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Professor Darren Langdridge

Profile summary

Professional biography

I am Professor of Psychology at the Open University and a UKCP accedited existential psychotherapist. I was Head of Department from 2011 - 2014.

Research interests

  • Men and masculinities
  • Psychology of health and well-being
  • Phenomenological methodology
  • Existential psychotherapy and mental health
  • The use of art as a means of engaging publics

I have completed qualitative (phenomenological) research on a wide variety of topics including the construction of diverse sexual identities, young gay men’s expectations of fatherhood, sharing of genetic origins information following third-party assisted conception, the motivation for parenthood, and also on HIV/AIDS. More recently, I have been focusing my research on two themes: (i) the experience of male survivors of sexual assault, and (ii) anti-microbial stewardship.

I also have interests in psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic theory and research and am a UKCP accredited existential psychotherapist maintaining a small private practice. This enables me to bring together my theoretical work on existentialism, phenomenology and hermeneutics with people practically engaged in constructing and reconstructing their identities.

I am particularly interested in supervising doctoral students wishing to conduct research on men and masculinities and who wish to employ phenomenological methodologies or critical discursive methods in their work.

I founded and was co-editor of the Taylor & Francis journal Psychology & Sexuality until 2017, when we handed over the editorial responsibilities.

A repository of research publications and other research outputs can be viewed at The Open University's Open Research Online.

Teaching interests

I have been a leading figure in the production of the counselling programme at the OU, opening up a new teaching area for the institution. I have made production and presentation contributions to a very large number of modules in psychology and counselling.

Impact and engagement

I have interests in engaging publics with academic research. To this end, I have acted as academic consultant on the OU/BBC television co-production Prejudice and Pride and co-lead the Art of Relationships project, which was designed to engage the public with social scientific research.

External collaborations

I maintain a small private psychotherapy and consulting practice under the company name Existenz.

Research groups

NameTypeParent Unit
Centre for Citizenship, Identifies and Governance (CCIG)CentreFaculty of Social Sciences
Social Psychology Research GroupGroupFaculty of Social Sciences

Publications

Male survivors’ experience of sexual assault and support: A scoping review (2023-04-04)
Langdridge, Darren; Flowers, Paul and Carney, Dan
Aggression and Violent Behavior, 70, Article 101838


Lay Theories of Decreasing Homophobia in the UK among an Older Heterosexual Cohort (2023)
Langdridge, Darren; Lynden, Jenny and Dennis, Amelia
Psychology and Sexuality ((Early Access))


Citizenship studies: on the need for tradition and critique (2022-06)
Langdridge, Darren
Citizenship Studies, 26(4-5) (pp. 550-555)


A qualitative examination of affect and ideology within mass media interventions to increase HIV testing with gay men garnered from a systematic review (2021-01-17)
Langdridge, Darren; Flowers, Paul; Riddell, Julie; Boydell, Nicola; Teal, Gemma; Coia, Nicky and McDaid, Lisa
British Journal of Health Psychology, 26(1) (pp. 132-160)


[Book review] Stephanie N. Arel and Dan R. Stiver, eds. Ideology and Utopia in the Twenty-First Century: The Surplus of Meaning in Ricoeur's Dialectical Concept (2021-01)
Langdridge, Darren
Utopian Studies, 32(1) (p 132)


Working with group-level data in phenomenological research: a modified visual matrix method (2021)
Langdridge, Darren; Gabb, Jacqui and Lawson, Jamie
Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(2) (pp. 271-293)


History, culture and practice of puppy play (2020-06-01)
Lawson, Jamie and Langdridge, Darren
Sexualities, 23(4) (pp. 574-591)


Art as a pathway to impact: Understanding the affective experience of public engagement with film (2019-05-01)
Langdridge, Darren; Gabb, Jacqui and Lawson, Jamie
The Sociological Review, 67(3) (pp. 585-601)


Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (2019-02-18)
Dickson, A.; Smith, M.; Park, J.; King, C.; Currie, K.; Langdridge, D.; Davis, M. and Flowers, P.
Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine (RHPB), 7(1) (pp. 45-61)


A visual affective analysis of mass media interventions to increase antimicrobial stewardship amongst the public (2019-02)
Langdridge, Darren; Davis, Mark; Gozdzielewska, Lucyna; McParland, Joanna; Williams, Lynn; Young, Mairi; Smith, Fraser; MacDonald, Jennifer; Price, Lesley and Flowers, Paul
British Journal of Health Psychology, 24(1) (pp. 66-87)


LGBQ resilience: a thematic meta-synthesis of qualitative research (2019)
Bartos, Sebastian E. and Langdridge, Darren
Psychology & Sexuality, 10(3) (pp. 234-247)


The psychology of puppy play: a phenomenological investigation (2019)
Langdridge, Darren and Lawson, Jamie
Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(7) (pp. 2201-2215)


What are the ‘active ingredients’ of interventions targeting the public's engagement with antimicrobial resistance and how might they work? (2018-11)
McParland, Joanna L.; Williams, Lynn; Gozdzielewska, Lucyna; Young, Mairi; Smith, Fraser; MacDonald, Jennifer; Langdridge, Darren; Davis, Mark; Price, Lesley and Flowers, Paul
British Journal of Health Psychology, 23(4) (pp. 804-819)


A Mobile App Delivering a Gamified Battery of Cognitive Tests Designed for Repeated Play (OU Brainwave): App Design and Cohort Study (2018-10-30)
Thirkettle, Martin; Lewis, Jen; Langdridge, Darren and Pike, Graham
JMIR Serious Games, 6, Article e10519(4)


Effectiveness of interventions to improve the public’s antimicrobial resistance awareness and behaviours associated with prudent use of antimicrobials: a systematic review (2018-06-01)
Price, Lesley; Gozdzielewska, Lucyna; Young, Mairi; Smith, Fraser; MacDonald, Jennifer and ,
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 73(6) (pp. 1464-1478)


BDSM under Security: Radical Resistance via Contingent Subjectivities (2018)
Parchev, Ofer and Langdridge, Darren
Sexualities, 21(1-2) (pp. 194-211)


Transgression and (Sexual) Citizenship: The Political Struggle for Self-determination within BDSM Communities (2018)
Langdridge, Darren and Parchev, Ofer
Citizenship Studies, 22(7) (pp. 667-684)


Editorial from the outgoing editors of psychology & sexuality (2017-04-03)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg-John
Psychology & Sexuality, 8(1-2) (pp. 1-3)


Recovery From Heart Attack, Biomedicalization, and the Production of a Contingent Health Citizenship (2017)
Langdridge, Darren
Qualitative Health Research, 27(9) (pp. 1391-1401)


Actively dividing selves: S/M and the thrill of disintegration (2014)
Langdridge, Darren
Psychology of Sexualities Review, 5(1) (pp. 29-39)


Gay fathers, gay citizenship: on the power of reproductive futurism and assimilation (2013-11-09)
Langdridge, Darren
Citizenship Studies, 17(6-7) (pp. 728-741)


On the biomedicalisation of the penis: the commodification of function and aesthetics (2013-09)
Flowers, Paul; Langdridge, Darren; Gough, Brendan and Holliday, Ruth
International Journal of Men's Health, 12(2) (pp. 121-137)


Men's grief, meaning and growth: a phenomenological investigation into the meaning of loss (2012)
Spaten, Ole Michael; Byrialsen, Mia Nørremark and Langdridge, Darren
Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, 11(2) (15pp)


Decision-making in mental healthcare: a phenomenological investigation of service user perspectives (2012)
Wharne, Simon; Langdridge, Darren and Motzkau, Johanna
The Humanistic Psychologist, 40(2) (pp. 153-165)


Becoming a subject: a memory work study of the experience of romantic jealousy (2012)
Langdridge, Darren; Barker, Meg; Reavey, Paula and Stenner, Paul
Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 13, Article 5(2)


Living with the 'Enemy': HIV and Inter-species Relating (2012)
Langdridge, Darren and Flowers, Paul
Sociology, 47(4) (pp. 827-840)


Family building in donor conception: parents' experiences of sharing information (2010)
Blyth, Eric; Langdridge, Darren and Harris, Rhonda
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 28(2) (pp. 116-127)


Whatever happened to non-monogamies? Critical reflections on recent research and theory (2010)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
Sexualities, 13(6) (pp. 748-772)


II. Bisexuality: working with a silenced sexuality (2008)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
Feminism & Psychology, 18(3) (pp. 389-394)


Phenomenology and critical social psychology: directions and debates in theory and research (2008)
Langdridge, Darren
Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(3) (pp. 1126-1142)


‘Can’t really trust that, so what can I trust?’: a polyvocal, qualitative analysis of the psychology of mistrust (2008)
King, Nigel; Finlay, Linda; Smith, Jonathan A; Ashworth, Peter; Langdridge, Darren and Butt, Trevor
Qualitative Research in Psychology, 5(2) (pp. 80-102)


Offending the other: deconstructing narratives of deviance and pathology (2007-09)
Flowers, Paul and Langdridge, Darren
British Journal of Social Psychology, 46(3) (pp. 679-690)


Gay affirmative therapy: A theoretical framework and defence (2007-06)
Langdridge, D
Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy, 11(1/2) (pp. 27-43)


Analyzing additional variables in the theory of reasoned action (2007)
Langdridge, D.; Sheeran, P. and Connolly, K. J.
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37(8) (pp. 1884-1913)


Ideology and Utopia: Social Psychology and the Social Imaginary of Paul Ricoeur (2006-10)
Langdridge, Darren
Theory and Psychology, 16(5) (pp. 641-659)


Voices from the margins: Sadomasochism and sexual citizenship (2006-09)
Langdridge, Darren
Citizenship Studies, 10(4) (pp. 373-389)


Solution Focused Therapy: A Way Forward for Brief Existential Therapy? (2006-07)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 17(2) (pp. 359-370)


Editorial: Special feature on same sex marriage (2006-07)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, 7(2) (pp. 115-119)


Imaginative variations on selfhood: Elaborating an existential-phenomenological approach to dream analysis (2006-01)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 17(1) (pp. 2-13)


Actively dividing selves: S/M and the thrill of disintegration (2005-11)
Langdridge, Darren
Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, 6(3) (pp. 198-208)


Between ideology and utopia: Re-thinking conflict and reconciliation in psychotherapy (2005-07)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 16(2) (pp. 221-235)


Understanding the reasons for parenthood (2005-05)
Langdridge, D.; Sheeran, P. and Connolly, K.
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 23(2) (pp. 121-133)


The erotic construction of power exchange (2005-01)
Langdridge, Darren and Butt, Trevor
Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 18(1) (pp. 65-73)


The Child's Relations with Others (2005-01)
Langdridge, D.
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 16(1) (pp. 87-99)


The fundamental attribution error: a phenomenological critique (2004-09)
Langdridge, Darren and Butt, Trevor
British Journal of Social Psychology, 43(3) (pp. 357-369)


The hermeneutic phenomenology of Paul Ricoeur: Problems and possibilities for existential-phenomenological psychotherapy (2004-07)
Langdridge, Darren
Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 15(2) (pp. 243-255)


A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Investigation of the Construction of Sadomasochistic Identities (2004-02)
Langdridge, D. and Butt, T.
Sexualities, 7(1) (pp. 31-53)


The construction of self: The public reach into the private sphere (2003-10)
Butt, Trevor and Langdridge, Darren
Sociology, 37(3) (pp. 477-494)


Hermeneutic phenomenology: arguments for a new social psychology (2003)
Langdridge, Darren
History and Philosophy of Psychology, 5(1) (pp. 23-46)


Regulation of assisted conception services in Europe: Implications of the new reproductive technologies for 'the family' (2001-02)
Langdridge, D. and Blyth, E.
Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 23(1) (pp. 45-64)


Sexual Citizenship and Social Change: A Dialectical Approach to Narratives of Tradition and Critique (2024)
Langdridge, Darren
ISBN : 9780199926312 | Publisher : Oxford University Press (In Press) | Published : New York


Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy (2012-11)
Langdridge, Darren
ISBN : 9781849207683 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London


Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis in Psychology, 2nd Edition (2009)
Langdridge, Darren and Hagger-Johnson, Gareth
ISBN : 131982036 | Publisher : Pearson Education | Published : Harlow


Phenomenological Psychology: Theory, Research and Method (2007-01)
Langdridge, Darren
ISBN : 131965239 | Publisher : Pearson Education | Published : Harlow, UK


Beyond Prejudice as Antipathy: Understanding kinder, gentler forms of discrimination (2021-08-30)
Dixon, John and Langdridge, Darren
In: Tileagă, Cristian; Augoustinos, Martha and Durrheim, Kevin eds. The Routledge International Handbook of Discrimination, Prejudice and Stereotyping (pp. 213-230)
ISBN : 9780429274558 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London


Working with group-level data in phenomenological research: A modified visual matrix method (2021)
Langdridge, Darren; Gabb, Jacqui and Lawson, Jamie
In: Reavey, Paula ed. A Handbook of Visual Methods in Psychology: Using and Interpreting Images in Qualitative Research (Second Edition) (pp. 301-322)
ISBN : 9781138491793 | Publisher : Routledge


Existential dream analysis (2018-10-23)
Langdridge, Darren
In: du Plock, Simon ed. Case Studies in Existential Therapy: translating theory into practice (pp. 56-70)
ISBN : 9781910919286 | Publisher : PCCS Books | Published : Monmouth


Benevolent Heterosexism and the “Less-than-Queer” Citizen Subject (2018-04)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Hammack Jr., Phillip L. ed. The Oxford Handbook of Social Psychology and Social Justice. Oxford Library of Psychology (pp. 205-219)
ISBN : 9780199938735 | Publisher : Oxford University Press


Phenomenology (2017-04-12)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Gough, Brendan ed. The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology (pp. 165-183)
ISBN : 978-1-137-51017-4 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan UK


Gay affirmative therapy: recognizing the power of the social world (2014)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Milton, Martin ed. Sexuality: Existential Perspectives (pp. 160-173)
ISBN : 978-1-906254-70-4 | Publisher : PCCS Books | Published : Ross on Wye


Sexuality and embodiment in relationships (2013-11-22)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
In: Iacovou, Susan and Van Deurzen, Emmy eds. Existential Perspectives on Relationship Therapy (pp. 54-67)
ISBN : 978-0-230-36209-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Houndmills


Relationship therapy with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans clients. (2013-11)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg
In: Iacovou, Susan and Van Deurzen, Emmy eds. Existential Perspectives on Relationship Therapy. (pp. 148-160)
ISBN : 978-0-230-36209-3 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Houndmills


Sadism/masochism (2013)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Teo, Thomas ed. Encyclopedia of critical psychology (pp. 1687-1690)
ISBN : 978-1-4614-5582-0 | Publisher : Springer | Published : New York


Introduction (2010-04)
Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 1-17)
ISBN : 978-1849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London


Conclusions (2010-04)
Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 327-343)
ISBN : 978-1849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London


The therapeutic relationship (2010-04)
Cooper, Mick; Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 259-279)
ISBN : 978-1849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London


Situating non-monogamies: introduction (2010)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Non-Monogamies (pp. 3-8)
ISBN : 978-0-415-80055-6 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon


Existential psychotherapy (2010)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds. Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp. 125-143)
Publisher : Sage/The Open University | Published : London, UK


Relating through difference: a critical narrative analysis (2009-09)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Finlay, Linda and Evans, Ken eds. Relational Centred Research for Psychotherapists: Exploring Meanings and Experience (pp. 213-226)
ISBN : 9780470997765 | Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell | Published : Chichester, UK


Silencing accounts of silenced sexualities (2009)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren
In: Ryan-Flood, Róisín and Gill, Rosalind eds. Secrecy and Silence in the Research Process: Feminist Reflections. Transformations
ISBN : 978-0-415-33284-2 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon, UK


Are you angry or are you heterosexual? A queer critique of lesbian and gay models of identity development (2008)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Moon, Lyndsey ed. Feeling Queer or Queer Feelings: Radical Approaches to Counselling Sex, Sexualities and Genders. (pp. 36-56)
ISBN : 978-0-415-38520-6 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London


Situating sadomasochism (2007)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg
In: Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg eds. Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary Perspectives on Sadomasochism (pp. 3-9)
ISBN : 9780230517745 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke, UK


Speaking the unspeakable: S/M and the eroticisation of pain (2007)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg eds. Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary Perspectives on Sadomasochism (pp. 85-97)
ISBN : 9780230517745 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke


The time of the sadomasochist: Hunting with(in) the ‘tribus’ (2006-11)
Langdridge, Darren
In: Seidman, S.; Fischer, N. and Meeks, C. eds. Introducing the New Sexuality Studies (pp. 280-287)
ISBN : 415399009 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London


Understanding Counselling and Psychotherapy (2010-03)
Barker, Meg; Vossler, Andreas and Langdridge, Darren eds.
ISBN : 9781849204767 | Publisher : Sage | Published : London, UK


Understanding Non-Monogamies (2010)
Barker, Meg and Langdridge, Darren eds.
Routledge Research in Gender and Society
ISBN : 978-0-415-80055-6 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon


Safe, sane and consensual: Contemporary perspectives on sadomasochism (2007)
Langdridge, Darren and Barker, Meg eds.
ISBN : 9780230517745 | Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan | Published : Basingstoke


A phenomenological analysis of consumers' perceptions of the consumption process in a virtual world (2011-07-27)
Tran, Minh; Minocha, Shailey; Roberts, Dave; Laing, Angus and Langdridge, Darren
In : 30th International Human Science Research Conference: Intertwining body-self-world (27-30 Jul 2011, St. Catherine's College, Oxford)


Investigating affordances of virtual worlds for real world B2C e-commerce (2011-07)
Tran, Minh; Minocha, Shailey; Roberts, Dave; Laing, Angus and Langdridge, Darren
In : 25th BCS Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (4 Jul 2011, Newcastle Upon Tyne)


Work-based learning interventions for antimicrobial stewardship: a systematic review (2023)
Langdridge, Darren; McMullan, Rachel; Virhia, Jennika; Banks, Duncan; Charitonos, Koula; Giri, Santoshi; Olupot-Olupot, Peter and Vaidya, Abhinav
PROSPERO, CRD42023447115


Phenomenological Psychology (2018-04-26)
Langdridge, Darren
Oxford Bibliographies, Oxford University Press