David Van Nuys, Ph.D. — Contributor

David Van Nuys, Ph.D. received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan and has worked as a licensed psychotherapist in both California and New Hampshire. He has led personal growth workshops at various growth centers around the U.S. and Europe.

He is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Sonoma State University and served as that department's Chair for seven years. The SSU psychology department has a longstanding reputation for its commitment to humanistic, transpersonal, and existential approaches to psychology. He has also taught psychology at the University of Montana, the University of Michigan, and the University of New Hampshire. He has served as a dissertation advisor for doctoral students at Saybrook Institute and the Institute for Integral Studies, among others. Beyond this, Dr. Van Nuys has also served on the board of the Humanistic Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Van Nuys also runs a market research consulting business (www.e-focusgroups.com ) which has served a distinguished list of clients, including The New York Times, Apple Computer, IBM, Hewllet Packard, and QuickenLoans, among others. He was on the board of directors of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association and is technical features editor for that organization's magazine, Views.

Dr.Van Nuys has written scores of articles and reviews for a variety of professional and popular publications. At one time, he wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column. In 2001, he co-authored the book, "This Is The Zodiac Speaking: Into The Mind Of A Serial Killer", in which he profiles the murderer in this famous, unsolved case. HBO has picked up an option on the book with the idea of possibly using it as the basis for a mini-series

He has always been a person with wide ranging hobbies and passions. Over the years he has been involved in ham radio, sport judo, freight train hopping, folk guitar, recorder, piano, didjeridu, sky diving, flying sailplanes, windsurfing, mountain biking, road cycling, motorcycles, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and Tai Chi.

His latest hobby is Podcasting, which he sees as the Next Big Thing. In addition to producing the Wise Counsel podcast for Mental Help Net (which is focused on mental health, wellness and psychotherapy), Dr. Van Nuys also produces Shrink Rap Radio podcasts with a broader focus on topics in psychology.