What is Philosophical Counselling?

Many people describe a sense of disatisfaction or discontent in their lives, even though they are the first to admit that they have great jobs, partners, and family. What seems to be the case is that an individual is responding to a crises of meaning and purpose in one's life.

We all have a hierarchy of needs. Once the lower needs are met, it's time for the higher needs to make themeselves known. Higher-order needs are values such as learning and growth. A person may be in a point in their lives where they have reached a comfort zone, where all lower needs have been met for some time. However, the individual's progress towards their higher needs has stagnated. In such cases philosophical counselling is very useful for assisting an individual to connect to a higher value, meaning or purpose in their lives. It differs from conventional counselling in that counselling focuses on conventional problems, whereas philosophical counselling is more focused on existential and spiritual matters related to a bigger picture, and one's place and meaning in things.

Philosophical Counsellor for The Heath: Felix Economakis

 

What is Counselling?

Counselling approaches are typically 'non-directive', and focus more on reflective and empathic interventions. The most common types of psychotherapies in counselling are 'person' or 'client-centred' approaches based on the work of Carl Rogers, and 'brief psychodynamic counselling', derived from psychoanalysis.
The terms 'counselling and psychotherapy' are often used interchangeably when referring to the practice of the above models.

Counselling is useful when individuals seek a supportive and non-judgemental context to help them clarify and sort through their feelings.

Counsellor for The Heath: Christina Linger