Philosophical Counselling - Existential Therapy
Welcome. My name is Matthew Bishop. I am a philosopher and counsellor, and I combine the two. This is called Philosophical Counselling.
Philosophical Counselling....
Philosophical Counselling helps with many of the issues you might otherwise take to mainstream therapy: anxiety and depression, anger or boredom, grief, loss and change, relationships and career, and so on. Philosophical Counselling also goes well beyond that, to the cultivation of greater meaning, value, and happiness, through the cultivation of your way of being. Philosophical Counselling is for people who seek a philosophical alternative to mainstream counselling and psychotherapy, and for people who recognise the value of classical philosophy as a guide for life.
Philosophy....
It was while teaching philosophy at The University of Melbourne that I decided to offer it to individuals in the form of counselling. I am rooted in classical philosophy, which is the tradition of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Classical philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. Wisdom involves seeing in more true and good ways, with respect to (1) how you view life as a whole, and (2) how you navigate daily, practical life. A virtue is any good quality you cultivate, such as courage, self-control, compassion, justice, hope, creativity, and so on. In short, classical philosophy helps you make life better by becoming more wise, strong, capable, skillful, and good.
Counselling and Psychotherapy....
When I decided to become a philosophical counsellor, I studied counselling so I could use that framework. This is what I mean when I say that I combine philosophy and counselling. Through that study, I discovered a passion also for mainstream psychotherapy. So, alongside my philosophical work, I developed a whole second career. I studied mainstream therapy to masters level, and worked part-time for a decade and a half in a wide variety of therapeutic roles. Today, that second career is over, and I work solely in Philosophical Counselling. Importantly, that mainstream background means that I possess the psychological insight of an experienced psychotherapist, and I utilise that as a rich background for my Philosophical Counselling.
Existential Therapy....
In 2012 I started a private practice in Philosophical Counselling and Existential Therapy. For the first decade I spent much time on the latter, existential approach, working through the rich tradition that is already on offer there. I developed knowledge and skill in the existential therapeutic approaches of Viktor Frankl, Emmy van Deurzen, Ernesto Spinelli, Bettie Cannon, and others. At its best, Existential Therapy a variation of Philosophical Counselling, which draws not on classical philosophy but on existential, hermeneutic, and phenomenological philosophy. So yes, I offer Existential Therapy, specifically as another form of Philosophical Counselling, which means it is an element within my wider approach.
Who is this for?
Philosophical counselling is for people from all walks of life. My ongoing clients include very succesful academics and well-known psychotherapists, as well as tradesmen and delivery drivers. I myself come from a very rural, working-class background, and discovered philosophy as a high-school drop-out, working in a factory. I went on to study philosophy and to teach it at multiple universities. My background has deeply shaped my mindset as a philosopher. Philosophy is not info-tainment, nor is it mere cleverness. Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. Classical philosophy began with Socrates in the marketplace, engaging people serious conversation about life. My Philosophical Counselling begins with where you are, and from that place it challenges and guides you to apply your head, your heart, and your hands, to go deeper, to be better, and to make life better.
Further details....
I tailor how I work to the needs of the client, which may shift from session to session. Sometimes it is classical philosophy, sometimes it is existential reflection, and sometimes we do a more mainstream psychotherapeutic work, and often it is a mixture of these. I invite you to read more about my approach here. You can read about making a booking here.
Philosophical Counselling....
Philosophical Counselling helps with many of the issues you might otherwise take to mainstream therapy: anxiety and depression, anger or boredom, grief, loss and change, relationships and career, and so on. Philosophical Counselling also goes well beyond that, to the cultivation of greater meaning, value, and happiness, through the cultivation of your way of being. Philosophical Counselling is for people who seek a philosophical alternative to mainstream counselling and psychotherapy, and for people who recognise the value of classical philosophy as a guide for life.
Philosophy....
It was while teaching philosophy at The University of Melbourne that I decided to offer it to individuals in the form of counselling. I am rooted in classical philosophy, which is the tradition of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Classical philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. Wisdom involves seeing in more true and good ways, with respect to (1) how you view life as a whole, and (2) how you navigate daily, practical life. A virtue is any good quality you cultivate, such as courage, self-control, compassion, justice, hope, creativity, and so on. In short, classical philosophy helps you make life better by becoming more wise, strong, capable, skillful, and good.
Counselling and Psychotherapy....
When I decided to become a philosophical counsellor, I studied counselling so I could use that framework. This is what I mean when I say that I combine philosophy and counselling. Through that study, I discovered a passion also for mainstream psychotherapy. So, alongside my philosophical work, I developed a whole second career. I studied mainstream therapy to masters level, and worked part-time for a decade and a half in a wide variety of therapeutic roles. Today, that second career is over, and I work solely in Philosophical Counselling. Importantly, that mainstream background means that I possess the psychological insight of an experienced psychotherapist, and I utilise that as a rich background for my Philosophical Counselling.
Existential Therapy....
In 2012 I started a private practice in Philosophical Counselling and Existential Therapy. For the first decade I spent much time on the latter, existential approach, working through the rich tradition that is already on offer there. I developed knowledge and skill in the existential therapeutic approaches of Viktor Frankl, Emmy van Deurzen, Ernesto Spinelli, Bettie Cannon, and others. At its best, Existential Therapy a variation of Philosophical Counselling, which draws not on classical philosophy but on existential, hermeneutic, and phenomenological philosophy. So yes, I offer Existential Therapy, specifically as another form of Philosophical Counselling, which means it is an element within my wider approach.
Who is this for?
Philosophical counselling is for people from all walks of life. My ongoing clients include very succesful academics and well-known psychotherapists, as well as tradesmen and delivery drivers. I myself come from a very rural, working-class background, and discovered philosophy as a high-school drop-out, working in a factory. I went on to study philosophy and to teach it at multiple universities. My background has deeply shaped my mindset as a philosopher. Philosophy is not info-tainment, nor is it mere cleverness. Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. Classical philosophy began with Socrates in the marketplace, engaging people serious conversation about life. My Philosophical Counselling begins with where you are, and from that place it challenges and guides you to apply your head, your heart, and your hands, to go deeper, to be better, and to make life better.
Further details....
I tailor how I work to the needs of the client, which may shift from session to session. Sometimes it is classical philosophy, sometimes it is existential reflection, and sometimes we do a more mainstream psychotherapeutic work, and often it is a mixture of these. I invite you to read more about my approach here. You can read about making a booking here.