2026 Speaker Mark Yang, PsyD

Presenting: Expansion of the Existential Tribe into Southeast Asia: Lessons Learned from Decades of Community Building

One can argue that the polarization that is currently sweeping the globe is an unavoidable element of existence. It is human nature. At the same time, existentialists remind us that loneliness and isolation are indeed part of the human condition and necessary conditions for personal growth. Whether it’s polarization, isolation or loneliness, the antidote is community and human connection. The various pockets of the global existential tribe are spread out over the continents. As members of this tribe, let us come together to build community, create new connections, and take a stand against the polarization that is enveloping us all. Therefore, this presentation will highlight some of the struggles and triumphs of the Asian clan of the existential tribe in an effort to enrich and integrate the Asian clan into the global existential community.

Mark Yang, PsyD is an American licensed clinical psychologist and is actively involved in the training and supervision of psychology students from the Existential-Humanistic Perspective throughout Asia. Dr. Yang was an Adjunct Lecturer at Saybrook University and the Director of Clinical Training at the California School of Professional Psychology’s Hong Kong Campus. His professional interests include: Existential Psychology, Individual and Group Psychotherapy, Grief and Bereavement Counseling, Legal and Ethical Issues in Clinical Practice, and Cross-Cultural Psychology. Dr. Yang is the author of the book Lighting the Candle: Taoist Principles in Supervision Conducted from an Existential-Humanistic Perspective. He is also the editor of the book Existential Psychology and the Way of the Tao: Meditations on the Writings of Zhuangzi and the co-editor of the books Existential Psychology: East-West Volumes 1 & 2. Dr. Yang was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States when he was nine years old. He is also a dog and cat lover.

One wonders if the current polarization that is sweeping the globe is an unavoidable element of existence. At the same time, existentialists remind us that loneliness and isolation are indeed part of the human condition and necessary conditions for personal growth. Whether it’s polarization, isolation or loneliness, the antidote is community and human connection. The various pockets of the Global Existential Tribe are spread out over the continents. As members of this tribe, let us come together to build community, create new connections, and take a stand against the polarization that is enveloping us all.