Maria daVenza Tillmanns

Currently, I write whimsical, playful, yet serious philosophical stories for all ages. Conducted a project with UCSD bringing philosophy with children in underserved schools in San Diego. I was Philosopher-in-Residence at El Toyon Elementary (an underserved school in San Diego) and at La Jolla Country Day School (a private school). I also conduct philosophy for and with children programs for Teens. I taught at University of California, San Diego for ten years in the Teacher Education Program, Human Development Program, and Communication Department, as well as at UCSD Extension. I received my doctorate from the University of Illinois in1998. My dissertation is: Philosophical Counseling and Teaching: “Holding the Tension” in a Dualistic World, published by ProQuest. In Holland, I conducted a Philosophy for and with Children program at two International Schools in the Netherlands in the early 90’s. Ran Lahav and I co-edited “Essays on Philosophical Counseling,” published in 1995. I have publications in Dutch, British, and American Journals. From 1996-97, I was President of the American Society for Philosophy, Counseling and Psychotherapy (now the NPCA, National Philosophical Counseling Association). My husband and I conducted a bi-weekly Socratic Dialogue group from 2002 to 2007 for inmates at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) while he was employed as Prison Chaplain. In 2005, I was invited by Princess Irene of the Netherlands to discuss my work on Dialogue.