Welcome. My name is Van Thi Diep.
I am a philosopher, artist, and intuitive visionary. As an empath, I can sense into the generational traumas of our human civilizations and societies. I hold space for social healing and contribute to a more beautiful world by nurturing moments of authenticity through art, awareness, and the retelling of our human story.
about me
spiritual being learning to be human
For most of my life I yearned to belong. Not being able to make logical sense of myself or the world, I constantly felt either too much or too little in the human systems I was part of. After a spiritual journey of self-discovery and healing, I realised that belonging is an internal destination. Rather than striving to find enlightenment in another world, I am here to belong as myself, bringing my spiritual gifts of authenticity and creativity into this imperfect process of life as a human being. See the scope of my work below.
phenomenology
finding togetherness in our brilliance
Phenomenology (the study of experience) is like stargazing with human stories. Each individual story may seem like a speck of dust in the dark night, but together in our glimmering starlight, they become meaningful constellations. The constellation patterns (i.e., the research topics) that I find most attractive are the inconspicuous ones that reveal our deepest relationship with nature, both internally and externally.
ecospirituality
Belonging to inner and outer nature
Just be. Be yourself. A community surrounds you. This is the message I intuited from the moss that surrounded me in a forest. These wise words are also what I believe to be the essence of nature experiences: To create time and space to feel, to be witnessed, to be loved, and fundamentally, to just be. Nature’s lessons in worthiness and belonging are for everyone and are applicable anywhere.
creativity
transmuting pain into beauty
Let’s face it, being human can be such a pain. But even if we cannot ignore the darkness of humanity, in-between suffering and healing are also poignant moments of awareness. These moments remind us that there is beauty in learning to live authentically. When pain becomes beauty, we are metaphorically growing a garden of flowers out of what was once barren soil. My creativity is the overflow of my inner garden making its way out into the world.
My Credentials
What makes the Course of Life special is that unlike formal education, we will not receive a certificate or a degree upon completion. We will know that we have completed a lesson by the internal shifts within us. I only realised the value of this informal, intuitive, and experiential learning process by spending much of my lifetime in formal educational systems. These systems of learning have simultaneously provided me a stable foundation to expand personal wisdom and constrained me through limited perspectives of the world. Below are the double-edge swords of knowledge that have enriched and tested me on my path so far:
- Certified Forest Therapy Guide – (Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides & Programs, 2023)
- PhD in Environmental Studies (York University, 2021)
- Certified Coach Practitioner (Certified Coaches Federation, 2020)
- Human Design Specialist Certification – Level 2 (Quantum Alignment System, 2020)
- Year-Long Training in Ecopsychology (with Andy Fisher, PhD, 2020)
- Master of Arts in Humanities (York University, 2015)
- Master of Landscape Architecture (University of Toronto, 2007)
- Bachelor of Architectural Science (Ryerson University, NKA Toronto Metropolitan University, 2004)