Certification, Training & Research in Gestalt Psychology
BY THE ANIL THOMAS FELLOWSHIP
Fr. Richard (Dick) McHugh S.J. Ph.D.
My mentor, my guru, my teacher, my friend.
If I had to name one person who quietly shaped how I hold space, how I listen, how I teach, it would be Fr. Dick.
He wasn’t just a teacher. He was my mentor, my guide, my mirror. His presence alone could shift something inside you. He wouldn’t tell you what to do, he’d just be there. Fully. Gently. And in that space, something would open.
Dick didn’t teach in the usual sense. He wasn’t a PowerPoint-and-pointers person. He believed that awareness couldn’t be taught but it had to be evoked.
He’d pause mid-sentence, look around the room, and just let silence do the work. It was never dramatic, but it was always deep. He created space, not noise.
He’d say things like:
“When you listen with your whole body, something begins to shift: first in you, then in the world.”
People often mistook him for being quiet. But those who sat with him knew that his quiet was full of presence. His silences weren’t empty, they were alive.
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1930, Richard came to India in 1960 as a Jesuit priest, working in the tribal regions of Jharkhand. He taught Math, English, and religion, and somehow still found time to play basketball with his students. He wasn’t separate from the world, he was deeply in it. In 1951, he even learned Hindi, not just to speak, but to connect.
To pursue knowing him further, I asked, “When was Earth blessed with your presence?” He laughed and said ever so humbly, “Anil, my birth month is March and date 11th, 1930.”
“1930!” I exclaimed “So you are 80, Now!”
“Hahaha”, he went. ”Age is just a number”, replied the wise man.
I remember one of our first sessions together. He came in wearing a blue t-shirt, white pyjamas, and sports shoes. He was holding a book in one hand. And then he looked around the room with these deep blue eyes that didn’t just look at you, they looked into you. In that moment, everything became still. He didn’t need to say a word.
Dick’s NLP was never about tricking the mind, it was about freeing it.
While others used NLP to influence, he used it to inquire, to reflect, to awaken.
He’d ask:
“Whose voice is that in your head? And when did it first arrive?”
That one question could open up layers of memory, meaning, and pattern.
“The boys in the school were mischievous; but I loved working with children. I taught them Math, English and religion. We even played basketball!”
Recalling an instance, he laughed, saying “Children there would say angrezi samajh nahi aati.” Education stands confined to books, knowledge comes with being practical, usable and realistic. The Jesuits worked towards ensuring that hostels were well equipped with classrooms, dorm room and a basketball court.
His command over Hindi was impeccable. He learnt the language in 1951 at Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
I wanted to learn what got Dick intrigued in NLP, and so I asked.
He answered, “NLP came later; I was introduced to the subject in 1980. Before which I returned to the States and served at the St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Church in Woodstock, before earning my Ph.D. in Psychology from the Union Institute of Cincinnati.”
His mentors were John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Leslie Cameron-Bandler, Judith DeLozier, Robert Dilts, David Grdon, Michael Lebeau, Scout Lee Gunn and Todd Epstein. Connirae and Steve Andreas, Linda Sommerand Charlotte Bretto were teachers with whom Dick studied NLP.
Steve, John Grinder and Carol Lankton taught him hypnosis.
"The unconscious is always positive. Allow the unconscious to surface."
I was curious to learn about the Vipassana on which the principle of awareness in NLP is based. Fr. Dick held Goenkaji and his teachings of Vipassana in great admiration. It enabled him to experience the mystic, magic, and gain a deeper understanding of prayer.
Fr. Anthony de Mello was an integral part of both Dick McHugh’s life and Sadhana Center. He took a course by Tony at the Sadhana Institute for Pastoral Counselling. “Tony was a good man, a noble friend and my boss,” he recalled.
The sudden demise of Fr. Anthony changed the course of Dick’s mission and he returned to the USA where he studied and worked hard to get his PhD in Clinical Psychology. NLP became his mission and he gave seminars and taught all around the United States, Ireland and India.
"Love is 100% participation in life. Know that the one you love will be taken away from you; know that if you love, your heart will be broken. Also, know that everything you hold dear is changing, is impermanent and will die." - Fr. Richard 'Dick' McHugh S.J. PhD.
The study of NLP gave him an in-depth analysis to an approach on Mental Health. It helped him get a better understanding of his background, own psychology, physical environment and most importantly religion.
“Anil, NLP gave me clarity, it came as calm, mentally equipping me to deal with things in a healthy manner. Prayer to me was illusive up until the time NLP came in and the Ignition retreat that we Jesuits attend formed the foundation of prayer. I draw my sense of inspiration from Buddhism, Judaism and Sufi tradition, integrating these beliefs and learning made me feel at ease. It helped me align to my own personal beliefs and this I share with everybody”, Dick shared.
It was around this time that Dick had the idea of what NLP was, but from the knowledge point of view. He wanted to dive deeper into the subject and decide to practice and impart the knowledge to all around.
Fr. Dick and Gestalt
Dick was the only Gestaltian alive; I knew.
“Gestalt taught me that the resources necessary to find the answers are within one’s self. Using this understanding I not only resolved myself,
but I went ahead into my own journey of counseling, therapy and everything I know of today” said Dick.
Fr. Dick in the Session's Room
He began his day early, taking time to meditate and reframe. Before every session, he would relax to retrieve balance.
Dick McHugh came across as sensitive in his sessions but he was a magician when it came to relations be it with his parents, friends or batch mates. Even those that found talking about feelings and emotions difficult would melt at his empathy. He displayed honesty to the purest level known. Humility from a man to this level, left each of us in the session’s room with the belief of him being above human.
So much of what I now share- about awareness, presence, contact, it all comes from him. He didn’t need to be the loudest in the room. He just was. That was enough.
To Dick’s lotus feet, I bow with deep respect, love, and enduring gratitude.
Everything I teach today carries his imprint. Every space I hold has his blessing.
BY THE ANIL THOMAS FELLOWSHIP
joelcferns@anilthomas.co | +91 9930748410
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