Dr Lindsay de Wal – Humanist Leader in Existential & Secular Care (HEC)

EU-level standards, national frameworks, institutional reform.
I advise governments, health systems, and national organisations on developing standards for humanist and existential care. My work includes designing EU-level frameworks, embedding non-religious provision into public institutions, and supporting long-term structural reform grounded in evidence and equality.

Pluralist chaplaincy teams, ethical decision-making, governance.
I support leaders and multi-faith chaplaincy teams to navigate ethical complexity, organisational change, and cultural diversity. Through governance guidance, reflective practice models, and leadership development, I help teams build clarity, cohesion, and confidence in pluralist settings.

CPD systems, curriculum design, practitioner certification.
I design and deliver national CPD systems, postgraduate curricula, and practitioner certification pathways that professionalise non-religious pastoral care. My programmes strengthen standards, increase institutional recognition, and ensure sustainable workforce development.

Humanist Chaplaincy in Practice: A Student Textbook for Non-Religious Pastoral Care
By Lindsay de Wal
(Routledge, Spring 2026)

Humanist Chaplaincy in Practice is the first comprehensive international textbook dedicated to secular and humanist pastoral care. It establishes the theoretical foundations, professional standards, and applied practice models for supporting non-religious people within healthcare, education, justice, military, and community settings.

Drawing on doctoral research, national service leadership, and international collaboration, the book bridges scholarship and frontline experience. It offers ethical clarity, practical tools, and system-level insight for institutions navigating religious plurality and growing secular populations.

Written for students, practitioners, healthcare leaders, and policy-makers, this Routledge publication marks a defining step in the professionalisation of humanist and existential care.

🔗 View on Routledge

Dr Lindsay de Wal (also publishing as Lindsay van Dijk) is a leading international voice in humanist and existential care. She speaks on how public institutions can respond intelligently and ethically to growing secular populations; without losing depth, dignity, or professional standards.

A a former NHS Head of Service, and European Operational Director for Existential Care, Lindsay combines research authority with executive leadership experience. Her talks are known for intellectual clarity, practical insight, and grounded humanity.

If you are seeking a keynote speaker who can shape strategic thinking, as well as simply inspiring, Lindsay brings scholarship, system-level leadership and real-world reform experience to the stage.

Keynote Topics

Lindsay delivers high-impact keynotes and plenaries on:

• The Future of Secular Chaplaincy
• Existential Care in Pluralist Healthcare Systems
• Supporting Non-Religious People in Public Institutions
• Humanist Leadership in Spiritual & Pastoral Care
• Ethics, Governance & Inclusion in Multi-Faith Teams
• Professionalising Non-Religious Pastoral Care

Each talk blends research, case studies from NHS leadership, and European policy work; offering both intellectual depth and practical application.

Media Contributions

Lindsay has appeared on BBC television and radio, national press, podcasts, and international forums discussing humanism, healthcare ethics, secular identity, and institutional reform.

She is experienced in live broadcast settings and public debate, bringing composure, nuance, and clarity to complex cultural conversations.

Media enquiries welcome.

Conference & Institutional Engagement

Lindsay has delivered invited lectures and professional development across the UK and Europe for:

• Healthcare trusts and national health systems
• Universities and postgraduate programmes
• Chaplaincy and professional networks
• Policy and governance forums
• Humanist and ethical organisations

She is available for:

• Keynote addresses
• Conference plenaries
• Academic lectures
• Panel discussions
• Leadership workshops

Book Lindsay to Speak

If your organisation is exploring inclusion, ethics, secular care, or leadership in pluralist environments, Lindsay offers a keynote that challenges assumptions while equipping institutions with actionable insight.

🌍 Based in the UK | Available internationally

Speaker Bios

You may copy the below for conference brochures.

*50-Word Bio

Dr Lindsay de Wal is European Operational Director for Existential Care and former NHS Head of Spiritual & Pastoral Care. As author of Humanist Chaplaincy in Practice (Routledge, 2026), she is a leading authority on secular chaplaincy, ethical leadership, and inclusive existential care in healthcare and public institutions.

*150-Word Bio

Dr Lindsay de Wal (also publishing as Lindsay van Dijk) is an executive leader and international authority on humanist and existential care. She currently serves as European Operational Director for Existential Care, shaping professional standards and accreditation frameworks across countries.

Lindsay previously led Spiritual & Pastoral Care services within the NHS, becoming the first humanist to head a hospital chaplaincy department in the UK. Her work has expanded non-religious chaplaincy provision nationally and contributed to policy development in healthcare, education, and justice sectors.

She is the author of Humanist Chaplaincy in Practice (Routledge, 2026), the first global textbook dedicated to secular pastoral care. A frequent media contributor and international keynote speaker, she brings together scholarship, system-level leadership, and frontline experience to advance inclusive, person-centred care in pluralist societies.

Public institutions are navigating profound cultural change. As secular populations grow and traditional models evolve, the need for thoughtful, evidence-informed, and ethically grounded existential support has never been greater.

I work with governments, healthcare systems, universities, and professional networks to design frameworks that are inclusive, rigorous, and sustainable. Whether developing national standards, strengthening leadership teams, or delivering high-level keynote addresses, my focus is the same: building systems of care that reflect the realities of contemporary society while honouring human dignity.

If your institution is developing inclusive, high-quality support for non-religious communities; or rethinking how spiritual and existential care should function in a pluralist context, I would be pleased to collaborate.

Let’s shape the next chapter of this field together.