About
Dr. Michael Asa Da, LPC, LMHC
I bring decades of training in neuropsychology, analytical psychology, philosophy, world religions, and mindfulness to offer psychotherapy grounded in science and wisdom.
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I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a PhD in Integral and Transpersonal psychology and an MA in Counseling Psychology. I've been working with clients since 2010. I’m a published author and researcher in analytic, existential, and transpersonal psychology, and philosophy, and I’m an editor for the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies. I’m a Professor at California Institute for Human Science, teaching graduate courses in whole-person psychology.
I’ve spent most of my life studying psychology, spirituality, world religions, Eastern and Western philosophy, and various healing modalities and embodied practices, such as meditation, bodywork, shamanism, martial arts, and yoga. I apply this lifetime of experience and practice to my therapeutic work.
Credentials
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PhD in Integral and Transpersonal Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies.
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MA in Counseling Psychology, Regis University.
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Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
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Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC).
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Leading author and researcher, especially on the topic of psychological energy.
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Special Topic Editor for the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies.
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Professor for the graduate program in psychology at California Institute for Human Science.
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Ordained Interfaith Minister (graduate certificate in Interfaith Ministry), All Paths Divinity School.
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Experienced bodyworker, spiritual counselor, and coach.
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Decades of formal and informal education in psychology, biology, philosophy, spirituality, religion, bodywork, and embodied practice.
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Working with clients since 2010. ​
Publications
Da, M. (in press). A critical realist perspective on perennialist ontology in transpersonal psychology. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, Advance online publication.
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Da, M. (in press). The existential questions that drive transpersonal psychology. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, Advance online publication.
Da, M. (in press). Four types of theory in a holistic psychology. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, Advance online publication.
Da, M. (in press). Psychological energy: Construct, variables, methods. In G. Hartelius, H. Friedman, & J. Wade (Eds.) The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Da, M. (in press). Transpersonal development in psychoanalysis. In G. Hartelius, H. Friedman, & J. Wade (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Da, M. (Ed.). (in press). Transpersonal Philosophy Special Topic Section. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies. ​​​​​
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Da, M., Hartelius, G., & Ferrer, J. N. (In press). A participatory framework for transpersonal psychology. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies.Advance online publication.
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Hartelius, G., Da, M., & Ferrer, J. N. (in press). A participatory framework for transpersonal psychology. In G. Hartelius, H. Friedman, & J. Wade (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Research Interests
My research is currently focused on "psychological energy" and the influences of Western philosophy on psychology. Psychological energy is the energetic-feeling experiences that are often associated with mental and emotional tension and release. These types of phenomena are often referred to as libido or the biofield in psychology, which have applications especially in depth and somatic psychology. There is a relationship between these experiences and Eastern and Indigenous concepts of energy, such as qi and prana. I am working to break new ground in research in this area.
I am also working to bring renewed awareness to the influences of certain philosophical ideas on psychology. Of particular interest are the influences of existentialism on psychotherapy and and metaphysics on psychological research. ​
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In short, my main research interests include:
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Psychological energy
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Philosophy of science
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History of psychology
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Philosophy in psychology
Pedagogy
I have developed and teach graduate courses where I strive to encourage critical thinking and an empirical orientation to topics that are often treated as merely theoretical with the goal of furthering research and mainstream adopion:
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Critical Thinking in Psychology - Applying empirical principles, rigorous logic, intuitive discernment, and scholarly standards to topics in psychology, with an emphasis on holistic, whole-person, and transpersonal psychology.
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Psychological Energy - The historical development of concepts of energy from Indigenous practices to the most recent theories are research, with emphasis on its applications in Western psychology.
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Consciousness Studies for Psychology - A survey of the major theories and research about the origins, nature, and operations of consciousness, and their applications for psychology. ​
Affiliations
American Psychological Association
Association for Transpersonal Psychology
Association for Humanistic Psychology