Ron Kurtz, DHL, founder of the Hakomi Method gave the commencement address at SBGI's recent graduation. During the ceremony, he was presented with the Doctor of Humane Letters, for his lifetime contributions to humanity and to the field of psychotherapy. For four decades Dr. Kurtz has been on the forefront of exploring psychology and psychotherapy that includes the experienced body and mindfulness perspectives. His work is now being recognized as foundational to effective psychotherapy. A creative and systemic thinker, his scholarly writings include Body-Centered Psychotherapy, The Hakomi Method, (1990) (considered the text on Hakomi) and Grace Unfolding; Psychotherapy in the Spirit of the Tao te ching, Greg Johanson and Ron Kurtz, (1991).

Dr. Kurtz has dedicated his life to evolving a clinical method that is respectful, gentle and supportive of lasting change. He works with the information in the body, the inner movements and flow that carry information. His methods nurture our natural rhythms and are an antidote to the rushed, over stimulated life most of us lead. A judicial use of touch is part of the nurturing, supportive work that assists in reengaging the essential self, or who we really are. It includes mindful and cognitive experiments that take one beyond the realm of thinking into an experience of early decisions and patterns, while remaining resourced in the present moment. Hakomi respects and works with resistance as a natural and once necessary capacity that may no longer be needed.

Courtenay Young, Board Member of the European Association of Body Psychotherapy, writes in "The History and Development of Body Psychotherapy" that, "Ron Kurtz became interested in Body-Psychotherapy through Gestalt therapy and his work in the Human Potential Movement in California. He was a statistical psychologist, teaching at San Francisco State. After being initially attracted by Janov's Primal work, he then experienced work in Rolfing, Bioenergetics, and with Pierrakos, Al Pesso and Moshe Feldenkrais. He began to mix all these influences and developed his own unique, existential style, that he calls Hakomi (Kurtz, 1990). 'Hakomi' is a Hopi Indian word that means "How do you stand in relation to these many realms?" or "Who are you?" A very poor description of Hakomi is that it helps the person evoke who they could or should be. It does not interpret character or body position, tensions or holding patterns (like Reichian therapy); but it helps reveal the emotional construct behind these patterns."

Dryian Benz, PsyD, SBGI Director of External Programs, and the first President of the Hakomi Institute, presented the honorary degree, along with SBGI President, Dr. Marti Glenn. Click here to the read the 2008 SBGI graduation commencement address by Ron Kurtz

Dr. Kurtz's Commencement at SBGI.