We do our best to avoid anxiety, and in so doing, risk missing out on the best of the depth and mystery of existence. We also risk compounding the very anxiety we hoped to avoid and becoming destructive as a result. This conversation with Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D., touches on a topic of great relevance to us as therapists, therapy clients, and human beings: Anxiety can be life-enhancing; how can we make it so?  Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D., is the author of the new book “Life-Enhancing Anxiety: Key to a Sane World.” He is a licensed psychologist and leading spokesperson for contemporary existential-humanistic psychology. Dr. Schneider is the current president of the Existential-Humanistic Institute (EHI), Council Member of the American Psychological Association (APA), past president (2015-2016) of the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32) of the APA, recent past editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2005-2012), and adjunct faculty member at Saybrook University and Teachers College, Columbia University. A Fellow of the APA, Dr. Schneider has published over 200 articles, interviews and chapters. His other books include The Spirituality of Awe, The Polarized Mind, The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology, Existential-Humanistic therapy, Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy, and the Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy. His work has been featured in Scientific American, the New York Times, Psychology Today and many other publications. See his website.