Nicholas Van Dam

Director of the Contemplative Studies Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia

Nicholas Van Dam is an associate professor at the School of Psychological Sciences and the inaugural director of the Contemplative Studies Centre, both at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Written by Nicholas Van Dam

Green spiky thistle plants with purple flowers against a blurred grey background.

In therapy or meditation, is it normal to feel worse at first?

A ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality might make sense when striving for change – but don’t confuse discomfort and distress

by Nicholas Van Dam

Photo of a lone mountaineer walking in misty snowy terrain with climbing gear and an ice axe, heading towards foggy peaks.

Meditation is like mountaineering: approach it with care

We speak of meditation as exercise, something that’s good for everyone. But, like scaling a mountain, you must use caution

by Nicholas Van Dam