Philosophical Counseling

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Philosophical Counseling

What is Philosophical Counseling

In Philosophical Counseling a client speaks with a trained philosopher to gain insight about some life issue, such as career, relationships, an important decision, etc.

Philosophical Counseling versus Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is based on the medical model, but philosophical counseling is not. The following table summarizes the differences between the two approaches relative to this issue.

Psychotherapy	Philosophical Counseling
Client is a patient	Client is a peer
Both patient and therapist "type-cast" the other (I-it relationships)	"I-Thou" relationship
Client is sick	Client is normal
Therapist 'fixes' patient	Client responsible for their life
Problem must be removed	Change client's relationship to problem

With psychotherapy the therapist tends to see the client as sick, and the client tends to see the therapist as a healer. Both perspectives are artificial and interfere with genuine dialogue.

Many people today pay for psychotherapy through their health insurance benefits. Insurance companies require that people have a diagnosis for this. Very often a meaningless diagnosis (e.g., "adjustment reaction") is used to meet this requirement. Diagnosis and the involvement of health insurance reinforce the inappropriate application of the medical model.

Philosophical counseling is handled on a more straightforward "fee for service" basis. No third-party payment is involved. (Ideally it would be free, but, in theory, philosophical counseling for payment is still a better model than psychotherapy for payment.)

Whereas with insurance-reimbursed psychotherapy there is an incentive for the patient to prolong therapy, with philosophical counseling the client has an incentive to seek fewer, more focused and efficacious sessions.

How is Philosophical Counseling Conducted

A philosophical counselor attempts to create an atmosphere of dialogue between himself/herself and the client. The ideal is to function within an "I-Thou" relationship, in which each person recognizes the other as a person of depth, intelligence, and worth.

This relationship benefits the client, who may rise to the occasion--and bring their better qualities to focus on the problem.

Many philosophical counselors adopt some form of Socratic dialogue. In its simplest form, Socratic dialogue involves constantly asking questions that require to client to clarify and refine their thinking about a certain topic. A trained philosopher is skilled in using this technique to identify areas in the client's thinking that may be illogical, inconsistent or unclear.

"The only change agency which produces lasting results is a change in a person's perception of her/his self and world."

- James Bugental

With traditional psychotherapy, clients come asking questions like "What is wrong with me? and "What about me must I 'fix' to make my life right?" This is not a productive view. It sets the stage for a prolonged and perhaps disappointing course of therapy.

Philosophical counseling encourages clients to ask instead questions like "By adopting a philosophical mindset to my problems, can I discover new possibilities, perspectives, and options?"

For More Information

For more information about philosophical counseling, please visit the websites listed on the links page.