Reading Kierkegaard Beyond Scholarliness and Scienticism – Devang Vaidya – April 8th @ 4 pm- 6 pm UK Time ZOOM

Reading Kierkegaard Beyond Scholarliness and Scienticism

April 8th 4pm-6pm UK Time on Zoom

Seminar II – Kierkegaard and Indirect Communication 

Presented by Devang Vaidya

Making Kierkegaard relevant to existential therapy entails a firm understanding of the concept of indirect communication and its place in his authorship. In this seminar, I will address three fundamental errors commonly made in approaching Kierkegaard’s writings when indirect communication is not given due consideration.

The first of these errors is simply ignoring Kierkegaard’s specific remarks on the subject. It is astonishing how common this error is amongst therapists of different schools who refer to Kierkegaard as an influence. The other errors result from misinterpreting the concept of indirect communication in one of two ways: a) Taking indirection to mean a rhetorical ploy to be used with someone who ‘can’t handle the truth’ directly; or b) as mannerisms of speech and styles of articulating knowledge. Although many therapists find such linguistic devices to be useful, these do not adequately reflect the communicative aim at the heart of Kierkegaard’s works.

The key point here is that the concept of indirect communication is critical for bridging Kierkegaard’s philosophical thought with the practice of a distinctive form of existential therapy. I propose that a proper grasp of this concept is the basis of an essential ethos for all therapists who wish to stand apart from the medical model. It avoids all the trappings of abstract constructs and dense scholarliness, and preserves the vital spontaneity in the encounter between therapist and client.

This event will take place on Zoom. A link will be sent prior to the date.

SEA members enjoy a 25% discount at checkout.

A 2-hours Certificate of Attendance will be emailed to participants.

If you think you have a new and interesting topic to share with us and would like to be our next speaker please don’t hesitate to contact our events organiser on events@existentialanalysis.org.uk.