diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0a6ef9ce..ce547036 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ root.render(
 );
 ```
 
-## ⚙️ The hook `useDirectus`
+## ⚙️ Hooks
+
+### `useDirectus`
 
 After adding the provider, you can access the configured client anywhere in the app, using the `useDirectus` hook:
 
@@ -93,6 +95,43 @@ export const TodoList = () => {
 };
 ```
 
+### `useDirectusAuth`
+
+The `useDirectusAuth` hook provides a few methods for working with the [Directus Authentication API](https://docs.directus.io/reference/old-sdk.html#authentication):
+
+- `login` - a function that accepts an email and password and returns a promise that resolves to the user object if the login is successful or rejects with an error otherwise
+- `logout` - a function that logs out the current user
+- `user` - the current user object
+- `authState` - the current authentication state, one of `loading` (the initial state), `logged-in` or `logged-out`
+
+```jsx
+import { useDirectusAuth } from 'react-directus';
+
+const Login = () => {
+  const { login } = useDirectusAuth();
+
+  const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
+    e.preventDefault();
+
+    const { email, password } = e.currentTarget.elements;
+    login(email.value, password.value).catch(err => {
+      console.error(err);
+    });
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
+      <input type='email' name='email' />
+      <input type='password' name='password' />
+      <button type='submit'>Login</button>
+    </form>
+  );
+};
+
+export default Login;
+
+```
+
 ## 🧩 Components (so far...)
 
 This package contains a few components for working with Direcuts [files](https://docs.directus.io/reference/files/). They are all configured for using the `apiUrl` specified in the provider. Hopefully, more will come in the future 🤗.
diff --git a/jest.config.json b/jest.config.json
index 84047850..26f2d16c 100644
--- a/jest.config.json
+++ b/jest.config.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   "testMatch": ["<rootDir>/src/**/*(*.)@(spec|test).[tj]s?(x)"],
   "moduleNameMapper": {
     "^@/(.*)$": "<rootDir>/src/$1",
-    "^@components/(.*)$": "<rootDir>/src/components/$1"
+    "^@components/(.*)$": "<rootDir>/src/components/$1",
+    "^@hooks/(.*)$": "<rootDir>/src/hooks/$1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/DirectusProvider.tsx b/src/DirectusProvider.tsx
index 92231cd8..a0384c87 100644
--- a/src/DirectusProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/DirectusProvider.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
 
-import { Directus, TypeMap } from '@directus/sdk';
 import {
+  AuthStates,
   DirectusAssetProps,
   DirectusContextType,
   DirectusContextTypeGeneric,
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import {
   DirectusProviderProps,
 } from '@/types';
 
+import { Directus, TypeMap, UserType } from '@directus/sdk';
+
 import { DirectusAsset } from '@components/DirectusAsset';
 import { DirectusImage } from '@components/DirectusImage';
 
@@ -22,12 +24,18 @@ export const DirectusContext = React.createContext<DirectusContextTypeGeneric<an
 export const DirectusProvider = <T extends TypeMap = TypeMap>({
   apiUrl,
   options,
+  autoLogin,
   children,
 }: DirectusProviderProps): JSX.Element => {
+  const [user, setUser] = React.useState<UserType | null>(null);
+  const [authState, setAuthState] = React.useState<AuthStates>('loading');
+
+  const directus = React.useMemo(() => new Directus<T>(apiUrl, options), [apiUrl, options]);
+
   const value = React.useMemo<DirectusContextType<T>>(
     () => ({
-      apiUrl: apiUrl,
-      directus: new Directus<T>(apiUrl, options),
+      apiUrl,
+      directus,
       DirectusAsset: ({ asset, render, ...props }: DirectusAssetProps) => {
         console.warn('Deprecated: Please import DirectusAsset directly from react-directus');
         return <DirectusAsset asset={asset} render={render} {...props} />;
@@ -36,10 +44,46 @@ export const DirectusProvider = <T extends TypeMap = TypeMap>({
         console.warn('Deprecated: Please import DirectusImage directly from react-directus');
         return <DirectusImage asset={asset} render={render} {...props} />;
       },
+      _directusUser: user,
+      _setDirecctusUser: setUser,
+      _authState: authState,
+      _setAuthState: setAuthState,
     }),
-    [apiUrl, options]
+    [apiUrl, directus, user, authState]
   );
 
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    const checkAuth = async () => {
+      let newAuthState: AuthStates = 'unauthenticated';
+      try {
+        await directus.auth.refresh();
+        const token = await directus.auth.token;
+
+        if (token) {
+          const dUser = (await directus.users.me.read({
+            // * is a valid field, but typescript doesn't like it
+            // It's a wildcard, so it will return all fields
+            // This is the only way to get all fields
+            // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+            fields: ['*'] as any,
+          })) as UserType;
+
+          if (dUser) {
+            newAuthState = 'authenticated';
+            setUser(dUser);
+          }
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.log('auth-error', error);
+      } finally {
+        setAuthState(newAuthState || 'unauthenticated');
+      }
+    };
+    if (autoLogin) {
+      checkAuth();
+    }
+  }, [directus, autoLogin]);
+
   return <DirectusContext.Provider value={value}>{children}</DirectusContext.Provider>;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/hooks/useDirectusAuth.tsx b/src/hooks/useDirectusAuth.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09b3a023
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useDirectusAuth.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+import { DirectusAuthHook } from '../types';
+import { DirectusContext } from '../DirectusProvider';
+import React from 'react';
+import { UserType } from '@directus/sdk';
+
+/**
+ * A hook to access the Directus authentication state and methods.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```tsx
+ * import { useDirectusAuth } from 'react-directus';
+ *
+ * const Login = () => {
+ *   const { login } = useDirectusAuth();
+ *
+ *   const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>) => {
+ *     e.preventDefault();
+ *
+ *     const { email, password } = e.currentTarget.elements;
+ *     login(email.value, password.value)
+ *       .catch((err) => {
+ *         console.error(err);
+ *       });
+ *   };
+ *
+ *   return (
+ *     <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
+ *      <input type="email" name="email" />
+ *       <input type="password" name="password" />
+ *       <button type="submit">Login</button>
+ *     </form>
+ *   );
+ * };
+ *
+ * export default Login;
+ * ```
+ */
+export const useDirectusAuth = (): DirectusAuthHook => {
+  const directusContext = React.useContext(DirectusContext);
+
+  if (!directusContext) {
+    throw new Error('useDirectusAuth has to be used within the DirectusProvider');
+  }
+
+  const {
+    directus,
+    _authState: authState,
+    _setAuthState: setAuthState,
+    _directusUser: directusUser,
+    _setDirecctusUser: setDirectusUser,
+  } = directusContext;
+
+  const login = React.useCallback<DirectusAuthHook['login']>(
+    async (email: string, password: string) => {
+      await directus.auth.login({
+        email,
+        password,
+      });
+
+      const dUser = (await directus.users.me.read({
+        fields: ['*'],
+      })) as UserType;
+
+      if (dUser) {
+        setDirectusUser(dUser);
+        setAuthState('authenticated');
+      } else {
+        setDirectusUser(null);
+        setAuthState('unauthenticated');
+      }
+    },
+    [directus]
+  );
+
+  const logout = React.useCallback<DirectusAuthHook['logout']>(async () => {
+    try {
+      await directus.auth.logout();
+    } finally {
+      setAuthState('unauthenticated');
+      setDirectusUser(null);
+    }
+  }, [directus]);
+
+  const value = React.useMemo<DirectusAuthHook>(
+    () => ({
+      user: directusUser,
+      authState,
+      login,
+      logout,
+    }),
+    [directus, directusUser, authState]
+  );
+
+  return value;
+};
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 00a88336..4fb01065 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 export { DirectusProvider, useDirectus } from '@/DirectusProvider';
 export { DirectusAsset } from '@components/DirectusAsset';
 export { DirectusImage } from '@components/DirectusImage';
+export { useDirectusAuth } from '@hooks/useDirectusAuth';
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index db2c382e..47bee383 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
-import { DirectusOptions, IDirectus, TypeMap } from '@directus/sdk';
+import { DirectusOptions, IDirectus, TypeMap, UserType } from '@directus/sdk';
 import { DirectusAsset } from '@components/DirectusAsset';
 import { DirectusImage } from '@components/DirectusImage';
 
@@ -61,9 +61,16 @@ export interface DirectusProviderProps {
   apiUrl: string;
   /** A set of options to pass to the Directus client. */
   options?: DirectusOptions;
+  /**
+   * If `true`, the provider will try to login the user automatically on mount.
+   * @default false
+   */
+  autoLogin?: boolean;
   children: React.ReactNode;
 }
 
+export type AuthStates = 'loading' | 'authenticated' | 'unauthenticated';
+
 /**
  * Shape of the main context.
  */
@@ -75,6 +82,55 @@ export interface DirectusContextType<T extends TypeMap> {
   DirectusAsset: typeof DirectusAsset;
   /** The context-aware `DirectusImage` component, with pre-filled props. */
   DirectusImage: typeof DirectusImage;
+  /**
+   * Please use the data provided by the `useDirectusAuth` hook instead.
+   * @default 'loading'
+   * @internal
+   */
+  _authState: AuthStates;
+  /**
+   * Please use the functions provided by the `useDirectusAuth` hook instead.
+   * @internal
+   */
+  _setAuthState: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<AuthStates>>;
+  /**
+   * Please use the data provided by the `useDirectusAuth` hook instead.
+   * @default null
+   * @internal
+   */
+  _directusUser: UserType | null;
+  /**
+   * Please use the functions provided by the `useDirectusAuth` hook instead.
+   * @internal
+   */
+  _setDirecctusUser: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<UserType | null>>;
 }
 
 export type DirectusContextTypeGeneric<T extends TypeMap> = DirectusContextType<T> | null;
+
+export interface DirectusAuthHook {
+  /**
+   * Login the user. If successful, the user will be stored in the context.
+   * Else, an error will be thrown.
+   * @param email - The user email.
+   * @param password - The user password.
+   * @throws {Error} - If the login fails.
+   */
+  login: (email: string, password: string) => Promise<void>;
+  /**
+   * Logout the user. If successful, the user will be removed from the context.
+   * Else, an error will be thrown.
+   * @throws {Error} - If the logout fails.
+   */
+  logout: () => Promise<void>;
+  /**
+   * Represents the current authentication state.
+   * @default 'loading'
+   */
+  authState: AuthStates;
+  /**
+   * The current authenticated user.
+   * @default null
+   */
+  user: UserType | null;
+}
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index c0a2bf0d..0702e4d8 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     "paths": {
       "@/*": ["*"],
       "@components/*": ["components/*"],
+      "@hooks/*": ["hooks/*"]
     }
   }
 }