Philosophical Counselling for Men
This is philosophical counselling for men.
Deal with your problems.
Cultivate a strong, good character.
Create a happy, successful, purposeful life.
Deal with your problems.
Cultivate a strong, good character.
Create a happy, successful, purposeful life.
My name is Matthew Bishop.
I am a philosopher. I taught philosophy at The University of Melbourne and elsewhere.
I am also a counsellor and psychotherapist, with decades of experience.
I offer philosophical counselling. My main wesbite is elsewhere. This website here is focused on philosophical counselling for men. It offers a more directive approach. It is character formation.
This work helps you to:
I help you achieve these goals by cultivating reason, wisdom, and virtue.
As a highly experienced therapist, I bring psychological perception and know-how to this work, but as a background. The basis and framework of this service is classical philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and so on. This is the great wisdom-tradition of the West. With the rise of Freud and psychological therapy in the 20th century, we have neglected this tradition of wisdom and character formation. You can see the results all around you. Here is my claim: for most people, especially men, the cultivation of classical wisdom and virtue is far more effective and beneficial than mainstream psychological therapy.
The are two sides to the work we will do: wisdom formation, and character formation:
I am a philosopher. I taught philosophy at The University of Melbourne and elsewhere.
I am also a counsellor and psychotherapist, with decades of experience.
I offer philosophical counselling. My main wesbite is elsewhere. This website here is focused on philosophical counselling for men. It offers a more directive approach. It is character formation.
This work helps you to:
- deal with the same problems you would take to mainsteam counselling
- cultivate a way of being that is strong, good, and happy
- create a successful, flourishing life
- live according to a higher vision of what a man can be, and of what life can be about.
I help you achieve these goals by cultivating reason, wisdom, and virtue.
As a highly experienced therapist, I bring psychological perception and know-how to this work, but as a background. The basis and framework of this service is classical philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and so on. This is the great wisdom-tradition of the West. With the rise of Freud and psychological therapy in the 20th century, we have neglected this tradition of wisdom and character formation. You can see the results all around you. Here is my claim: for most people, especially men, the cultivation of classical wisdom and virtue is far more effective and beneficial than mainstream psychological therapy.
The are two sides to the work we will do: wisdom formation, and character formation:
Wisdom formation
You cultivate wisdom by cultivating:
You reflect on your thinking, and on your life, and on life itself, through the lens of reason and the intellectual virtues. That gives you insight into these things, which creates a map of life.
Wisdom is:
We talk about your problems and goals. Plus, I help you define any other goals you need to overcome your problems and make life good. I draw you into a conversation about all these things. Importantly, the conversation embodies reason and the intellectual virtues. I am drawing you into the exercise of both, as we reflect on your concerns. This means that you learn by doing: you start to think more rationally, and more virtuously. Of course, I reflect on what we are doing as we go, so as to teach you these things. Plus, I guide you in further reading if you want that.
You cultivate wisdom by cultivating:
- reason (logical thinking) and
- the intellectual virtues (mental forms of courage, justice, perseverence, et cetera)
You reflect on your thinking, and on your life, and on life itself, through the lens of reason and the intellectual virtues. That gives you insight into these things, which creates a map of life.
Wisdom is:
- that map of life, which you can use as you move forward in life, and
- it is an ability: a mind that is more rational and virtuous
We talk about your problems and goals. Plus, I help you define any other goals you need to overcome your problems and make life good. I draw you into a conversation about all these things. Importantly, the conversation embodies reason and the intellectual virtues. I am drawing you into the exercise of both, as we reflect on your concerns. This means that you learn by doing: you start to think more rationally, and more virtuously. Of course, I reflect on what we are doing as we go, so as to teach you these things. Plus, I guide you in further reading if you want that.
Virtue formation
The above wisdom is the basis for cultivating the character virtues. The character virtues are virtues at the level of emotion and action : courage, self-control, and so on. I coach you as you to apply wisdom to yourself to cultivate those virtues.
Again, you cultivate these character virtues for the sake of your problems, but also to become more strong, good, and happy, and to do better in life. I support you ongoingly in this work.
The above wisdom is the basis for cultivating the character virtues. The character virtues are virtues at the level of emotion and action : courage, self-control, and so on. I coach you as you to apply wisdom to yourself to cultivate those virtues.
Again, you cultivate these character virtues for the sake of your problems, but also to become more strong, good, and happy, and to do better in life. I support you ongoingly in this work.
The goal is to become a wise man of strong, good character, who is the engine of his own happiness and success, and who lives at a higher level of meaning. This is the classical philosophical tradition, the wisdom-tradition of the West. The next page provides a long, detailed over-view of reason, wisdom, and virtue.
