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In the epoch of rampant consumerism and the ascendancy of self-centred cultures, we would like to introduce the yearly Existential Academy conference “Friend or Foe: The Authentic Self and Social Responsibility.”
This conference arises as an imperative and crucial need for a dialogue on the complex interplay between the personal dimension and the evolving landscape of social and political engagement, set against the backdrop of heightened stakes in contemporary society. The conference will explore the challenges posed by a world dominated by a growing trend toward self-centred cultures and the tension it creates with an increase sense of social and political unease and will address the pressing issues at the intersection of personal development and social responsibility.
The conference will create a space for probing the intricacies of the human journey. Amidst the clamour for individualism and the relentless pursuit of personal gratification, the conference will seek to explore the delicate balance between nurturing one’s authentic self and embracing the call to social responsibility and to unravel the tensions arising from the pursuit of the authentic self while addressing the demands of a socially conscious world. It will specifically explore further explore the intricate dance between personal therapy which is by nature self-centered and aiming to empower the individual and the self with social and political engagement and pondering on the possibility of making choices to the benefit of the greater good.
As we negotiate this nuanced terrain, we navigate the dichotomies inherent in personal therapy. We reflect on the challenge of discovering one’s authentic self in a world gripped by escalating political and social stakes. In this exploration, we acknowledge the profound impact of individual empowerment, not merely as an isolated pursuit but potentially, as a force for positive change in the broader societal narrative.
The ethical terrain, complex and multifaceted, beckons our attention. Balancing the authenticity of self-expression with the ethical imperative of social responsibility becomes paramount. As Mental health professionals are we perceived by ourselves and by others as ethical guides, navigating individuals through the labyrinth of ethical considerations in a landscape where the personal and the collective intersect?
Diversity, a cornerstone of our exploration, underscores the significance of inclusivity and intersectionality. We recognize that personal therapy and social engagement are not monolithic experiences but weave through diverse perspectives, shaped by factors such as race, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds.
At the heart of our exploration lies the existential approach, a lens through which we examine the existential tensions, contradiction and paradoxes inherent in navigating personal growth and social responsibility in a world marked by consumerism and individualism. This approach offers profound insights into the human experience, enriching our understanding of the delicate balance between the authentic self and the collective including the profound insights provided by the existential approach, with passion and purpose.
Course Content
Organisation
“Bringing Wisdom to the World”
If you have been wondering where you might be able to find a group of people who want to bring their knowledge and experience to a worldwide movement for a better way of life, you have just found it.
Existential ideas are a powerfully alternative way of looking at human existence. These ideas have been around for many millennia, in the Athenian philosophies, the Eastern philosophical traditions and even, in a sense in pagan philosophies.
They became much more prominent in the 19th century with the writings of Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche and came to fruition with the work of Husserl, when he provided the method of phenomenology.
Most people have heard about existentialism, a mainly French 20th century philosophical movement, that broke the mould of philosophy and made it about human existence, rather than about human knowledge.
Since then existential ideas have been applied vigorously to the practice of psychology and psychotherapy and a movement of existential therapy was generated over the past century, that is now extremely popular. All around the world existential therapists work in this way and every four years they come together for the World Congress of Existential Therapy.
However it has now become vital to broaden the scope of the movement. As the world is in turmoil and going through extremely dangerous times, humanity seems to have lost track of the things that really matter. People have placed consumerism, profitability and competition at the foreground of human existence and have stopped noticing how they are ruining the eco system of the planet as well as the emotional climate in which we all live.
Presenter
Andrew Samuels describes himself as a relational Jungian analyst. He was the chair of the UK Council for Psychotherapy and co-founder of Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility in 1994. He has worked as a political consultant with leading politicians, parties and activist groups in several countries.
His books include The Plural Psyche (1989), The Political Psyche (1993), Politics on the Couch (2001), A New Therapy for Politics? (20160, and Persons, Passions, Psychotherapy, Politics (2018).
Danny is an existential coach and course leader for the MA in Existential Coaching at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling where they are also Deputy Principal. Danny co-facilitates a monthly support group for LGBTQ+ autistic adults, and runs NHS training on the topics of neurodiversity and queer identities. In their coaching practice, they work predominantly with autistic and LGBTQ+ clients.
Dr Claire Arnold-Baker is the principal and the academic director at NSPC also Course Leader for the DCPsych Programme. She is a lecturer and clinical supervisor on the doctoral programmes and provides research supervision to both doctoral and masters students.
Kirk Schneider, Ph.D. is a leading spokesperson for existential-humanistic and existential-integrative psychology, an adjunct faculty member at Saybrook University and formerly Teachers College, Columbia University, and a cofounder and current president of the award-winning Existential-Humanistic Institute. He was also a 2022 candidate for president-elect of the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Schneider has authored/coauthored 15 books including The Polarized Mind, The Depolarizing of America, and his latest book: Life-Enhancing Anxiety: Key to a Sane World.
Nancy is the course leader at NSPC for the DProf Programme. She is a lecturer and the doctoral programmes and provides clinical research supervision to both doctoral and masters students. She completed her doctoral degree in Existential Psychotherapy on ‘The lived experience of the bi-rooted migrant’.
Nancy’s research interests include: Identity, Migration, Belonging, Roots, uprooting, Bi-Rooted, Cosmopolitanism, Dualism in Self and Identity, Life Crisis and Life Transitions, Existential and Human Issues and Limited Situations.
Publications
Hakim Dowek, N. (2019). The Existential Journey of the Bi-Rooted Migrant. Self & Society, An international Journal for Humanistic Psychology, vol.47, No1 Spring 2019, pp140 -145
Hakim Dowek, N. (2020). The Bi-Rooted Migrant – an Existential Journey, chapter 14 in Re-visioning Existential Psychotherapy. Ed Manu Bazzano. London: Routledge
Dr Neil Gibson is a psychotherapist, lecturer, and supervisor. He has worked in the psychotherapy field for 25 years and is currently the course lead for the Existential Psychotherapy Training (EPT) at the Existential Academy, in London. Neil is also the incumbent Chair of UKCP’s University Training College where is actively involved in the regulation and governance of the psychotherapy profession in the UK.
Kalanit Ben-Ari, Ph.D. is a senior psychologist, psychotherapist, and author with over 20 years of experience working with couples, individuals, and parents. With a private clinic in Hampstead, London, she is an international speaker, trainer, and supervisor of therapists. Kalanit is a member of the Faculty at the Imago International Training Institute and served as the Chair of Imago UK from 2013 to 2023. Dr. Ben-Ari’s expertise is well-recognised; she has trained thousands of therapists worldwide and is frequently featured in professional journals and the media.
Mick Cooper is an internationally recognised author, trainer, and consultant in the field of humanistic, existential, and pluralistic therapies. He is a Chartered Psychologist, and Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Roehampton.
Mick has facilitated workshops and lectures around the world, including New Zealand, Lithuania, and Florida.
Mick’s books include Existential Therapies (Sage, 2017), Working at Relational Depth in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Sage, 2018), and The Handbook of Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Counselling (Palgrave, 2013).
His latest work is Integrating Counselling and Psychotherapy: Directionality, Synergy, and Social Change (Sage, 2019).
Mick’s principal areas of research have been in shared decision-making/personalising therapy, and counselling for young people in schools.
In 2014, Mick received the Carmi Harari Mid-Career Award from Division 32 of the American Psychological Association. He is a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Academy of Social Sciences.
Myira is a multi-award-winning Accredited Counsellor, Supervisor, Coach and Counselling Tutor, and the Founder of the Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN).
Myira works in private practice, under her organisations ‘Myira Khan Counselling’ and ‘Grow to Glow’ and has over 12 years of clinical experience. Myira also delivers workshops and events internationally and is a regular speaker and facilitator at national conferences. As the Founder of the Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN), Myira runs the network for Muslim counsellors, therapists and psychologists, offering support, CPD opportunities and raising the visibility of Muslim practitioners. A visibly Muslim ethnically-minoritized practitioner, Myira represents a diversity within the therapeutic and coaching professions, promoting counselling and coaching to ethnically-minoritized, Muslim and under-represented marginalised communities and clients.
Emmy van Deurzen is a professor of Psychology and Psychotherapy with 18 books to her name, several of which have been translated into a dozen languages. She is the Co-Founder and Principal of the Existential Academy, where she also runs post graduate courses through the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling in partnership with Middlesex University and her private practice.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, she lived, studied, and worked in France before settling in the UK in 1977. Emmy has been instrumental in founding or cofounding numerous organizations, including the Society for Existential Analysis, the Federation for Existential Therapy in Europe and the World Confederation of Existential Therapy. She has helped people in facing their life problems and suffering for nearly half a century.
Amongst her books are the bestsellers Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling in Practice (3d edition 2012), Psychotherapy and the Quest for Happiness (Sage, 2009), Everyday Mysteries (2nd edition Routledge, 2010) and Paradox and Passion (2nd edition, Wiley, 2015). Her book Rising from Existential Crisis was published with PCCS books in 2021. She is currently writing a book on Existential Freedom for Penguin.
