Existential Therapy
a Philosophical approach to Counselling
Welcome. My name is Matthew Bishop. I am a counsellor and philosopher. I offer a philosophical approach to counselling.
A philosophical approach to counselling means that we deal with the stuff of life - the stuff you would work on in mainstream counselling - but we also deal with the broader existential challenges inherent in these. Plus we focus on your sense of meaning and purpose, including your spirituality or philosophy of life. As the existential therapist (and Holocaust survivor) Viktor Frankl wrote, the person who can find a Why can find a How.
We work on the practical stuff of life, but also on the depths. We work at the level of both the head and the heart. This is about both contemplation and action, wisdom and courage. In my approach I focus on a feedback loop between dealing with particular challenges and engaging in personal growth.
The word philosophy is ancient Greek and means the love or pursuit of wisdom. I taught philosophy at university.
and am also a masters qualified counsellor, with decades of experience and registration at the most senior level with the Australian Counselling Association. For me, counselling is a vocation, a way of being, a way of pursuing wisdom, and creating a space of deep listening to help others find their wisdom, strength, and way forward.
This is not a clinical mental health service. It is located more in the field of 'counselling for personal growth.' I do not provide assessments or treatments for mental disorders, which should be sought instead from a psychologist. My role is as a philosophical and therapeutic guide: offering conversations to help you heal / move forward / grow / and live a richer, deeper life.
You can read more about my experience and work here, and about making a booking here.
During 2020 I closed my Melbourne office. I am now practicing by Zoom and phone only, seeing people located anywhere in the world from my home in central Victoria.
A philosophical approach to counselling means that we deal with the stuff of life - the stuff you would work on in mainstream counselling - but we also deal with the broader existential challenges inherent in these. Plus we focus on your sense of meaning and purpose, including your spirituality or philosophy of life. As the existential therapist (and Holocaust survivor) Viktor Frankl wrote, the person who can find a Why can find a How.
We work on the practical stuff of life, but also on the depths. We work at the level of both the head and the heart. This is about both contemplation and action, wisdom and courage. In my approach I focus on a feedback loop between dealing with particular challenges and engaging in personal growth.
The word philosophy is ancient Greek and means the love or pursuit of wisdom. I taught philosophy at university.
and am also a masters qualified counsellor, with decades of experience and registration at the most senior level with the Australian Counselling Association. For me, counselling is a vocation, a way of being, a way of pursuing wisdom, and creating a space of deep listening to help others find their wisdom, strength, and way forward.
This is not a clinical mental health service. It is located more in the field of 'counselling for personal growth.' I do not provide assessments or treatments for mental disorders, which should be sought instead from a psychologist. My role is as a philosophical and therapeutic guide: offering conversations to help you heal / move forward / grow / and live a richer, deeper life.
You can read more about my experience and work here, and about making a booking here.
During 2020 I closed my Melbourne office. I am now practicing by Zoom and phone only, seeing people located anywhere in the world from my home in central Victoria.