Erica Palmer was a student when I was a core faculty member at the Colorado School of Professional Psychology (later the University of the Rockies). I served as her dissertation chair, and she completed a practicum and her internship with my wife and me at the Center for Growth. During this time, we completed an article together on Fundamentalism for the Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion (which remained included through the 3 editions of this encyclopedia to date) and a chapter that is in Existential Psychology East-West (Volume 1). Later, we stayed in occasional contact until she began serving on the board of the Rocky Mountain Humanistic Counseling and Psychological Association when I began as its Executive Director.
I have many fond memories of Erica. During graduate school, she became passionate about existential psychology, which became a focus of her dissertation and clinical work. Erica was a committed mother, often talking about how proud she was of her daughters and the time they had together. Erica had a great sense of humor and often was part of laughter at school, the Center for Growth, and conferences. She was a valued friend to many of her peers. Her presence will be deeply missed.
After Erica's death on January 24, 2025, I wrote a memorial for Erica with Drs. Steve Fehl and Matt Thelen for the Rocky Mountain Humanistic Counseling and Psychological Association. It is available at https://rmhcpa.org/in-memory-of-erica-palmer/.
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