PSI Seminars

Infobox Company
name = PSI ("People Synergistically Involved") Seminars

type = Private company
genre =
foundation = 1973
founder = Thomas Willhite, Jane Willhite
location_city =
location_country =
location = Lake County, California
USA
origins =
key_people = Jane Willhite,
President and Chairman
area_served =
industry = Self-help
products =
services = Personal development coursework
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent =
divisions =
subsid = [http://www.psiworld.org/ PSI World]
owner =
slogan = "strategies for life success"
homepage = [http://www.psiseminars.com/index.html Company Web site]
dissolved =
footnotes =

PSI Seminars is a for-profit private company, that delivers self-improvement and personal development coursework Fact|date=July 2008.

History

PSI Seminars is the oldest personal growth seminar company in the United StatesFact|date=November 2007. Founded in 1973 by Thomas Willhite and Jane Willhite, the company is presently based out of Clearlake Oaks, California [ [http://www.psiseminars.com/aboutus/aboutus.html Company Web site] , "PSI's History.", retrieved 09-05-2007.] cite book
last = Carter-Scott
first = Cherie
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = If Life Is a Game...These Are The Stories
publisher = Andrews McMeel Publishing
date = 2004
location =
pages = 252
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0740746847] .Jane and Thomas Willhite also founded the non-profit PSI World [ [http://www.psiworld.org/ PSI World] "Through contributing to PSI Seminars.", retrieved 09-05-2007.] cite book
last = Philips
first = Stacy D.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Divorce: It's All about Control
publisher = ExecuProv Press
date = 2005
location =
pages = 332
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0964888297] . Thomas Willhite had previously worked under Alexander Everett, as an instructor at Mind Dynamics.

Organization

Jane Willhite is the founder and CEO, of PSI Seminars. During PSI Seminars thirty-five year history PSI Seminars has had offices in many cities through out the world. These have included Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Honolulu, and San Francisco. In Canada, PSI Seminars offices are located in Vancouver, and Alberta. PSI Seminars also had an office in Tokyo Japan. These cities are all responsible for presenting PSI Seminar's introductory course titled "The Basic."

Courses

There are five main courses that are offered to the public, the first being an introductory course titled The Basic. Other courses offered include the Life Success Course, Men's Leadership, and Women's Leadership SeminarsFact|date=May 2008.

Outside Sources

Vahle's "The Unity Movement" cited PSI Seminars as one of nine growth organizations that grew out of Mind Dynamicscite book
last = Vahle
first = Neal
authorlink =
coauthors = Connie Fillmore Bazzy
title = The Unity Movement: Its Evolution and Spiritual Teachings
publisher = Templeton Foundation Press
date = 2002
location =
pages = 399, 403
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 1890151963] . Other groups also cited by Vahle, as having been influenced by Mind Dynamics, included Erhard Seminars Training, The Forum, and Lifespring.

Stich and Russell compared the organization to EST, writing that it was "an EST type self-awareness and motivational organization." [cite book
last = Stich
first = Rodney
authorlink =
coauthors = T. Conan Russell
title = Disavow: A CIA Saga of Betrayal
publisher = Silverpeak Enterprises, Inc.
date = March 20, 2006
location =
pages = 206, 243
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0932438172] . PSI Seminars has also been cited by authors of books on self-improvement, including "Extreme Success" [cite book
last = Fettke
first = Rich
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Extreme Success
publisher = Simon and Schuster
date = 2002
location =
pages = 7
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0743233867] , and Jack Canfield's "The Success Principles(TM)" [cite book
last = Canfield
first = Jack L.
authorlink = Jack Canfield
coauthors = Janet Switzer
title = The Success Principles(TM)
publisher = HarperCollins
date = 2005
location =
pages = 447
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0060594888] .

The coursework of PSI Seminars was also analyzed in a 1983 study in the academic journal, "Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry"cite journal
last = Snyder
first = Patricia
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The use of nonprescribed treatments by hemodialysis patients
journal = Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry
volume = 7
issue = 1
pages = 57–76
publisher = Springer Netherlands
date = March 1983
url =
doi = doi 10.1007/BF00249999
id = ISSN|0165-005X
accessdate = ] . The study examined the extent to which chronically ill members of the population in Hawaii sought out alternative methods of self care by utilizing nonprescribed treatment patterns. Philips described PSI World as a self-help program, and characterized Thomas Wilhite as a "pop psychologist". His work, "Living Synergistically", published by PSI World, was cited in Kraft's "Ways of the Desert" [cite book
last = Kraft
first = William F.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Ways of the Desert: Becoming Holy Through Difficult Times
publisher = Haworth Press
date = 2000
location =
pages = 158
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0789008599] . On federal court order, psychologist Margaret Singer attended seminars held by PSI World [http://caic.org.au/psyther/lgat/singer.htm Intruding into the Workplace] , Dr. Margaret Singer, 1995.] . Singer characterized the organization as a form of Large Group Awareness Trainingcite book
last = Singer
first = Margaret
authorlink = Margaret Singer
coauthors = Janja Lalich
title = Cults in our Midst (book)
publisher = Jossey Bass
date = 1995
location =
pages = pp. 42-43
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0-7879-0051-6] . In 1998, it was reported that Federal Bureau of Investigation background files on "PSI World Seminar's Graduate Volunteers" was obtained by the Clinton administration, along with many other individuals' informationcite news
last = Sammon
first = Bill
coauthors =
title = Tripp among names on new `Filegate' FBI list.
work = The Washington Times
pages = Page 1.
language =
publisher =
date = July 20, 1998
url =
accessdate = ] . This was part of a scandal later termed "Filegate".

In an episode of "Larry King Live", guests Michael Beckwith, author Bob Proctor, and John DeMartini announced that they would be working together for two weeks at PSI Seminars.cite news
last = Staff
first =
coauthors =
title = The Power of Positive Thoughts
work = Larry King Live
pages =
language =
publisher = CNN
date = November 2, 2006
url = http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/02/lkl.01.html
accessdate = There is three of us, Dr. Martini, Michael Beckwith and myself, are going to working together next week -- is it two weeks -- at PSI Seminars.] . Proctor spoke favorably of PSI Seminars on the program, stating: "I don't own the company, but it is the best course I've ever seen."

See also

*List of Large Group Awareness Training organizations

References