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Philosophical Counselling A philosophical counselling helps you to lead your life and resolves your problems according to your own ideals and beliefs. Philosophical counseling is a rapidly growing new field of practice that has its roots in antiquity. It consists of a trained philosopher helping a person to think things through when; for example, values seem to conflict, when reasoning about a problem becomes trapped in a circle, or when life seems unexpectedly meaningless. One of the ways that Socratic exchange can be used, enables you to think through these difficult issues to articulate, clarify and develop your ideas, offering gentle, unobscure support, it does not seek to persuade you of the validity of any point of view or any set of values, but rather encourages you to think more clearly and deeply about your own beliefs, values and attitudes and to situate your views in a wider context of alternative views. PC is private, effective, and transformative, helping relationships with a highly qualified professional philosopher can be forged through the medium of email or any other which suits you. What a philosophical counselling is not? It is not a form of psychotherapy and does not reduce existential quandary to psychological abnormality. It never assumes that clients are neurotic or sick. Nor does it seek to effect a cure. Human problems are not invariably psychological. They may result from a lack of clarity. And this dynamic interaction promotes clear thinking about fundamental issues.It does not, however, address conditions of clinical depression, delusional tendencies that should be handled by professional psychiatrist. PC is not concerned with past traumas or childhood wounds. It concerns itself with the client’s present problems and assumptions and values. Philosophical Counselling is an approach to counselling that uses philosophical insihts and techniques to help you improve your life. Ultimately it can help you improve you lead what Socrates called "the examined life." What are the benefits? Philosophical counselling is not based on a " medical model " whereby a guaranteed " cure" is found for a diagnosed problem. Therefore, no promises of instant relief from symptoms can be made. However, philosophical counselling will give you the opportunity to work towards: -
Philosophical counselling can help with many problems that are not primarily medical, such as
Philosophical Counselling can even help with anxiety and depression, in cases where the root of the problem is philosophical rather than psychological in nature. Of course, you may want to try philosophical counselling not to solve a particular problem but in order to lead a more " examined life " Let me give you a brief example Suppose that you came to me with a career dilemma- you are unsure whether to quit your well paid but mundane job to try some that appears more worthwhile. I might begin by helping you clarify your values with questions like " how would you like to be remembered " or" what would you like written on your grave stone"? We would then look at those values that were most important for you, and discuss how each potential career helps you achieve them. We would also think together about how other things you value might be affected by a move - for instance other people in your life. This might involve discussing the meaning and importance for you of such concepts as " success, " "happiness", "wealth" and possibly even "love". You would now be clear about what you would do in an ideal world. We would then move on to brainstorming solutions so as to achieve the best "win-win" solution in the world as it is. Even if there were no easy solution, you would have greater self-understanding and be better equipped to deal with future dilemmas Such a series of sessions might be concluded in a few weeks. Other, less specific problems, might of course take longer to resolve. In either case our series of dialogues will have allowed you the rare but important opportunity to reflect on deep issues in your life in a constructive manner with someone qualified to facilitate the process. TO
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