“Ethical Culture, Psychotherapy, and My Grandmother the Spy”

The Victorian Felix Adler was not a big fan of therapeutic exploration of the psyche; he resisted what he considered a narcissistic invasion of the private world. Today, however, counseling is an important part of Ethical Culture. It nourishes our ethical relationships and our congregational life.  Two counseling orientations that resonate with Ethical Culture are those of Alfred Adler and of existential therapists such as Victor Frankel. Hugh Taft-Morales will explore the inspirational power of these orientations while weaving an amazing tale of his own family’s psychotherapeutic adventures.

Hugh Taft-Morales joined the Baltimore Ethical Society as its professional leader in 2010, the same year he was certified by the American Ethical Union as an Ethical Culture Leader. He also serves as Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. His presence in Ethical Culture has been termed “invigorating.” Taft-Morales lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife Maureen, a Latin American Analyst with the Congressional Research Service, with whom he has three beloved children, Sean, Maya, and Justin.