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 is for people who recognise the value of classical philosophy as a guide for life, and it is for people who seek a philosophical alternative to mainstream counselling and psychotherapy. In what follows, I briefly describe Philosophical Counselling, then philosophy, and counselling, then Existential Therapy, and then who this is for.
Philosophical Counselling....
Philosophical Counselling helps you to cultivate a better way of being, and thus a better life. It does that in the context of your challenges or goals. For example, Philosophical Counselling helps with many of the same issues people take to mainstream therapy: anxiety and depression, anger or boredom, grief, loss and change, relationships and career. Importantly, it goes much further, using your problems as springboards for building the knowledge, character, and skills to do life better.
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 the classical tradition of philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. Classical philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. Wisdom involves seeing in more true and good ways, with respect to (1) the meaning of life, and (2) how to navigate life in all its daily, practical concerns. A virtue is any good quality you cultivate, such as rationality, courage, self-control, compassion, justice, hope, creativity, and so on. In essence, classical philosophy helps you make life better by becoming more wise, strong, capable, skillful, and good. This is the surest way also to achieve happiness, success, flourishing, and meaning.
Counselling and Psychotherapy....
I said that while teaching university philosophy I decided to make a career offering philosophy one-on-one, in the form of Philosophical Counselling. For that reason I studied counselling. Through that study,, I developed a passion for mainstream psychotherapy which became a second career for some time, alongside philosophy. I studied therapy to masters level, and worked part-time for a decade and a half in a wide variety of mainstream therapeutic roles, gaining wide experience. Today that second career is over, and I work solely in Philosophical Counselling, but that background greatly deepens my work. When you speak with me, you are receiving help from somebody with the knowledge, skill, and intuition of a highly experienced psychotherapist.
After a quarter of a century as a philosopher and psychotherapist, I value both, but experience has taught me that philosophy is much more important than therapy, when it comes to becoming a stronger, more good, and happier person. Psychotherapy is partly an expression of modernity, in which we seek a technological intervention for everything, while remaining inwardly passive at the most important level. Philosophy is the enactment of your intellect and will, the activation of all that is best in you. That new way of being naturally leads to the better outcomes and experience of life that you seek. Of course, this does not have to be an either/or: we can do both philosophical and psychological work, and that is why I combine philosophy and counselling.
Existential Therapy....
In 2012 I started a private practice in Philosophical Counselling and Existential Therapy. Existential Therapy is a form of Philosophical Counselling, but its philosophy is existential and phenomenological. Phenomenology is a 20th century form of philosophy, and it has an important place in my work as a tool for deep self-understanding. At the same time, these 20th century philosophies are quite limited, and while I practice the best of Existential Therapy, it serves as one element within my Philosophical Counselling. That is, I practice also the elements that constitute Existential Therapy, but I draw on the deeper well that is classical philosophy.
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 while 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 about superiority, cleverness, or bourgeoisie chatter; philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. That is what the word means. Classical philosophy began with a craftsman and soldier--Socrates--engaging many different people in serious conversation about what is good and true in life. Some people lead with the head, some with the heart, and some with the hands, and Philosophical Counselling is for all such people.
I invite you to read more about my approach here. You can read about making a booking here. See my other, central website here, where I describe my other projects, writing, and services.
Philosophical Counselling....
Philosophical Counselling helps you to cultivate a better way of being, and thus a better life. It does that in the context of your challenges or goals. For example, Philosophical Counselling helps with many of the same issues people take to mainstream therapy: anxiety and depression, anger or boredom, grief, loss and change, relationships and career. Importantly, it goes much further, using your problems as springboards for building the knowledge, character, and skills to do life better.
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 the classical tradition of philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. Classical philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. Wisdom involves seeing in more true and good ways, with respect to (1) the meaning of life, and (2) how to navigate life in all its daily, practical concerns. A virtue is any good quality you cultivate, such as rationality, courage, self-control, compassion, justice, hope, creativity, and so on. In essence, classical philosophy helps you make life better by becoming more wise, strong, capable, skillful, and good. This is the surest way also to achieve happiness, success, flourishing, and meaning.
Counselling and Psychotherapy....
I said that while teaching university philosophy I decided to make a career offering philosophy one-on-one, in the form of Philosophical Counselling. For that reason I studied counselling. Through that study,, I developed a passion for mainstream psychotherapy which became a second career for some time, alongside philosophy. I studied therapy to masters level, and worked part-time for a decade and a half in a wide variety of mainstream therapeutic roles, gaining wide experience. Today that second career is over, and I work solely in Philosophical Counselling, but that background greatly deepens my work. When you speak with me, you are receiving help from somebody with the knowledge, skill, and intuition of a highly experienced psychotherapist.
After a quarter of a century as a philosopher and psychotherapist, I value both, but experience has taught me that philosophy is much more important than therapy, when it comes to becoming a stronger, more good, and happier person. Psychotherapy is partly an expression of modernity, in which we seek a technological intervention for everything, while remaining inwardly passive at the most important level. Philosophy is the enactment of your intellect and will, the activation of all that is best in you. That new way of being naturally leads to the better outcomes and experience of life that you seek. Of course, this does not have to be an either/or: we can do both philosophical and psychological work, and that is why I combine philosophy and counselling.
Existential Therapy....
In 2012 I started a private practice in Philosophical Counselling and Existential Therapy. Existential Therapy is a form of Philosophical Counselling, but its philosophy is existential and phenomenological. Phenomenology is a 20th century form of philosophy, and it has an important place in my work as a tool for deep self-understanding. At the same time, these 20th century philosophies are quite limited, and while I practice the best of Existential Therapy, it serves as one element within my Philosophical Counselling. That is, I practice also the elements that constitute Existential Therapy, but I draw on the deeper well that is classical philosophy.
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 while 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 about superiority, cleverness, or bourgeoisie chatter; philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. That is what the word means. Classical philosophy began with a craftsman and soldier--Socrates--engaging many different people in serious conversation about what is good and true in life. Some people lead with the head, some with the heart, and some with the hands, and Philosophical Counselling is for all such people.
I invite you to read more about my approach here. You can read about making a booking here. See my other, central website here, where I describe my other projects, writing, and services.