I learned today of the sad passing of John Rowan. In 2014 I had the pleasure of meeting John when he generously agreed to a podcast interview about his work and how he viewed the concept of integrative psychotherapeutic practice. It was almost like a rock star moment for me in having the opportunity to meet and muse with such a titan of knowledge in my field of study. In the interview he told me how he had gone off the idea of sub-personalities, a theme for one of his many published books, in favour of Personification: Using The Dialogical Self In Psychotherapy and Counselling. He explained that he had been inspired by the work of Hubert Hermans in exploring different I-positions within the dialogical self of the individual person. This development had bypassed the knowledge of my own training institute who were still propagating his old ideas on sub-personalities in their training programmes. John explained that I-positions better aided the concept of the multiple self as different parts of self could be potentially viewed as super rather than sub parts. He went on to explain that one could dialogue with such multiple parts of self by working with cushions, role reversal, empty chair technique or playing the projection in the room with the therapist.
John had a robust knowledge of theoretical frameworks underpinning his concept of psycho-spiritual development (or what some call the transpersonal). Whilst he engaged with somatic energies and the power of now in his clinical work there was also a reassuring commitment to a sound foundation in theory when practicing interventions with clients. I am of the view that heavily experiential work which focuses on the felt sense aspects of transference should also embody a sound underbelly of theory. Sometimes I believe there is an overly strong bias in the transpersonal community against the rational aspects of being (and the cognitive and narrative ways of working) in favour of a so-called non attachment to outcome, which is often in actual fact a form of imposed agenda. I recall, for instance, enduring so-called transpersonal clinical supervisory meetings whereby the person leading the group would ask for participants to convey only their somatic responses to client presentations, not their cognitive responses. This way of working can, of course, be very useful at times in uncovering unexpressed unconscious material but it can also be heavily indulgent when participants feel the need to adhere to an ethos of relating in a non cognitive manner and maybe pleasing others about what is expected from them in the group. On more than one occasion participants in such groups would project all sorts of nonsense into the space by alluding to tension in their throat, chest or legs in response to client presentations and claiming that such somatic tensions and energies were somehow significant in better understanding what was happening with a client.
John had a more robust understanding of psychotherapeutic interventions and he borrowed heavily from Ken Wilber’s ideas on the spectrum of consciousness including the idea of pre-trans fallacy and spiritual bypass. These ideas essentially hold that in order to fully actualise and arrive at a more authentic way of being it is necessary to undertake the equally important psychological work associated with our object relations, attachment traumas, resentments, addictions and early shame. The importance of contextual issues were embraced by Wilber’s AQAL integral theories. So often I come across people practicing in the therapy world who are raging against the world and carrying deep unresolved early personal material yet try to appear as a serene spiritual (fiery) being to others. The bypass is to not take ownership of one’s own projections and deep wounding from early life and to believe that ecstasy and serenity can be had by not addressing one’s toxic anger. When I met John I did not sense any form of passive aggression in his way of relating. He would say what he felt was needed to be said.
John is survived by his wife Sue, by his four children, Ross, Peri, Nicky and Shaun, by his four grandchildren, Jaron, Zoe, Cassie and Danny, and by one great-grandchild. I am sure that John’s books will be read for many years to come.
John’s funeral will take place on Friday, 22 June at 1pm at Green Acres Epping Forest.