Emmy van Deurzen, a Dutch-born existential therapist, moved to the UK in 1977 inspired by RD Laing. She worked with the Arbours Association in London, a therapeutic community where people in crisis lived with therapists as equals. She soon realized this approach was not enough-people needed help to heal and understand their experiences.
Van Deurzen established the first existential therapy center at Arbours. This philosophical therapy focuses on life itself, not just the psyche. She popularized it in the UK, training many of the hundreds of accredited existential therapists.
The approach has roots in the 1930s work of Swiss psychiatrists who applied Heidegger’s ideas. Van Deurzen sees a broader heritage, from Athenian philosophers to Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist thinkers. Her new book, Beginning to Live, distills complex ideas for a general audience, drawing on Sartre, Kierkegaard, and de Beauvoir.
Van Deurzen believes depression is a form of oppression. She aims to meet people at their point of pain, helping them understand their struggles and regain courage. She is wary of modern therapy speak that labels others as toxic, calling for a counter-cultural movement to reclaim freedom.
After spending a session with her, the author describes it as one of the most profound encounters of her life. Van Deurzen argues that society is hungry for wisdom, and the existential movement is about bringing thoughtful ways of living back into the world.