2nd PhenoLab Summer School in Umbria. A report

by Helene Cæcilie Mørck, MA, Independent Researcher (Denmark)

The 2nd Phenolab Summer School in Umbria was held from June 9–13, 2025, at Palazzo Trinci in Foligno, Umbria, Italy. The organizer was Prof. Dr. Francesca Brencio. This year’s theme was Phenomenology in Mental Health: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Qualitative Research.

The week featured a breathtaking program with 11 keynote speakers, 37 selected speakers, and two training sessions with participants and speakers from all over Europe and beyond, including the USA, Canada, Japan, India, Chile, and Brazil.“ The aim of the Summer School was to foster meaningful interdisciplinary exchange between philosophy and the mental health sciences. By examining the lived experiences of individuals with mental health conditions and contributors were invited to explore a person-centred approach to mental health that transcended traditional diagnostic frameworks”. It achieved this not only by presenting new research by both emerging and established scholars, independent researchers, and experts by experience, but also by fostering important conversations and dialogues that emerged in the informal moments between talks during coffee and lunch breaks, and evenings dinners, relaxing strolls in the Italian heat with ice cream, and late-night discussions. The Summer School was an intense but rewarding experience, with talks running from morning to evening. The relaxed atmosphere, combined with the beautiful architecture and the charm of Foligno, created an ideal space to inspire the spirit and foster engaging, thoughtful discussions.

Across keynote lectures, parallel sessions, and training workshops, speakers engaged with a broad spectrum of phenomena, including schizophrenia, trauma, suicide, autism, eating disorders, addiction, ADHD, compulsions, transformative beliefs, faith and healing, peak spiritual experiences, mindfulness, disgust and moral judgment, neurodiversity, menstrual mood changes, alexithymia, the infant’s experience of being a newborn, and mood disorders explored through the lens of embodied subjectivity and intersubjectivity. Innovative methods were employed to access these pre-reflective layers of experience. Examples included body mapping (in the context of eating disorders), choreography (for psychosis), Indian aesthetic theories (for moral judgement in suicide), and micro-phenomenology (for compulsions). Other themes of death and self-annihilation were explored, with one speaker framing trauma as a process of “Worlding, de-Worlding, and re-Worlding,” and another highlighting the fragmentation of self and the alienness of pain. Intersubjectivity and empathy emerged as key concerns not only as subjects of inquiry but as foundations for practice. Talks examined how the gaze of the other, therapeutic relationships, and the experience of being seen or unseen shape mental health. Discussions also addressed epistemic injustice, intersectionality, and the need to bridge philosophy and clinical practice. Keynote speaker Matthew Broome, in Renewing Phenomenological Psychopathology, reflected on the present and future of the field.

In the spirit of the conference and its focus on interdisciplinary exchange, here are some reflections shared by speakers and attendees.

“The summer school was excellently organized, and it brought together young up-and-coming academics from all over the world who assembled for a truly engaging and fruitful exchange. How alive and diverse phenomenology is in this generation. it was a joy for the older ones like me to observe!” Thomas Fuchs (Germany)

”PhenoLab gave us far more than rigorous theoretical insights; it became a mosaic of personal journeys into phenomenology. Hearing colleagues’ diverse stories and perspectives wove the lectures into lived experience, enriching every session. I left inspired to carry this shared curiosity and openness into my own work.” Hüseyin Ünübol (Turkey)

“It has been special because it succeeded in bringing together so many specialists and creating very useful communications in Psychiatry and Phenomenology, and I take home the pleasure of having met so many people open not only to scientific comparisons, but also to knowledge on a human level.” Marzio Giacomin (Italy)

”As a physiotherapist interested in embodied aspects of psychopathology, the PhenoLab summer school was truly inspiring, affirming, and encouraging for my research.”
Kjersti Hognes Berg (Norway)

“Attending the PhenoLab conference was a deeply enriching experience. Central to this impact were the presenters, whose expertise and thoughtful engagement brought the subject vividly to life. Something that resonated with me on a profound level was the presentation of Prof. Dr. James Morley (Ramapo College USA) titled Faith and Healing: Applying Merleau-Ponty's ontology to psychiatric recovery. The program was thoughtfully structured, covering the foundational concepts as well as new aspects and clinical implications of phenomenological approaches in psychiatry.” Pawel Zagozdzon (Poland)

“It was so nice to see that phenomenology is alive, thriving, and is so crucial for research and practice within the field of mental health.” John Stigmar (Sweden)

“It was a pleasure to travel to Foligno, this lesser known Umbrian town, to then discover that people from all over the world did the same in order to share their phenomenological research in an abundantly rich program of talks and lessons. This year's PhenoLab Summer School offered such an extensive picture of present conceptual and qualitative approaches that it transformed my understanding of lived experience in many areas – theoretically, methodologically as well as clinically. I felt that the flat hierarchies between participants contributed to an unusually favorable, open-minded atmosphere with a highly focused dialogue.” Participant

“The 2nd PhenoLab was a terrific experience of exploring dynamic, far-reaching ideas in a spirit of supportiveness and collegiality that generated insight of lasting value. It was a true joy to encounter so many narratives and accounts born of rich reflectiveness and diverse thought and communicated with generosity, sincerity and authenticity. Thank you so much to the organisers and everyone involved – I have taken much away from our five days together.” Martyn Sampson (UK)

“It created the opportunity to meet people with similar interests but different theoretical and clinical perspectives, which allowed us to better understand the field of phenomenology. The Summer School week increased my motivation to study philosophy and its interfaces with psychiatry!”
Esdras Moreira (Brazil)

“In Umbria, the PhenoLab Summer School created a warm, collaborative atmosphere that invited us to explore profound questions that are relevant for addressing issues in our world such as how phenomenology can guide our encounters with others in both clinical and research practice. I left feeling genuinely inspired by the richness of the dialogue and energised by the possibilities for future collaborations.” Valeria Motta (UK)

“Being immersed in a week of phenomenological thought, with so many passionate learners and experts alike, was incredibly rewarding. The supportive and inquisitive atmosphere made for evocative and fun conversations both during and after the sessions. The insights gained, the relationships built, and the wonderful environment in Foligno will pay dividends for months to come. I particularly benefited from the sessions on methods and methodology given by leading researchers in phenomenology. The diversity of perspectives portrayed a depth to phenomenology that I appreciated. The program of events was also spectacular - my partner and I are still raving about the champagne from Scacciadiavoli I brought back!” Jonathan Rowe (USA)

“PhenoLab was an embodied encounter with the Other in an I- Thou manner. The conditions allowed a very constructive exchange of ideas. It made me feel like being Home with simple minded spirits! I am taking back the desire of the in depth study of Phenomenology in both theoretical and clinical terms. The goal is to implement it within my own here and now of the clinical encounter with three words in mind: pilot, pilot, pilot...” Iraklis Pantelidakis (Cyprus)