History of The Human Relations for Everyday Living Program

The Human Relations for Everyday Living Program has undergone numerous revolutions in its lengthy history. It was begun in 1962 by Dr Francis Macnab at the original Cairnmillar “headquarters” on the corner of Cromwell Road and Motherwell Street South Yarra. Dr Macnab was very keen to offer a readily accessible and affordable course to members of the public that provided the best that the therapeutic wisdom of the age had to offer, whilst maintaining a sharp diagnostic eye on the contemporary difficulties that people were wrestling with.

He was very keen to address the sense of meaninglessness and anomie that confronted him daily in his consulting room. He also worked through the Human Relations Program to combat much of the “suburban neurosis” afflicting so many at that time. Under the direction of Dr Hugh Eadie in the late 1960’s, the Human Relations Program, while carrying on the direction set by Dr Macnab, also incorporated a greater emphasis on small group work.

Dr Eadie’s focus did much to conceptualise and concretise personal maturity as moving toward “selfhood in community”, through the face-to-face interaction within the Human Relations small groups. At this time, the Human Relations Program was introduced to various schools, churches, businesses and other organisations.

A further revolution took place later under the influence of Don Treacher, the current Human Relations coordinator, who was keen to emphasise the nature of the Human Relations course as an “open system therapeutic community”. A central thrust of Don’s orientation was the necessity to at least temporarily suspend conventional legalistic and moralistic influences, social and economic idealisations, and values that inhibited and prevented people from exploring their own personal and intrapsychic dynamics in a non-judgmental, radically accepting environment.

Throughout its lengthy history and through its numerous revolutions, the Human Relations for Everyday Living Program has consistently maintained the fundamental priority of the individual’s “emotional life”. The emotional life is not, as it has often been portrayed, subordinate or subsidiary to the social or intellectual life. It is the core and essence of human living. In fact, the intellect arises out of it, is rooted in it, draws its nourishment and sustenance from it, and is itself a subordinate partner in what it means to be human. While not underplaying the importance of thinking, the Human Relations Program has constantly reiterated the theme that “thinking is not living”. At its worst, it can even be a substitute for living; at its best, a means of living better.

Thus while these days the Human Relations Program could certainly be described as a psycho-educational program, this is only true to the degree that it is more ‘education of the psyche’ rather than ‘education about the psyche’. Because of this understanding, the Human Relations Program from 1962 onwards has always incorporated that orientation that is now becoming more widely recognised as “positive psychology”, coupled with the therapeutic insights gleaned over numerous decades of psychotherapeutic labour.