I took every skill and principle USM taught and methodically tested them as a true scientist, and found that the information was not only useful and valid, but that by using the skills, I could live a more fulfilling, healthy and joy-​filled life. The skills have also supported me in becoming more effective and productive at work.
Yes, it is not work for the faint of heart. I had to have the courage and commitment to look at my own inner demons, and I am a better and stronger person for it.
I am happy and grateful I have an accredited Ph.D., but if I had to choose between it and my USM Masters… hands down, USM all the way.
I can honestly say that my education at USM was the most profound, rewarding, and fulfilling experience of my life and I am so grateful that a place like USM exists.

The University of Santa Monica is a place for those who want to learn more about themselves and heal from any past hurts. I graduated from USM in 2001, I did the 2 year master in Spiritual Psychology program and continued on with the counseling
Psychology program. It has had a profound effect on my life.
I am so grateful for this educational experience. This program gave me the tools to transform my life. My early life was very difficult and USM helped me make sense of it and heal it inside of me. I still use the tools that I learned in this very practical spiritual program. If you want to trully heal for the last time, this is for you. I am forever grateful to all involved, facilitators and students. When we all come together to heal, it takes place for all.
One of the best things I feel I got from this program is a better sense of who I am and what I am here for. I am also much more in tune with my intuition and inner wisdom, which supports me in making better life decisions. Check it out for yourself. Its really worth every dime I have ever spent! As a result of this program I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I love what I do and thanks to USM I am able to now give back to those who need support and want to learn and grow.
Blessings to you all on your journey of self discovery,
Deanna G.

Great energy here. Love Love Love this place. I take the Insight classes here which are great self discovery and self improvement classes. I have been around since 2004.

As of now, I’ve only completed the first year. As a result, I AM a better person than I was before I started. I have serious tools that I use to navigate through life manifesting the very desires of my heart. I ended up postponing my second year because of the wonderful things that began to happen as a direct result of attending The University of Santa Monica. I can only imagine what life will be like when I finish my second year and graduate. My daughter says I’m a happier daddy now and wants me to make some time to complete my USM education. My friends and family have noticed a change in me and a couple of them are now considering attending themselves. Living my life at it’s fullest potential is the best way to talk about how wonderful this school is to me. Who am I? THE ABSOLUTE BEST JESSE CAMPBELL I’VE EVER BEEN!!! The Best is yet to come…
Love and light

Some of the best people I know have attended and graduated from this school. And now, I am proud to say that I have graduated from it as well. It is one of the most nurturing and loving environments I have ever come across, which is remarkable for an educational institution of any kind. I have learned more about myself and the human condition during the last two years than any other time in my life. Like any organization, it is not perfect… But I will say this, it is one of the best run, well organized, highly intentional, and supportive organizations that I have ever known. It has been a blessing in my life.

I rarely write reviews or contest others reviews, but the recent post by Sue D, pushed me to take the time to write a few words about the University of Santa Monica.
I’m a recent proud graduate and I have seen no evidence whatsoever that this is a cult. My personal definition of a cult is an organization that a) tries to prevent members from leaving b) Tries to influence them to sever ties with their family and friends and c) tries to get them to turn over their money. Generally it seems a cult tries to manipulate people and advance the goals of the leaders, without regard for the members, and their families.
Nothing could be further from the truth of USM.
This is a wonderful University, with a rigorous curriculum, designed to promote personal responsibiity, self-​confidence, and compassion, and to encourage people to make a meaningful contribution to the world from their unique essence.
I have seen people transform their lives in ways that are quite remarkable, achieving things they only dreamed of before, and in so doing, experiencing more joy, and a greater capacity to be effective, grateful, loving and successful.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend. I have made some wonderful friends, and fully believe that what I learned there will serve me well for the rest of my life.

My girlfriend and I just graduated from USM. I consider this the greatest educational experience I have had in my life, and that says a lot because I did my undergrad in Mechanical Engineering at the top undergrad school in the US, CPSU (according to US World & News Report). My girlfriend and I are better people with a richer relationship in part due to our participation at USM.
In this program, I have learned to show up more authentically and effectively in my life. I have overcome more fears and psychological limitations than I can count or remember. Truly profound.
Like anything to do with Spirit, there are skeptics, as I see on here. I was one. Something intrigued me about the program, and I researched it for a year and got to know graduates and dropouts. I met enough intellectually rigorous, like-​minded and like-​hearted people that told me how it helped them on their Spiritual journey. I decided to enroll and just try a weekend. And here I am, a graduate of the 2 year program! USM is such a loving program with a wonderfully supportive community.
I have a rigorous, critical engineering mind, and I endorse USM fully. I am even creating this Unilocal account just to write this post.

I attended this program, graduated, and then stayed in the community several years volunteering.
Recently, I talked about my experiences with a therapist who happens to have experience with cult members, and he recommended a book, Combatting Cult Mind Control.
I was like, seriously? But it freaked me the hell out. It describes how cults operate and the techniques they use to recruit and ensnare people, and it fit USM in many, many ways. It’s so incredibly messed up to realize it now. I feel like an idiot.
The book also describes how destructive cults often have front organizations, and I now see that USM is just a front for the cult MSIA (Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness). The founder/​chancellor of the school, Jon-​Roger, is also the founder/​guru of MSIA, and from what I could tell, every faculty member at USM is an initiated member of MSIA, not to mention most of the staff.
That Jon-​Roger is a lunatic. I saw him speak at a special USM event several years ago, and he’s seriously crazy, but the USM faculty are into him. That always seemed weird to me. Now it’s worse than weird, it’s just wrong. But then, at USM, there’s no such thing as right & wrong.
Look Jon-​Roger up online and read about his crimes before you consider a program that financially benefits him.
There’s a culture within USM of never criticizing the school or the leaders, so it’s very difficult for me to write this.
I did feel I learned a lot about myself in the program, but looking back, it freaks me out to see how they’re using cult influence techniques and also having amateurs use real counseling skills on each other. That seems irresponsible.
Also, I witnessed people have meltdowns and seizure-​like fits (and I’ve heard about psychotic breaks) during the school sessions, but they give a line about it being ‘karma’ and ‘energy healing’ (which I bought at the time). They may have been dangerous situations, at least some of them, in retrospect, but they have an MSIA-​initiated doctor on site, so they never had to call an ambulance.
Back to that thing about not criticizing… Part of why there aren’t more mixed or negative reviews here is because it’s pretty deeply programmed into USMers not to say anything bad about the program or teachers, or to dissent in any way.
In this way, as my therapist helped me see, it’s not a university at all. Real universities encourage critical thinking. USM is a personal growth program and their mission is to spread the dogma of their parent cult, MSIA. Their mission statement pretty much says so.
People often leave the program less functional than when they started — they quit their jobs and start ill-​conceived businesses (usually life coaching) and hang around the school for years, like I did (but at least I was employed).
Also, within the teachings is a principle that says anytime you are upset, it’s your own fault because of ‘unresolved material’ in your consciousness. So, anytime the school or any staff member/​volunteer/​faculty member does anything upsetting, it gets turned back on you and you’re told to ‘work your process.‘
This is another cult technique. There are lots of them at play. Taking personal responsibility is a good lesson, but they take it too far and it becomes a mind-​screw because the school doesn’t practice what they preach. There is a lot of hypocrisy, and they’re slippery about it.
I feel bad posting this (I am a former USMer after all, and I drank the kool-​aid about not criticizing), but I feel a responsibility to those who are considering spending their time & money on the program.
Do your own research and think critically about it. Then, even if you decide to go for it, you’ll be better informed and less likely to get sucked into the cult or have your life derailed in the process.
One last thing. The author of the cult book, Steve Hassan, has a website with info about cults, and he recently posted a «Benchmark Analysis» that compares USM to a couple small, spiritually based schools based on publicly available records, and the results are pretty damning. It reveals some pretty unsavory facts about the place. You can Google it.
I hope this is helpful.

I know a handful of people who studied here. The school completely underwhelms me, both in its unaccredited status and the controversy over its founder (John-Roger)‘s numerous links to cultish, pyramid-​scheme type organizations. You will likely find yourself both jobless and up to your ears in student loans after graduating from this for-​profit organization. But my more New Age friends love the place.
I am not a lawyer, but this is what I found: One USM program may be eligible for CA state licensing, provided candidates then pass the licensing exam; however, many states bar USM grads from practicing psychology /​counseling at all, since it’s an unaccredited school.
When I asked the state licensing board about USM, here’s what they said:
«I do not see this school on the BBS list of approved or accredited schools. You can pursue this further with the BBS:
. «
Dean Porter
Executive Director
California Association for LPCCs
(This is who administers licensing exams for the state of CA.)
As per Wikipedia:
«[USM] lacks educational accreditation.[4] The use of unaccredited degree titles is legally restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.[5]
In January 1982, USM received state government authorization to grant degrees in the state of California, which was maintained in subsequent years under the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE). In 2010 USM received similar authorization from the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, the agency that replaced the BPPVE[3][6] In July 1992 the University received BPPVE approval to offer a master’s program in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Spiritual Psychology, which fulfills the educational requirements for licensing as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California.[3][6]»
*****
So, candidates who took this course of study, AND passed the relevant state licensing exams, might be able practice in the State of CA; but since the examining commission does not recognize USM, there may be a problem there.
Also, since the school itself is otherwise unaccredited, many states (Such as Oregon, Michigan, and Maine, among others) completely bar SMU graduates from practicing psychology professionally.
Do a google search yourself, and you will find the same info.

This is a fake school. It teaches ‘alternative’ philosophies about success and feeling good about yourself, much like the landmark forum (which is a ridiculous money cult). It is in fact not accredited by any meaningful standard of the word (ie any ‘credits’ you receive there are non-​transferrable, and totally useless outside of the world of psudo-​psychology).
A lot of bored, monied, middle aged women seem to go here to get «masters» degrees in things like «spiritual psychology», which is a totally unscientific discipline that has nothing to do with actual psychology outside of the fact that those who study it probably belonging in mental institutions, or at least, therapy. It may make you feel good about yourself by convincing you that your chakras are polluted or whatever, but the truth is that most of the uplift in mood probably comes from making friends and being part of a community… for which you will be charged tens of thousands of dollars.
Start a book club and save your money to send your kids to real universities. This is a for-​profit entity, much like university of phoenix and Kaplan, whose only purpose is to line the pockets of morally bankrupt businessmen.
I feel sorry for all the people duped into throwing their hard earned cash down the bottomless maw of what essentially amounts to a cult, but as a student studying the actual discipline of psychology at UCLA, I am offended that nut jobs like John Roger (USM founder), glom onto the legitimacy of real social sciences in order to turn a profit. «Schools» like this undermine the sanctity of real learning, and higher learning institutions in general. If you would like to educate yourself, please read about the founder on wikipedia.

I’m amused by Charlie L.‘s uninformed pan of USM. It is indeed accredited, if only in California (i.e. not Western States), and has a very substantial tuition assistance program put in place by, and vigorously supported by, alumni. Tuition is actually not expensive in comparison with other masters degrees. So it’s not for the rich. There are people from all walks of life, some who can easily afford it, and others who make sacrifices to attend. A number of employers have chipped in to help pay tuition, as the program supports the development of managerial skills.
But most importantly, as the positive reviews attest, the educational experience is stellar. The program is certainly not for everyone, as it demands a personal involvement and level of commitment that goes way beyond book learning, study and regurgitating lessons to earn a grade. As a grad, I can attest to the rigor of the program, having done my undergrad work at the number one ranked small college in the nation. This is certainly not a «sit in a circle and chant OM and your problems will go away» kind of program. It’s two years of very intense work (and homework!). As with all endeavors, you get out of it what you put into it. So YMMV (your mileage may vary).
Yes, a number of us are posting on Unilocal within days of one another since we were alerted to USM’s listing (and to the bad review). As more people post here, it will reveal/​support the continuing value of the USM degree experience — something that lasts way beyond graduation. USM provides skills and experiences that have supported me in getting better jobs, developing more rewarding relationships with friends, family and co-​workers, and given me the ability to successfully reach out and assist others who may be going through challenging periods in their lives.

Yes as good as it gets in humanistic talk therapy – short of muscle testing, kinesiology testing with God as your Partner.
I took the training in 1983 and several followup classes and workshops. USM has an almost unheard of record of unbroken integrity and absence of «missed steps.» Having attended 13 colleges and universities as a paying student, I can tell you how rare this is.
What sets USM apart and won it so many awards and imitators in the 1980s was its successful convergence of humanistic talk therapy and an ecumenical spirituality. USM was indeed one of the early orgs to embrace an ecumenical spirituality, where each person’s connection with their own Divinity is expected to be unique. I wish there were more orgs like USM.

By no stretch of the imagination am I rich … as a single mother with two children and an Emmy award winning investigative journalist in an industry that has been desecrated, my choice to go to USM was for learning the tools to assist me in moving forward in my life … with more grace and ease. The MA in Spiritual Psychology was but a bonus, yet certainly one that I desired to attain.
The highly experiential educational atmosphere, combined with the clarity of a higher ordered collective energy of all present, made it an environment ripe for mastering skills that I practice daily, and teach others.
This transformation is something I have never been able to get by just reading a book. And the trio work in learning the skills, made for an embedded mastery of counseling on very profound levels.
I am now a founding member of a bio-​energy dome company; whereby, we grow organic vegetables and produce clean renewable algae based energy (electricity) within the domes. This opportunity for me, and my underlying desire to be involved with a project that has so much good to offer the world, is but an extension with getting in touch with my heartfelt passions … something that USM opens the awareness to and nurtures.
This level of work is not for the faint of heart, as this rigorous program is designed to make each student dig deeper within themselves for the answers to becoming more fulfilled in every aspect of life. And I am often marveled by the journey.