Philosophical Counselling - what's it all about?

Can philosophers help resolve the real problems that people have in their lives?

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PeteJ
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Re: Philosophical Counselling - what's it all about?

Post by PeteJ »

marjoram_blues wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2017 10:13 am Thanks for your thoughts, Walker.
Philosophical Counselling seems to be about trained academic philosophers helping individuals to think better; correct any bias and assumptions etc so that they can learn the art of living well. See my previous post.
It is about listening to the individual and perhaps using knowledge of various philosophical theories and methods to introduce a philosophy, appropriate and suiting.
Your examples and language do not reflect any deep or careful thinking.
Seems correct to me. I'm baffled by the response you received.
Advocate
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Re: Philosophical Counselling - what's it all about?

Post by Advocate »

>Then, use of appropriate philosophical methodology to examine bias and assumptions in individual's worldview. Listen, discuss and change any troublesome and complex life issues - usually existential or ethical dilemmas.

See, that's a problem right there. I'll bypass "who gets to decide" and simply say, there's no meaningful way currently available to determine what's appropriate, or to draw the line between psychology and philosophical counselling. Also it sounds like you're keeping it to the realm of epistemology, which is a prerequisite for good thinking at any level but not particularly the core of counseling, which must be bespoke, while truth is universal. I feel that you cobbled together your definition from spare parts, as most do.

>For that - you need a philosophy degree and post-graduate courses in philosophical counselling.

No, no, no, no, no, no, and no. Academic credentials prove compliance, indicate knowledge, and say nothing about understanding. Someone who knows the individual intimately and knows nothing about philosophy will be a better philosophy counselor by accident than someone who knows philosophy intimately but not psychology or the individual. Moreover, academic philosophy tools students' heads with a lot of confusion and not a lot of answers, and rarely crosses into the reason of counseling. More importantly, academic credentials don't confer the power to decide who will be a good philosophy counselor At All.

>Some overlap with psychology and cognitive therapies, without labelling or medication. And that's about it: correcting faulty thinking and encouraging individuals to take up the tools to think for themselves.

This sounds like the sort of thing any conscientious person could do.

I bristle at academics particularly because i'm a Philosophy Coach and have none of them, and nothing i leaned in any of the classes i have had Or online lectures about philosophical counseling have been of any use at all. It's a new field and academics are probably more of an interference than a help. It's a tremendous tragedy that people belief credentials prove expertise, especially in subjects that shouldn't ever be considered academic.
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Re: Philosophical Counselling - what's it all about?

Post by Advocate »

[quote=Walker post_id=298429 time=1485958723 user_id=11599]
[quote="marjoram_blues"][quote="Walker"]Stated at the risk of sparking exodus to other countries, philosophical counseling is to apply general principles to specific situations of life, as advice.

- Example: the principle of self-reliance would be applied by building a cabin in the woods by Walden Pond and go to Ma’s on Sunday for dinner and pie.

- Example: the principle of Stoicism would be applied as abstinence from whining and bitching.

- Example: the principle of community activism would be applied as whining, corporate shakedowns with threatened lawsuits and bad publicity, and race baiting.

- Example: the principle of I’m right and you’re wrong if you disagree with me, would be applied as non-cooperation with election results and subverting the honest efforts of the new POTUS administration, honest efforts to fulfill the promises that got him elected by the voice of the very people who he has sincerely promised from the heart, to never let down.[/quote]

Thanks for your thoughts, Walker.
Philosophical Counselling seems to be about trained academic philosophers helping individuals to think better; correct any bias and assumptions etc so that they can learn the art of living well. See my previous post.
It is about listening to the individual and perhaps using knowledge of various philosophical theories and methods to introduce a philosophy, appropriate and suiting.
Your examples and language do not reflect any deep or careful thinking.[/quote]
The thanks is all on this side of table, for revealing your purpose.

Comparing your conclusion to your thought process of borrowing unaccredited opinions while eschewing any originality of relevance, serves to frame your lack of comprehension of what you yourself wrote, into the proper perspective when observing your displayed method for seeking benefit in action, and for seeking loss.

May your day be interesting.
[/quote]

"Borrowing uncredited opinions" is only considered to be a negative in academics where the source matters. Everywhere else it's called "effective thinking". Originality isn't any part of the purpose of counseling.

..or of philosophy for that matter.
Advocate
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Re: Philosophical Counselling - what's it all about?

Post by Advocate »

>A person who is not religious might have a problem with this:

>What´s the point of having children and trying to make the earth a better place to live ?

Meaning it's an advanced stage, emergent property of the simplistic about/approach mechanism that all living beings possess. In plants we call it biochemistry. In animals we call it feelings/sentience. In persons it's purpose, intent, meaning. There is no point of having children on a level other than your own custom chosen meaning of life. Perpetuating the species isn't meaningful to the species: the species has no mind and doesn't care. Having children isn't a moral imperative because perpetuating the species isn't a moral imperative. As for making things better, it's s universal need for thinking persons to remake the world in their image and success is having a bespoke life.

>Humanity will not survive anyway, finally the sun will stop shining and all life on earth will stop.

Yeah, but I'm the meantime...

>Going to Mars or to some other planet to settle there is a joke.

I concur. Elon is way off base. There is no Planet B. We cannot even procreate in space.

>Such a person might need some philosophical arguments from a philosophical counseller.

No religion required. There are no cheat codes in the universe and any counselor who uses woo in any form is lying to their patients and should be sued out of existence for malpractice and fraud.
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Re: Philosophical Counselling - what's it all about?

Post by Advocate »

[quote=Walker post_id=298458 time=1485974799 user_id=11599]
[quote="marjoram_blues"][quote="Walker"]
The thanks is all on this side of table, for revealing your purpose.

Comparing your conclusion to your thought process of borrowing unaccredited opinions while eschewing any originality of relevance, serves to frame your lack of comprehension of what you yourself wrote, into the proper perspective when observing your displayed method for seeking benefit in action, and for seeking loss.

May your day be interesting.[/quote]

Sorry. I have had a bad day and I now feel like deleting whole thread. No longer of any interest. I will edit the OP and delete named posters contributions from other thread.[/quote]
Well, bad days can be interesting too, that is unless you’re blindly locked into a perspective of seeking loss, or fixated on making lemons out of sweet lemonade, or in the habit of defining situations as problems, or other low energy states of consciousness.
[/quote]

I think the problem is that threads about serious topics never (rarely) remain serious, and most philosophers don't think final answers are possible so they nay-say into the sunset.
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Re: Philosophical Counselling - what's it all about?

Post by Advocate »

[quote=Belinda post_id=339318 time=1510530189 user_id=12709]
[quote=Aaliyah post_id=338378 time=1509967888 user_id=15348]
Hi i am new to the board. I was wondering what philosophers would philosophical counseling use to address the issue of depression due to a wife's death?
[/quote]
I am sorry for your loss.

It is natural and right that you feel sad. You need to grieve. Grieving is not to be confused with depression, and I just wondered if you know that.
[/quote]

Stoicism is good for relieving the bad, but not for building forward momentum.
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