Gerald G. May

Gerald Gordon May (June 12, 1940 – April 8, 2005) 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 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 The Open Way: A Meditation Handbook (1977) Paulist Press, Simply Sane: Stop Fixing Yourself and Start Really Living (1977) Paulist Press, Pilgrimage Home: The Conduct of Contemplative Practice in Groups (1979) Paulist Press, Care of Mind, Care of Spirit: Psychiatric Dimensions of Spiritual Direction (1982) Harper & Row, Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology (1983) Harper & Row, Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions (1988) Harper & Row, The Awakened Heart: Opening Yourself to the Love You Need (1993) HarperCollins, The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth (2004) Harper & Row, The Wisdom of Wilderness: Experiencing the Healing Power of Nature (2007) HarperCollins,