Willem Kuyken

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Willem Kuyken is a British/Dutch scientist, teacher and author. He is the Ritblat Professor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and Director of the University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre.^[1]

Kuyken was born in Neath, Wales on the 6th May 1968, the youngest of three children, to Dutch parents. His father was raised in Indonesia where, during World War II, he was interned in a Japanese concentration camp. Kuyken's uncle and namesake died in the camp aged four. His mother was raised in Venlo in the South of Holland, where she lived under Nazi occupation. He spent his childhood until age 9 in Nigeria where his father was working as an engineer.

Kuyken was educated at Winchester College, University College London (BSc Psychology, 1989) and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London (PhD, 1992), before training as a clinical psychologist at the Salomons Clinical Psychology Training Centre (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, 1997).

Kuyken is widely recognized for his research on preventing depression, promoting mental health, and flourishing across the lifespan. He has published more than 150 journal articles and was named by Web of Science as in the top 1% of the most cited scientists in his field in the world in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.^[2]

Before taking up his post in Oxford in 2014 he was Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Exeter. He headed the research group (2001–2010), co-founded (with Ed Watkins and Eugene Mullan) the Wellcome Mood Disorders Centre (2004) and (with Alison Evans) the Masters in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapies (2008) and Mindfulness Network. (2012). He also directed the clinical psychology training programme (2001–2004).

He worked in two Postdoctoral Fellowships: a research fellowship at the World Health Organization project managing the development of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL; 1992–1994) ^[3] and a clinical research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania/Beck Institute working with Aaron T. Beck (1998–1999).^{[citation needed]}

He was the recipient of the British Psychological Society May Davidson award in 2006.^[4] He was a faculty member of the 2014 Mind and Life Summer Research Science Institute and a grandfathered Diplomate and Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

At the University of Oxford Kuyken co-led (with Mark Williams, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Tim Dalgleish) a programme of research on mindfulness in education – the MYRIAD project (2014–2022),^[5] and is Principal Investigator of the University of Oxford Mindfulness Research Centre.^[6]

Kuyken authored Mindfulness for Life, a practical guide to making mindfulness part of everyday life, described by Christina Feldman as "not just about inner change; it is about how we live our lives. Dr. Kuyken provides tools for making a critical shift from judgment, blame, and aversion to curiosity and kindness. His skillful guidance allows us to make—and commit to—small shifts that can help us become the flourishing, engaged, and responsive people we long to be.”.^[7]

Kuyken has co-authored three further books. (1) With Christina Feldman, Mindfulness - Ancient Wisdom Meetings Modern Psychology, described by Jon Kabat-Zinn as "A tour de force. This book elaborates in exquisite detail--yet with utter accessibility and clarity--what mindfulness is and where it comes from, as well as its profound ethical foundation, clinical applications, growing evidence base, and potential for healing. The depth of the case studies alone exemplifies the elemental wisdom inherent to the practice of mindfulness, and how it can be applied in trying and challenging life situations to beneficial effect.."^[8] in 2009 he published with Christine Padesky and Rob Dudley, Collaborative Case Conceptualisation, described by Aaron T Beck as setting "a gold standard for how to develop individualized case conceptualizations with our clients."^[9] With John Orley he published an edited book Quality of Life Assessment: International Perspectives. Kuyken's work includes over 150 peer-reviewed publications,^[10] including publications in Lancet,^[11] the British Medical Journal,^[12] and JAMA Psychiatry.^[13] This has included extensive public engagement work, including being featured on CBS, Maccleans, New Statesman, Le Monde, der Zeit, The Telegraph,^[14] The Guardian,^[15] and the BBC ^[16] and in documentaries such as My Year of Living Mindfully ^[17] and Trust Me I'm a Doctor.^[18]

Kuyken has two daughters, Zoe Kuyken, a barrister ^[19] and Ava Kuyken a professional footballer. He was married for 30 years to Halley Cohen, a writer and communications specialist.^{[20][citation needed]}

Kuyken lives in West London. He has practised mindfulness meditation since his early twenties, studying with teachers such as Christina Feldman and Jon Kabat-Zinn. He has spoken openly about his own experiences of recurrent depression and the ways in which mindfulness and antidepressants have been key to his mental health.