Søren Willert

Professor Emeritus
About Me
I am a psychologist. Today my title is Professor Emeritus. I have been in university employment for 51 years. First 38 years at Institute of Psychology, Aarhus University (1968- 2012), then 12 years at Institute of Culture and Learning, Aalborg University. My academic profile has been that of university-based practitioner. I have acquired professional competences within a broad range of psycho-social helping roles: psychotherapist, supervisor, coach, process consultant, professional trainer. My practitioner experiences have formed the backdrop of my teaching and have delivered empirical data for my research. Starting in 2022 I am in a process of transition, gradually replacing organization consultancy with psychotherapy as my main sphere of professional interest.

Areas of Expertise
Apart from taking pleasure in delivering academic lectures on ‘big’ theoretical issues, I have become a specialist in organizing teaching events as practice- and/or problem-based learning activities, i.e. learning by doing. Partly in consequence of this, my tutoring work has to a very large extent been directed towards students’ exploration of their own professional or semiprofessional practice. In doing this kind of tutoring I have been helped by the fact that my own academic research has largely been based on professional self-exploration.

As a psychotherapist, I have intentionally endeavoured to become a Jack of all trades. Theoretically speaking, this attitude partly builds on the fact that my training years took place in our local Student Counselling Office (on part-time basis). Our student clients showed up ‘as they were’, i.e. without any previous screening. I found it essential that I should also meet them ‘as they were’, i.e. without any theory-based preconceptions about their possible needs. Speaking personally, the Jack of all trades-idea also resonates deeply with who I am. One book I hope I find time to write before it’s too late is called All paradigms are true.