Lionel Corbett

1943-2025

Dr. Lionel Corbett, 81, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 20, 2025, surrounded by his family in Santa Barbara, California.

Born and raised in Manchester, United Kingdom, Lionel trained in medicine and psychiatry at the University of Manchester. After his training, he served as a decorated medic in the British Military. He later moved to the United States, where he became the head of psychiatry at Rush University Hospital in Chicago and trained at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago.

For over 2 decades, Dr. Corbett served as a distinguished professor of depth psychology on the faculty of Pacifica Graduate Institute. His primary professional interests included the religious function of the psyche, the development of psychotherapy as a spiritual practice, and the interface of Jungian psychology with contemporary psychoanalytic thought. A prolific writer, Lionel’s legacy will forever be captured in his numerous influential books, including The Sacred Cauldron: Psychotherapy as a Spiritual Practice, The Soul and Anguish: Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Suffering, Psyche and the Sacred, and The Religious Function of the Psyche. He also co-edited several volumes, such as Young and Aging, Depth Psychology, Meditations in the Field, and Psychology at the Threshold.

An outstanding academic, doctor, and mentor, Lionel was also a devoted husband and father. His greatest passions were writing, lecturing to audiences around the world, brewing the perfect cup of loose-leaf tea, and playing chess. He will be remembered by all who knew him as a gentle, compassionate soul with a wonderfully dry sense of humor.

Lionel is survived by his wife of 35 years, Cathy; his children Zachary Corbett, Ashley Nancarrow, and Gabriel Rives-Corbett; and his two grandchildren, Laura and Rye. His memory will also be cherished by his siblings, Barry Corbett and Anne Hedwatt, as well as a wide circle of beloved family, friends, and treasured students on both sides of the Atlantic who mourn his loss.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests considering a donation to a charity of your choice in Lionel’s name.

A private, family memorial will be held at sea. There will also be a public memorial at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Barrett Hall, 801 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara CA 93108 on October 26, 2025, from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Please RSVP to attend the memorial by email at rememberlionel@mail.com

“The highest Truth cannot be expressed. Whatever is said about It is at least partly nonsensical.” Avadhuta Gita