A Rogue Psychologist’s Field Guide offers a practical perspective for addressing the inevitable stressors of daily life. At times, this endeavor involves a logical process of finding specific solutions to life’s problems. Yet, at other times, we encounter life’s paradoxes. By definition, these defy logical solutions. These include the conflicting values of individuality vs. belonging, order vs. freedom, security vs. adventure, and being vs. becoming. Here, we must strike a balance for ourselves, without clear-cut standards to guide us.

A Guide to Conflict – A Path of Growth

Thus, life often presents us with messy dilemmas. While we often view conflict negatively, this Field Guide promotes the positive aspects of conflict. On the individual level, we achieve personal integration through reconciling our opposing feelings, values, and goals. And on the interpersonal level, conflict allows us to balance asserting our self-worth with caring for others.

On Problems and Paradoxes

By distinguishing between problems and paradoxes, the Field Guide offers a counterpoint to cognitive behaviorism, a self-proclaimed leader in psychotherapy. By emphasizing rationality as guiding our actions, that approach applies the objectivity of science to our personal lives. While the Rogue Psychologist recognizes logic’s legitimate role in solving life’s problems, it goes beyond that. By noting the paradoxical nature of various human conflicts, it draws upon the rich subjectivity of the humanities. This model thus complements science’s objectivity with the humanities’ subjectivity, providing a more comprehensive approach to life’s problems. This complementarity contrasts with a Western view of an objective reality that gets tainted by subjective distortions and biases. In proclaiming the limitations of objectivity, this approach also challenges conventional authority. Here, think of Toto pulling the curtain back on the Wizard of Oz. Only by challenging such authority do we empower ourselves and assume our personal responsibility.

Psychology for Professional and Lay Audiences

Another feature of the Field Guide is its attempt to avoid “psychobabble.” The ideas are often complex enough without couching them in jargon. Therefore, I try to present psychological insights in daily language to make them more accessible to lay audiences. Furthermore, I hope to appeal to other mental health professionals by expanding our perspective beyond rationality. Perhaps the portal of paradox can lead into the realm of enchantment, enlivening our experience. I find these dual objectives rather challenging, yet worthwhile, even if only for my own experience.

Acknowledging a Broader Realm of Paradox

This Field Guide emphasizes the paradoxes of our daily life in the interpersonal universe. This lies in contrast to those paradoxes of our much larger physical universe. While I am intrigued by such explorations, particularly when they point to a confluence of science and spirituality (cf. The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra, The Quantum and the Lotus by Matthieu Ricard and Trinh Xuan Thuan, and the website Science and Non-Duality), I prefer staying closer to home with our paradoxes of everyday life. Hopefully, that will help keep me grounded.

Key Works Related to Paradox

I wish to identify two particular works in which I have explored the paradoxical nature of human experience. They are Living Rationally with Paradox  and Muddling Down a Middle Path. These approach paradox from somewhat different perspectives, which hopefully promotes depth perception through stereoscopic vision (no 3-D glasses required!).

A Guide to Vicious Cycle Patterns

Another main focus of this Field Guide is the dynamics of conflict. Of particularly interest is the role that vicious cycle patterns play in sustaining conflict in interpersonal relationships. We will also be exploring how we can get stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns. These interactions involve trying variations of the same approach and yes, still expecting different results. We will explore various vicious cycles, including the classic Drama Triangle of Critic, Victim, and Rescuer. Then, we can identify various guidelines for breaking out of these vicious cycle patterns. This work has its hazards, and I should warn you of potential side effects, such as experiencing humility, compassion, gratitude, and emotional intimacy.

Key Works Related to Vicious Cycle Patterns

Two of my works are central to vicious cycle patterns. I have introduced this topic of unhealthy relationships in Vicious Cycle Patterns in Relationships 1.0. A more detailed exploration is presented in my article, “Vicious Cycle Patterns in Relationships 2.0.” Further works elaborate on particular vicious cycles and various strategies for breaking out of these unhealthy patterns.

Sources for the Field Guide

My Field Guide has evolved out of various public presentations I have made over the years.  Many of my upcoming posts will be elaborations or spin-offs of these presentations. And some will be an outgrowth of my dissertation. Here, I plan to delve more deeply into the complementarity of objectivity and subjectivity in their various forms. These include science and the humanities, Western and Eastern perspectives, and Yang and Yin. These serve the goal of integrating various perspectives into a coherent view of the human condition. Consistent with my advocating the value of subjectivity, I have posted several of my therapeutic stories. All these represent the continuing evolution of  my outlook during my fifty-some years studying psychology.

A Personal Note

In identifying myself as a rogue psychologist, I am simply acknowledging that my orientation runs counter to the prevailing cultural and psychological emphasis on rationality. I am not denying the positive contributions of logic and reason. In fact, I actually present articles that explores the helpful application of the cognitive behavioral approach. Yet I do not hesitate to point out its limitations, particularly in the realm of paradox.  This sets the stage for what I identify as a dynamic existential approach to our paradoxes of everyday life. 

I plan to submit posts on about a regular basis, though I have not been consistent about it. If you like what you see, you can help motivate me by leaving feedback – whether supportive, challenging, or simply acknowledging. Any of this helping to motivate my efforts. You can also subscribe to the website, so that you will be notified when I’ve posted new articles. I want this to be an interactive site, in which I can respond to the interests of the readers, but I cannot do so without your feedback. Hopefully, the above mission statement has whetted your appetite for more. So if these ideas appeal to you and you want to explore an alternative vision of the world, climb on board, hang on tight, and enjoy the ride.

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