Philip Brooks
Professor Emeritus
Integral Counseling Psychology
School of Professional Psychology and Health (SPPH)
EdD, MA, University of Massachusetts
BA, Lake Forest College
Philip Brooks Ed.D., MFT retired from the Integral Counseling Psychology program in 2020 after teaching for over 30 years. He started out teaching Psychosynthesis, the approach that provided the psychospiritual foundation of the ICP program. In 2000 Philip added Therapeutic Communication, and would continue teaching that, mostly on Thursday mornings, for 20 years. In 2010 he added Integral T-Group/Group Dynamics to his teaching portfolio, which soon became a passion for him. The highlight of Philip’s experience at CIIS was his contact with students. He was ever amazed by the openness, trust, intelligence and enthusiasm they brought to his classroom year after year. With much appreciation for faculty and staff as well, Philip feels enriched, transformed, and deeply grateful for his years at this vibrant institution. Philip continues his psychotherapy practice in San Francisco, which he maintained concurrently with his academic activities.
The Psychosynthesis approach has been Philip's primary clinical focus for thirty five years. He has taught this psychospiritual approach in Bay Area universities and training organizations, and was the founding director of the Psychosynthesis Training Program which he co-led for seventeen years.. Philip is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Pychosynthesis, which coordinates conferences, publishes a newsletter, and distributes the latest readings and research. (www.aap-psychosynthesis.org) In June, 2010 he will be presenting at the Psychosynthesis conference Creating the World We Want, on the teaching of Psychosynthesis in graduate programs. In his ongoing quest for improving the teaching of psychotherapy skills, Philip conducted a search for instructional videos, helping to create a large collection of videos highlighting both challenging clinical issues as well as various schools of practice. These videos are used extensively by both students and faculty members to augment learning and teaching. He also produced and directed the video series Psychotherapy Live, which offers real time psychotherapy sessions followed by a commentary by both the client and therapist. This series has drawn favorable review from within the CIIS community as well as other colleges and training sites.
Philip founded the ICP Diversity Committee, and has been active in shepherding this committee through its first few years as it provides support for students as well as change strategies for the ICP program. He has also secured funding for people of color who need financial support in order to participate in the program.
Philip has spent several years on the Integral Education Committee, which has been a fruitful time of service. He is intrigued with the exploration of the various ways we practice integral education at CIIS, consistently looking at how we can improve our teaching. Through this group he has also come to know faculty members in other programs, and appreciate the rich contributions they make to life at CIIS.
- Occasional teaching at the International School for Psychotherapy, Counseling and Group Leadership in St. Petersburg Russia, where he has adjunct faculty status.
- Involvement with hospice. Philip was on the founding Board of Hospice by the Bay, and served there for ten years, two of which he spent as Board Chair. His latest contribution in this arena was teaching guided imagery to hospice nurses at Kaiser.
- Participation with Bay Area groups such as the David Brower Youth Awards, the Pachamama Alliance, and numerous other environmental and social action groups.
- Buddhist meditation in an ongoing weekly practice group for the past twelve years.
