The Art of Wanting (self-guided)

re-kindling our capacity to live with passion and desire

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The Art of Wanting: online self-directed

'to be running breathlessly toward, but not yet arrived is itself delightful, a suspended moment of living hope...'

Anne Carson


with Emma Philbin Bowman

a comprehensive course on Teachable




The Art of Wanting offers a rare opportunity to engage with a theme that touches all of us deeply: how we may live in more authentic, healthy dialogue with our longings and desires.

Psychotherapist, Writer and Facilitator, Emma Philbin Bowman created this course in response to how easily we can neglect this crucial element in our lives.

Our Structure (scroll down for testimonials and curriculum)

The course is carefully designed to support your unique journey. After enrollment, over the course of nine weeks, the modules are released week-by-week, giving you time and space to dwell with each theme.

Each week consists of:

  • a fresh module on teachable organised in brief, digestible kernels
  • thematic guided meditations for a slower, more embodied process
  • 'Optional Deepening' section for a more comprehensive treatment of the theme
(If you sign up for this course, and later decide to participate in the live version, we reduce the fee by whatever you paid for this course. If you would like to do the course in private but with one-to-one support, psychotherapist Simon Courtney, with whom Emma developed this offering, offers one-off sessions at €80, or a series of 3-5 sessions at €60/session. Contact Simon directly to arrange: scourtne@tcd.ie)

Get started now!



Course Curriculum


  Optional Deepening
Available in days
days after you enroll

Testimonials from Previous Participants

“Brilliant, inspiring, warm, engaging...I loved the theme of the course. It met all my expectations and more. I love the style of Emma's facilitation, the quality of teamwork, videos and writings, the generosity of engagement.”

Ebru Nuhoglu Reilly, Participant, 2020


“ an excellent course...it far exceeded my expectations in terms of richness, content delivery and engagement...

Wayne, Participant, 2021


“The course felt like a container that held me and encouraged me to allow my wanting some space and attention. It felt so organic I hardly feel I've done a course at all but I mean that positively. It has felt effortless and yet I have a sense of being deeply supported to open to my deeper longings in such a gentle way.”

“What I liked particularly is that I didn't feel any pressure with regard to the material. The tone throughout from you Emma was one of gentle invitation, and the ways of exploring when we met...was warm and welcoming.”

“I noticed a few times how powerful it was that you and Simon had prepared for this course so deeply, going through the process yourselves. This brought such depth and integrity to our experience and learning.”

Lynda, UK, Participant, 2020


The live sessions are what made the big difference in terms of breathing life and vibrancy into the themes. I loved the group element and the noticing of similar and different themes and the way they all seemed to add to the richness of the theme - the “we” element was very powerful.”

Ciara O’Neill, 2020 & 2021


“Thank you, Emma and Simon, for the care for the group and the work taken in advance to identify and share with us such rich material on the topic. At what has been an extraordinary discombobulated time for everyone, the weekly course was an oasis of focus to explore something meaningful and precious. I know that the themes will percolate with me over a long period.”

Maria Fleming, Ireland, 2020


“nourishing, challenging, opening, exceeded expectations”

Chris, UK, 2020


“I was absolutely shocked by how rich the content was and the visceral support from Emma, Simon, and the group. I did not expect the content to land with me as deeply as it did and for the course to touch on so many different themes, some of which I had never even considered before. I was surprised by both the depth and the vastness of this course which was all held so gracefully in the container facilitated by Emma and Simon. They both created a very safe space to work intimately with the mind and heart. Overall, it was a truly eye-opening and extremely supportive experience.”

Emily, Newfoundland, 2020 & 2021


“My overall experience of the course was very positive. I was really struck by the group itself and the holding / facilitating of the group. The engagement and the authenticity of the group members allowed for me to experience my own depths around the topic. I felt the facilitation of the group by Emma and Simon was such that the group felt safe and boundaried, again allowing for deeper exploration. I wasn't really expecting this.

The word generous comes to mind whenever I think of the course and the facilitation of it. I feel that there was so much rich content delivered to us, and that the content was clearly very well researched and also it felt very considered by the facilitators."


Terri, Ireland, 2020


"Wonderful: Touching, poignant, powerful, sad, meaningful,

poetic, creative, connecting, nourishing..."

CD, Psychotherapist, Participant, 2019

Your Instructor


Emma Philbin Bowman
Emma Philbin Bowman

Emma works as a psychotherapist, writer, and group facilitator.

She holds a first class honours degree in Philosophy and English Literature from UCD, and trained at the Institute for Creative Counselling in Dunlaoghaire as an Integrative Psychotherapist. Her approach is informed by several intermingling influences: Buddhist, Advaita and spiritual traditions; a life-long passion for practices of integration and embodiment; a love of language, texture and complexity, informed by analytic writers such as Bollas, Eigen and Bromberg; and ongoing peer practice with courageous, brilliant and patient friends and colleagues.

In recent years, she has studied extensively in contemporary spiritual practices that emphasize integration and relationality, including Thomas Hubl, Stephen Busby and the Diamond Approach. She is particularly passionate about the emerging potential of We-Space work, and is committed to creating rich practice spaces of depth, emergence and growth.



Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
If you are taking the basic version of the course, you can enroll and work through the material commencing any time. For those of you choosing one of the supported/live modules, the course starts on October 5 2020
How long do I have access to the course material?
With a theme such as this, it is valuable to return to elements as they arise as 'loud' or significant in your life. Access is available to the course material for two years.
What is the difference between the 'basic' and 'live module' version of the course?
Essentially, the basic version allows you to work through each of the themes, and provides the full 'content' of the course. It is designed to be a rich and full experience for those who are used to inner exploration, have some self-discipline and/or appreciate privacy. The 'live module' version offers the benefit of a learning community and direct engagement with the teacher/facilitators. With a theme such as wanting, this can be extremely rich in terms both of insight and the less measurable heart-opening nourishment of feeling ourselves - in our uniqueness and our common humanity.
What if I need support?
The themes touched on here are deep. Please be gentle in your pacing, and trust that learning slowly, exploring slowly, at a rhythm that feels gentle, will be just as valuable. Many participants explore themes from the course with their own therapist; Simon Courtney, who co-facilitates the course is also available to arrange one-to-one sessions.