prof. dr. Damiaan Denys

About Damiaan Denys

Damiaan Denys works as a philosopher, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist, and is appointed as a professor of psychiatry at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). He was the head of the Psychiatry department at AmsterdamUMC for 18 years and has published over 500 scientific articles.

He pioneered research into obsessive-compulsive disorders, deep brain stimulation, and received the Ig Nobel Prize in 2020 for his description of misophonia. Since 2024, he has been leading Lemon Tree, an independent and interdisciplinary center that conducts research at the intersection of psychiatry, psychotherapy, and philosophy, and is part of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at the University of Amsterdam.

In addition to his scientific work, Denys focuses on broader societal issues related to anxiety, control, happiness, normality, and meaning. In 2015, he wrote and performed a theater monologue about anxiety, which toured through the Netherlands and Belgium.

Denys is known in the media for his candid questions and courageous positions in complex debates. His book ‘The Shortage of Excess, the Paradox of Mental Health Care’ (2021) offers a penetrating analysis of our unhealthy relationship with mental disorders. His latest book, ‘Psychotherapy in Motion, the Art of Boxing Psychotherapy’ (2023), describes the use of boxing in psychotherapy.