Jesper Juul (family therapist)
Encyclopedia
Jesper Juul is a Danish
family therapist and author
and a renowned international authority on the family. In his book Your Competent Child (1995, in English 2001) he argues that today's families are at an exciting crossroads because the destructive values — obedience, physical and emotional violence, and conformity — that governed traditional hierarchical families are being transformed. The book has so far (2007) been translated into 13 languages and has in some countries like Sweden
, Denmark
and Norway
become a classic for non authoritarian parenting
.
, Denmark. He had several jobs before entering higher education at Marselisborg Seminarium 1966-1970 where he graduated as a teacher of history
and religion
. He then enrolled in studies of the history of ideas
at the University of Aarhus
. He financed his studies working at family resort Bøgholt in Viby J
, and dropped out of studies to work full time with social treatment. At an internal course he became acquainted with U.S. psychiatrist
Walter Kempler
and they became friends, finally leading to him forming the Kempler Institute of Scandinavia in 1979 with Kempler as a director. A few years later Juul had to take over leadership of the institute and would hold this position until 2004.
In his first marriage 1971-1990 he has one son, Nicolai, and his second marriage in 1991 with Suzana, a woman from former Yugoslavia
, has resulted in him working on a voluntary basis with refugees and war veterans in Bosnian
and Croatia
n locations about three months a year, also providing leadership and organizational development for non-governmental organization
s.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
family therapist and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and a renowned international authority on the family. In his book Your Competent Child (1995, in English 2001) he argues that today's families are at an exciting crossroads because the destructive values — obedience, physical and emotional violence, and conformity — that governed traditional hierarchical families are being transformed. The book has so far (2007) been translated into 13 languages and has in some countries like Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
become a classic for non authoritarian parenting
Parenting
Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood...
.
Biography
Jesper Juul was born in VordingborgVordingborg
Vordingborg is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the southeast coast of the island of Zealand in south Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Masnedø, and covers an area of 621 km². It has a total population of 46,600...
, Denmark. He had several jobs before entering higher education at Marselisborg Seminarium 1966-1970 where he graduated as a teacher of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. He then enrolled in studies of the history of ideas
History of ideas
The history of ideas is a field of research in history that deals with the expression, preservation, and change of human ideas over time. The history of ideas is a sister-discipline to, or a particular approach within, intellectual history...
at the University of Aarhus
University of Aarhus
Aarhus University , located in the city of Aarhus, Denmark, is Denmark's second oldest and second largest university...
. He financed his studies working at family resort Bøgholt in Viby J
Viby J
Viby is a district in the southwestern part of Aarhus with almost 30,000 inhabitants. The "J" stands for Jutland, as there is another town called Viby on the island of Zealand called Viby Sj. It is primarily a working class area, including many immigrants who also live in Viby J...
, and dropped out of studies to work full time with social treatment. At an internal course he became acquainted with U.S. psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Walter Kempler
Walter Kempler
Like many of the early family therapy theorists, psychoanalytic training was also the starting point for Walter Kempler; he later became interested in existential issues and family therapy. He worked for a time with Fritz Perls, and there is much overlap in their orientations. Kempler calls his...
and they became friends, finally leading to him forming the Kempler Institute of Scandinavia in 1979 with Kempler as a director. A few years later Juul had to take over leadership of the institute and would hold this position until 2004.
In his first marriage 1971-1990 he has one son, Nicolai, and his second marriage in 1991 with Suzana, a woman from former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, has resulted in him working on a voluntary basis with refugees and war veterans in Bosnian
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n locations about three months a year, also providing leadership and organizational development for non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s.