Psychological Perspective

My psychological perspective can be described as following a biological-psychological-social model. Biology, psychological, spiritual/existential matters, cultural circumstances, political, social, and economic phenomena, etc. are all important. I have a basic assumption that change is possible. We live in dynamic interactive tensions in and among our inner world of sensations, thoughts, feelings, desires, emotions, biology, activities, and needs and the outer world of demands, circumstances, influences, and chance. There is much opportunity for change.

My professional training had early central grounding in Adlerian psychology. Adler emphasized interpersonal experience and development, emphasized situational determinants of behavior, and emphasized the building and maintenance of self-image. His concepts used language often appealing to the general public: feelings of inferiority and insecurity, sibling rivalry, compensatory behavior, unity of the person, and generally included a positive approach to humankind and behavior. Adler saw all behavior as being immediately determined by events occurring within the skin, with the crucial internal determinants being values, attitudes, interests, and ideas. Adler believed that the perception of, thoughts about, and interpretation of events are the critical antecedents of behavior. Adlerians believe behavior is goal oriented and somehow integrated, organized, and dynamic. Even when our behavioral responses seem incongruent to the individual or an objective observer, they are actually interrelated and mutually consistent in some fashion. Behavior cannot be understood outside its social and developmental contexts.

Another major influence to my psychological perspective has been family systems theory. My licensure presently includes both licensures as a Practicing Psychologist and as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Both of these professional identities are important to me. My perspective is to always remember that even when I am working with an individual, the individual not only must be seen in cultural/ social context, but also any changes effected through that contact also affect the family, work environments, and other related systems. I am interested in intrapsychic, internal family systems: our "subpersonalities" that interact and change in many of the same ways that families or other human groups interact and change. I am focused on how parts of a person may polarize another part of the person, creating both destructive and helpful inner alliances.

One way I focus on such forces is by using techniques in Pesso/Boyden System Psychomotor Therapy, (PBS/P) another influence on my perspective. PBS/P's origins are from the work of Al and Diane Pesso, a system of psychotherapy that has evolved over approximately the last 30 years. I have been involved with PBS/P since 1977, having numerous psychomotor workshop experiences with Al Pesso, who co-founded PBS/P along with his wife, Diane Pesso.

PBS/P has evolved into a system of psychotherapy that attempts emotional re-education with cognitive integration. The "psycho" part of Psychomotor refers to the psyche, the psychological mind. The "motor" part refers to bodily sensations and movements, soma. The motoric component includes the possibility of blocked actions as well. PBS/P principles and my psychological perspective have a generally good fit: 1) Humans have a developmental drive to satisfy basic psychological needs; 2) Experiences are holistically processed by the psyche and the body; 3) Fundamental change is possible and PBS/P emphasizes positive outcomes. 4) The role of the therapist is to follow and facilitate the natural processes of healing in the client. 5) The core of the human being, the essential self or soul, has an earthly, "this world" sanctity.

Existential philosophies have had profound influence on the development of my psychological perspective. Generally, existentialism holds that the primary problem of existence is to find oneself and be oneself -- to find meaning and purpose in life. Framed as such, the human is not a being; rather the human is coming into being, becoming, and emerging. The individual can make a contribution and think and act creatively because behavior draws upon personal experience and personal awareness of innate potentialities. Existentialism translates to a psychological perspective in its quest for understanding of human kind through investigating the human condition and examining the most essential characteristic of humans: awareness of self (existence) and self-directed goal-oriented striving (continual becoming).

Human developmental perspectives are strong throughout my work. This includes working with human sexuality issues be they trauma related wounds needing healing or enhancing satisfaction in the physical, emotional, and spiritual deep connections possible in healthy sexual intimacy.

These perspectives influence how I design treatment and growth approaches to fit the people I see. Therapy modalities from my skills, training, and life experience are chosen to fit you personally.

Brief Resume

Bob MacCaughelty is a psychologist and marital and family therapist in private practice in Charlotte since 1980. His undergraduate work was at Duke. His master's degree in clinical psychology is from Lone Mountain College in San Francisco. He has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Fielding Institute. His research interests are in the field of psychological stress. His practice is a general one of individual, couples and family, and group psychotherapy and evaluations of adults, adolescents, and children.

Background / Experience:
25 Years in Private Practice; 5 Years in Community Mental Health Center