[Note: I heard today on the listserver of the Society for Psychotherapy Research that Larry E. Beutler died a couple of days ago. I'm posting this little piece to mark his passing.]
This news reaches me on a gray morning,
Losing yet another of the tall trees
Of psychotherapy research.
For decades, Larry was deeply rooted in the heart of SPR.
He believed in and searched long and hard
For the key to psychotherapeutic change
In a set of principles that would unlock
the gnarly intersectionality of client presenting problems,
Personality and therapeutic approach.
He was unflagging in his pursuit
Of the seemingly impossible,
Unearthing enticing possibilities,
Paths that we still trace today.
But following the sadness and shock,
I find a smile in me as I remember Larry,
Near-constant presence in SPR,
Enthusing over his latest findings,
Loving psychotherapy research with all of his heart.
Not many of us now remember how in 2002
He took out a second mortgage on his house
To save the Santa Barbara SPR conference
From financial ruin. But that was Larry.
Perhaps you will join me today
To raise a glass and to remember
Larry’s cheerful energy, his generosity,
And passion for sciencing psychotherapy,
Along with his cowboy boots, his leprechaun charm,
And wide, welcoming smile.
========
For more about Larry Beutler (1941- 2024), see the obituary produced by his family at: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8xpg0tluei2t01zhodbou/Larry-Edward-Beutler-Obit.docx?rlkey=rfsd756o0xkqyy7z8kul4vs3y&dl=0
In addition, an extended biography can be found in:
Machado, P. P. P., Fernández-Álvarez, H., & Clarkin, J. F. (2010). Larry E. Beutler: A matter of principles. In L. G. Castonguay, J. C. Muran, L. Angus, J. A. Hayes, N. Ladany, & T. Anderson (Eds.), Bringing psychotherapy research to life: Understanding change through the work of leading clinical researchers (pp. 319–328). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/12137-027
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