Welcome. My name is Van Thi Diep.
I play many roles (philosopher, researcher, designer, artist, etc.), but my core essence is a spiritual being learning to be human. Other living beings on Earth are much more intuitively attuned to their beingness, yet to be human is a fumbling process of confusions, contradictions, errors, and revelations.
In the midst of this dense matrix of human perplexity, I create moments of authenticity through art, awareness, and the re-telling of our human story.
about me
empath and visionary thinker
For most of my life, I’ve yearned to belong. In a world of polarities and social norms, I felt out of place for thinking profoundly, feeling deeply, and straddling between different interests. What I now realise is that this sensitivity is not a curse but the blessing of being human. With the ability to intuitively feel the world’s pain and make sense of our human wounding, I can hold space for a better world.
See below for the different areas of my work or read more about my story.
phenomenological research
finding togetherness in our brilliance
Phenomenological research 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.
nature and forest therapy
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 at a forest therapy walk. These wise words are also what I believe to be the essence of practicing forest and nature therapy: Creating time and space to feel, to be witnessed, to be loved, and fundamentally, to just be. As a forest therapy guide, I can give myself the permission to release control and surrender to the processes of nature.
creative arts
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 be human. 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 learning to be human so special is that despite it being our biggest course in life, we will not receive a certification or a degree at completion. While this authentic learning is informal, intuitive, and experiential, I have ironically spent much of my lifetime in formal educational systems.
In-between this yin and yang dance of learning to be human, I’ve come to honour the fact that formal education is both the stable foundation towards expanding personal wisdom and the test we must learn to unlearn throughout our lives. 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)