Philosophical Counselling -- Existential Therapy -- Philosophical Guidance
Welcome. My name is Matthew Bishop. I am a philosopher and a counsellor.
While teaching academic philosophy I decided to study counselling, in order to combine the two. I have since spent decades practicing and offering this combination. I believe that counselling and psychotherapy need to be much more than psychological, that we need an approach which also takes our philosophical concerns and strivings seriously. By "philosophical concerns" I mean such things as value, truth, meaning, purpose, and so forth--these things matter to us, including with respect to both resilience and flourishing. I mean also the application of our powers as human beings: our capacities for perspective, intelligence, free will, intuition, imagination, and so forth. I mean also the cultivation of the "virtues": our better qualities and possibilities, such as courage, wisdom, compassion, temperance, and so on. All of these (and other philosophical concerns) are vital for a genuinely good life, and so we need a form of counselling which engages with them in an educated and sophisticated way, alongside the traditional psychological and practical focus of counselling. This is what I offer.
I practice two variations of this combination: Philosophical Counselling and Existential Therapy, which you can read about below.
While teaching academic philosophy I decided to study counselling, in order to combine the two. I have since spent decades practicing and offering this combination. I believe that counselling and psychotherapy need to be much more than psychological, that we need an approach which also takes our philosophical concerns and strivings seriously. By "philosophical concerns" I mean such things as value, truth, meaning, purpose, and so forth--these things matter to us, including with respect to both resilience and flourishing. I mean also the application of our powers as human beings: our capacities for perspective, intelligence, free will, intuition, imagination, and so forth. I mean also the cultivation of the "virtues": our better qualities and possibilities, such as courage, wisdom, compassion, temperance, and so on. All of these (and other philosophical concerns) are vital for a genuinely good life, and so we need a form of counselling which engages with them in an educated and sophisticated way, alongside the traditional psychological and practical focus of counselling. This is what I offer.
I practice two variations of this combination: Philosophical Counselling and Existential Therapy, which you can read about below.
Philosophical Counselling
Philosophical Counselling is the combination of philosophy and counselling. Philosophy is both 1) a treasury of insight and wisdom, and 2) a discipline for thinking well--rationally, wisely, justly, creatively.... Counselling is a set of conversational skills which helps clients develop insight, motivation, practical solutions, emotional and life skills, and personal growth in the qualities and strengths which make life better. You can read more here.
Philosophical Counselling is the combination of philosophy and counselling. Philosophy is both 1) a treasury of insight and wisdom, and 2) a discipline for thinking well--rationally, wisely, justly, creatively.... Counselling is a set of conversational skills which helps clients develop insight, motivation, practical solutions, emotional and life skills, and personal growth in the qualities and strengths which make life better. You can read more here.
Existential Therapy
There are different models of Existential Therapy. My approach is an extension of my Philosophical Counselling. It is made up of the philosophy and counselling mentioned above, but it adds a further, more psychological element by drawing on the various psychotherapies. These include the various existential therapies such as those of Emmy van Deurzen, Irvin Yalom, and Viktor Frankl, and more broadly the many psychoanalytic or psychodynamic therapies, the different humanistic therapies, and the various cognitive and behavioural therapies. You can read more here.
There are different models of Existential Therapy. My approach is an extension of my Philosophical Counselling. It is made up of the philosophy and counselling mentioned above, but it adds a further, more psychological element by drawing on the various psychotherapies. These include the various existential therapies such as those of Emmy van Deurzen, Irvin Yalom, and Viktor Frankl, and more broadly the many psychoanalytic or psychodynamic therapies, the different humanistic therapies, and the various cognitive and behavioural therapies. You can read more here.
Further details
Your choice of Philosophical Counselling versus Existential Therapy will depend on whether you want mainly philosophical reflection, or whether you want to draw also on the more psychological perspectives of the psychotherapies. For some people the difference is very important, while for others it is not and I simply draw on any of my as relevant.
You can see me for a single session, or a few, or ongoingly - there is no pressure from me, you can use this service as suits you. I maintain spaces each week so that new clients can see me within a week.
I see clients by video or phone across Australia and also internationally. You can read about making a booking here. A link on that page leads to an explanation of the differences between my approach versus clinical mental health services.
You can read about my background and professional experience here.
Follow me on Facebook for (very infrequent) reflections.
Your choice of Philosophical Counselling versus Existential Therapy will depend on whether you want mainly philosophical reflection, or whether you want to draw also on the more psychological perspectives of the psychotherapies. For some people the difference is very important, while for others it is not and I simply draw on any of my as relevant.
You can see me for a single session, or a few, or ongoingly - there is no pressure from me, you can use this service as suits you. I maintain spaces each week so that new clients can see me within a week.
I see clients by video or phone across Australia and also internationally. You can read about making a booking here. A link on that page leads to an explanation of the differences between my approach versus clinical mental health services.
You can read about my background and professional experience here.
Follow me on Facebook for (very infrequent) reflections.
Further Services
My services above are open-ended and exploratory in the way of traditional person-centred counselling and psychotherapy. The process is one of often being surprised by what emerges...and it is through "the unexpected" that much of the benefit comes. At the same time, some people seek a more specific education, guidance, and coaching. During 2024 I am creating a more formal framework for this side of my work. For example:
I offer education and guidance in the classical philosophical tradition of the cultivation of the virtues and character. Rooted in Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, as well as contemporary philosophy and science, to cultivate the virtues (good qualities, personal strengths) is to become a source of greater wisdom, strength, goodness, meaning, and happiness both for yourself and for others. It is vital for the kinds of success and flourishing which are most worth pursuing. It is also vital when times are tough. You can read more about this guidance here.
Later in 2024 I will introduce a further kind of bibliotherapy into my work. I have always recommended relevant reading to my clients, but this new approach will be based on pre-set courses of reading. One of the first will be in the history of Western philosophy, for people who want to become educated in these ideas. Another will be a course in critical thinking, cultivated as a set of skills not only for thinking more clearly and powerfully, and for doing better in life, but also as a tool for living more wisely. Other pre-set themes will include reading the Stoics as a guide to life, a course in certain classics of psychotherapy to cultivate your psychological insightfulness, and reading some of the classics of Western spirituality. The point is to develop your knowledge and the life of your mind, to have a richer inner-world that is nourished by the depths of these traditions. This bibliotherapy can be integrated into the broader personal work we do in Philosophical Counselling or Existential Therapy, for example we may spend a third of each session discussing your reading, and the other two-thirds engaged in counselling about other concerns. You can read more here.
My services above are open-ended and exploratory in the way of traditional person-centred counselling and psychotherapy. The process is one of often being surprised by what emerges...and it is through "the unexpected" that much of the benefit comes. At the same time, some people seek a more specific education, guidance, and coaching. During 2024 I am creating a more formal framework for this side of my work. For example:
I offer education and guidance in the classical philosophical tradition of the cultivation of the virtues and character. Rooted in Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, as well as contemporary philosophy and science, to cultivate the virtues (good qualities, personal strengths) is to become a source of greater wisdom, strength, goodness, meaning, and happiness both for yourself and for others. It is vital for the kinds of success and flourishing which are most worth pursuing. It is also vital when times are tough. You can read more about this guidance here.
Later in 2024 I will introduce a further kind of bibliotherapy into my work. I have always recommended relevant reading to my clients, but this new approach will be based on pre-set courses of reading. One of the first will be in the history of Western philosophy, for people who want to become educated in these ideas. Another will be a course in critical thinking, cultivated as a set of skills not only for thinking more clearly and powerfully, and for doing better in life, but also as a tool for living more wisely. Other pre-set themes will include reading the Stoics as a guide to life, a course in certain classics of psychotherapy to cultivate your psychological insightfulness, and reading some of the classics of Western spirituality. The point is to develop your knowledge and the life of your mind, to have a richer inner-world that is nourished by the depths of these traditions. This bibliotherapy can be integrated into the broader personal work we do in Philosophical Counselling or Existential Therapy, for example we may spend a third of each session discussing your reading, and the other two-thirds engaged in counselling about other concerns. You can read more here.