Who are NSPC

The New School is a centre of excellence for training and research in existential psychotherapy, counselling psychology, pastoral care, autism, diversity and coaching. It has attracted many experienced and creative teachers and trainers as well as numerous research supervisors with a record of original research publications in the field.

It was founded and established by Prof. Emmy van Deurzen, an international authority on existential therapy, psychologist, philosopher and author of many seminal texts in the field, together with Prof. Digby Tantam, an eminent psychotherapist, philosopher, researcher and influential author in the field of autism. Emmy previously founded the School of Psychotherapy at Regent’s College as well as the Society for Existential Analysis and ensured that the New School courses would be deeply rooted in the tradition of continental philosophy.

NSPC offers joint psychotherapy and counselling psychology doctoral programmes with Middlesex University with the option of post-graduate diploma and masters exits. It also offers masters’ courses in existential coaching, pastoral care and a further three online masters programmes, in psychotherapy studies, autism and diversity. These masters programmes can also be taken at post-graduate certificate and diploma level.  

It is a unique and dynamic institution, which affords its students the opportunity to pursue their personal and professional interests and establish their chosen careers through theoretical and skills training, alongside supported placements and research. NSPC students tend to be mature, self-reflective, highly motivated and committed individuals who come from many different cultures and backgrounds and have a strong capacity for independent study and learning.

We have been fortunate to have a dedicated team of existential therapists, theoreticians, and administrative staff who have made it what it is today.

Founders

Emmy van Deurzen PhD, CPsychol, FBPsS, FBACP, UKCPfellow

Emmy is the founder and director of the New School, which she set up in 1996, initially at Royal Waterloo House. She is a chartered counselling psychologist and registered existential psychotherapist. She was the first chair of the UKCP and of the Society for Existential Analysis, which she founded. She created Regent's College School of Psychotherapy and Counselling of which she was the founding Dean and where she was given a chair in Psychotherapy and Counselling. She has also been an honorary professor in psychotherapy with Schiller International University and with the University of Sheffield. She is visiting Professor with Middlesex University, with whom she created the joint doctoral programmes offered by NSPC.  She has published widely on existential psychotherapy and counselling, including her recent books Everyday Mysteries (Routledge, second edition 2010) and Psychotherapy and the Quest for Happiness, (Sage, 2009). Her book Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy in Practice (Sage) saw its second Edition in 2002. Emmy’s work has been translated into a dozen languages. Emmy was External Relations Officer to the European Association for Psychotherapy for many years, and is past Chair of the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association (UPCA) and of the Psychotherapy section of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Digby Tantam BA (Open), , BM, BCh, MA (Oxon), MPH (Harvard), PhD (London), FRCPsych, FBPsS, CPsychol, FHEA, UKCPFellow

Digby is the director of NSPC.  He a psychotherapist, counsellor, psychologist, and psychiatrist.  He has worked in the NHS for over forty years, and as a University Professor for over 20.  He is an Emeritus Professor at the  University of Sheffield, and a Honorary Senior Visiting Professor at Middlesex University

Amongst his books are Psychotherapy and Counselling in Practice published by Cambridge University Press in 2002, Understanding repeated self-injury (with Nick Huband) published by Palgrave. 2009,  Can the world afford autistic spectrum disorder? published by Jessica Kingsley, also in 2009, and also published by Jessica Kingsley but in 2012, Autism spectrum disorders: a life span perspective.