sources

A selection of books that have shaped my approach to counseling and view on life.

Philosophy

Technologies of the Self book cover

Technologies of the Self

Michel Foucault

An exploration of how individuals transform themselves through practices of freedom and self-formation, examining the relationship between power, knowledge, and personal agency.

A Thousand Plateaus book cover

A Thousand Plateaus

Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari

On rhizomatic thinking, becoming, and the multiplicity of existence.

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The Parasite

Michel Serres

On communication, noise, and the complex relationships between systems and their environments.

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Rabelais and His World

Mikhail Bakhtin

Carnival culture, laughter, and the subversive power of folk humor in challenging official discourse and social hierarchies.

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Perspectives on the Soul

Rico Sneller

Exploring different philosophical perspectives on the nature of the soul and its significance for understanding human existence.

Humanistic Counseling

Grondslagen van Humanisme book cover

Grondslagen van Humanisme

J.P. van Praag

Foundational work on Dutch Humanism which provides an excellent description on humanistic counseling. An exploration of finding purpose in suffering and the human capacity for meaning-making.

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On Becoming a Person

Carl R. Rogers

The foundational text on person-centered therapy and the conditions for psychological growth.

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Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl

An exploration of finding purpose in suffering and the human capacity for meaning-making.

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Werken aan Trage vragen

Harry Kunneman

Explores slow questions, or, conundrums, which are at the heart of humanistic counseling.

Literature

A selection of novels I particularly enjoyed.

Pnin book cover

Pnin

Vladimir Nabokov

The subject of my Master thesis, exploring forced exile from one's country and challenges in cultural transition.

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Siddhartha

Hermann Hesse

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The Nose

Nikolai Gogol

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Moon Palace

Paul Auster

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Post Office

Charles Bukowski

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The Lotus Eater

W. Somerset Maugham

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Moby Dick

Herman Melville

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Madame Bovary

Gustave Flaubert

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A Thousand Cranes

Yasunari Kawabata

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Dubliners

James Joyce

Art & Spirituality

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The Way of Zen

Alan Watts

Zen Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, served as my introduction to these topics.

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The Art of Roerich

Nicholas Roerich

Mystical paintings and writings exploring the intersection of art, spirituality, and human consciousness.

Tao Te Ching book cover

Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu

On the nature of existence, balance, and the way of living in harmony with the natural order.

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Moon in a Dewdrop

Dogen

Writings of the Zen master on meditation, enlightenment, and the nature of reality.