Finding Inspiration From the Philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty for the Practice of Psychiatric-mental Health Nursing

The philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, a unique blend of existentialism and phenomenology, deserves to be better known in psychiatric-mental health nursing. This philosophy is particularly pertinent to the contemporary recovery movement that seeks to dispel the therapeutic nihilism regarding conditions such as schizophrenia, borderline personality, and substance use disorders. This paper provides an overview of Merleau-Ponty's life and work, with emphasis on selected elements of his philosophy that are inspirational for the clinical practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing.