Depending on the concern, you might want to talk to a philosopher about it!
Philosophers are trained to help people figure out what they think and why they think that.
And they provide guidance in figuring out what else to think: should you try to change your mind on an issue and try to adopt a new perspective (and, if so, what?)? Or is the problem not with what you think, but other people's reactions to your thoughts? ("Really, It's not me; it's you!"). Philosophers can help you explore the options, for beliefs and feelings.
Philosophy isn't just about beliefs; it's also about feelings and emotions, which drive much of what we do. Our feelings are often guided by our thoughts and our feelings are about our thoughts about the world. And a philosopher can help you figure out how you feel (sometimes that's not easy!) and what you are thinking that's contributing to those feelings.
Logic-Based Therapists & Consultants are philosophers who apply philosophical methods (argument evaluation, conceptual analysis, phenomenology) used in addressing abstract philosophical questions to personal difficulties and challenges. They help us identify and evaluate the arguments that shape our lives. The 'conclusions' are our feelings: the 'premises' are the beliefs that contribute to these feelings.
A Logic-Based Therapist helps someone identify the pattern of reasoning that is leading to his or her troubling feeling-conclusions and then critique that reasoning. People sometimes have unpleasant feelings because they believe a claim that's false, or they believe something that there is insufficient evidence to believe, or they accept an assumption that's unreasonable, or they are holding themselves to a standard that they wouldn't expect others to follow and so they are being inconsistent and unfair, to themselves. A philosopher can help expose these mistaken and unproductive beliefs, and help someone come to a new, more productive understanding of themselves, their relationships and their world.
Philosophical counseling can be especially useful when the troubling issue has an explicitly philosophical dimension, such as:
- concerns about religious (or irreligious) faith and doubt;
- a troubling contradiction or inconsistency;
- concerns about a personally meaningful and valuable life, including employment;
- clarifying your own views, your own understanding of difficult concepts and values;
Any challenging emotional or relational issue can benefit from a patient, systematic, and caring and supportive investigation of how you feel and why you feel that way, and the application of philosophical techniques to reveal areas for positive change.
- seeking personal authenticity and autonomy: becoming your own person, in light of your own choices and values.
Philosophical Consultants can help you (or a group or organization) try to think through some of the problems or difficulties you might be having. They can help you identify what you are thinking and how you are reasoning, and what forms of reasoning might be serving you well, and what forms of reasoning might be holding you back. They might also have suggestions for what sort of information you need to address your difficulty and how to find that information. The issue or issues you address with a Philosophical Consultant need not be ones that you consider to be of great emotional significance, but you still have some concerns, worries, fears and other feelings that motivate the concern.
Please contact Atlanta Philosophical Counseling & Consulting to learn more or to set up an initial consultation. And please visit our Facebook page for news and updates of interest.
Nathan Nobis, Ph.D.
404-825-1740 (text first please)
nathan.nobis@gmail.com
Nathan Nobis, Ph.D.
404-825-1740 (text first please)
nathan.nobis@gmail.com
