Emmy van Deurzen

• 1. The Hague And The Sea

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  Emmy van Deurzen was born on the 13th of December 1951 in The Hague, Netherlands. Her family lived in a small flat near the North Sea at the south-west of the city. Her father directed the Antiques Auction House of the Notaries of The Hague. She grew up with an older sister named Ingrid who worked as a physiotherapist. Van Deurzen completed her classical education at the Dalton Lyceum between 1964 and 1970. She studied Greek, Latin, Dutch, English, French, German, history and algebra for her final exams. During these years she published poetry in the school newsletter. She sang soprano in the choir and performed songs of her own composition while playing guitar.

• 2. Psychiatric Hospitals Of France

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  Van Deurzen moved to France to study French and earned a Diplôme Supérieur d'Etudes Françaises at the University of Montpellier. She then pursued philosophy studies under the supervision of phenomenologist Michel Henry. Her masters dissertation focused on phenomenology and psychiatry regarding solitude and solipsism. After this she completed a second licence in psychology followed by a master's degree in clinical psychology at the University of Bordeaux. She did clinical research for her thesis with young women who had attempted suicide. Between 1971 and 1973 she did voluntary work at the Psychiatric Hospital of Montpellier Font D'Aurelle. She worked alongside her first husband Jean Pierre Fabre in children's and outpatient departments. They later lived and worked at the psychiatric hospital of Saint Alban from 1973 to 1975. This revolutionary hospital originated institutional psychotherapy and was made famous by Dr François Tosquelles and Frantz Fanon. Van Deurzen held a full-time post as psychologist in the social therapy department where she ran weekly large patient groups.

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• 3. The Move To London And Arbours

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  In 1977 van Deurzen and Fabre were invited to come work in London. They lived and worked in an Arbours Association therapeutic community while assisting at the Crisis Centre. They became involved with the Philadelphia Association and R.D. Laing. During this period van Deurzen began teaching existential therapy in the Arbours training programme. She started developing her own ideas during these years. She entered into a lifelong friendship with Hungarian psychiatrist Thomas Stephen Szasz. In 1978 they took a three-month work study trip to California. They spent time at the Esalen Institute as guests of Richard Price. There they received training in Gestalt therapy and body therapy. Van Deurzen met Gregory Bateson at Esalen and Hubert Lederer Dreyfus at Berkeley University. Together they met John Weir Perry to speak about madness. They also had meetings with members of the Palo Alto Mental Research Institute. They visited The Soteria model halfway house of Loren Richard Mosher in San Jose.

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• 4. Regent's University And New School

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  From 1978 onwards van Deurzen has lectured on her method of existential therapy in many different contexts and countries. She created the first master's programme in existential psychotherapy with Antioch University in 1982. She helped the Antioch programmes move to Regent's University London in 1985. She joined the Regent's faculty as Head of the Psychology department when the program was incorporated into the college. She became a professor in psychotherapy and counselling and appointed Dean of the School of Psychotherapy and Counselling at Regent's University. This happened after she co-founded it with the president of then Regent's College John Payne. Van Deurzen left Regent's University in 1996 to found the New School for Psychotherapy and Counselling in London. This was initially based at the London centre of Schiller International University where she was made an honorary professor. In 2014 the New School settled in purpose built accommodation at Fortune Green in West Hampstead London which became the Existential Academy.

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• 5. Books And The Four Worlds Model

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  Following the 2016 Brexit referendum van Deurzen became active in defending the rights of EU citizens in the UK. She founded the Voices for Europe initiative and served as Vice Chair of the New Europeans. She organized free counselling services for affected populations and gave public speeches at several major protests in Parliament Square. The Existential Academy also provided free emotional support services for Ukrainians who took refuge in the UK during the war between Russia and Ukraine. They offered help to all those affected by the war between Israel and Gaza. In 2023 Digby Tantam and Emmy van Deurzen semi-retired though they continue to direct the New School. Their colleagues Dr Claire Arnold-Baker and Danny van Deurzen-Smith have taken over daily management as principal and deputy principal respectively. Van Deurzen has given over 300 keynote lectures and invited workshops around the world on five continents.

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