Gerald May


Gerald Gordon May was an American psychiatrist and theologian.
He conducted workshops in contemplation and psychology, and wrote several books on how to combine spiritual direction with psychological treatment.

Early life

May was born June 12, 1940, in Hillsdale, Michigan. He was the half-brother of the existential psychologist Rollo May who was 30 years older. Their father died when May was nine years old. He did his undergraduate work at Ohio Wesleyan University, graduating in 1962, and received a medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1965.

Career

May initially worked as an Air Force psychiatrist in Vietnam where he was a conscientious objector and then became chief of inpatient services at Andrews Air Force Base. After he and his family moved to Columbia, Maryland, he worked on staff treating patients at the Spring Grove Hospital Center and Patuxent Correctional Mental Health Center of the Maryland state prisons system. In 1973, May joined the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland, where he eventually became a senior fellow conducting workshops in contemplative theology and psychology. May wrote several books which advanced his views on combining spiritual direction with psychological treatment.

Personal life

May was married for 43 years to Elizabeth Jane Clark with whom he had three sons and a daughter.

Selected works