Rollo May, born on April twenty-first, nineteen oh nine, was a prominent American psychologist and psychotherapist whose work significantly shaped the field of existential psychology. He is best known for his influential book, Love and Will, published in nineteen sixty-nine, which explores the intricate relationship between love and the will to create.
May's contributions to psychology are often associated with humanistic psychology and existentialist philosophy. Alongside Viktor Frankl, he emerged as a leading advocate for existential psychotherapy, emphasizing the importance of individual experience and personal meaning in the therapeutic process.
A close friend of philosopher and theologian Paul Tillich, May was deeply influenced by Tillich's ideas, which resonated throughout his writings. His other notable works include The Meaning of Anxiety, first published in nineteen fifty and revised in nineteen seventy-seven, and The Courage to Create, released in nineteen seventy-five, which draws inspiration from Tillich's The Courage to Be.