Dr. Harris

Perhaps there is something very profound about the stark awareness of death as a child and the need to search the deeper questions of the soul. One of my most profound memories of childhood  is the funeral of a classmate and her mother weeping following her child's coffin. Her tears on the cold church stone floor have stayed with me all my life. It seemed to set the sail for my constant questioning and searching through psychology and religion. As we are all deep souls, I wonder what role our unconscious self plays, even as children, in our experience of such things. I was clearly ready for this deep imprint in some mysterious way and have lived this ever since.

As with Dr. Harris's observation, I have owned this experience and the notion of death more fully in my midlife years and it has made me more alive than ever. I open to my young patients in a way that is full and authentic-leaving most old and tired "techniques" and enlivening others that are mine.   

This all started in a mysterious way. I was visiting my fathers grave about five years ago in London. As I  walked over to his resting place to pray, I noticed a grave, only several yards from his. It was the grave of my 5 year old classmate...Kathryn Underwood...after all these years. My father had led me back to her. The tears are now softer and I am, finally, loving my work.

Thanks for the beautiful piece

Rich Howlin   

Richard Howlin, Dipl. Psych., Ph.D.
Clinical Developmental Psychologist

July 05 2007