Wise
Therapy: Philosophy for Counsellors
“Like
Aristotle,
LeBon examines what is said and extracts what is best from it
…. There are many
fascinating exercises designed to bring out and enlighten the client's
values,
conception of the good life, well-being, happiness, pleasure, and the
proper
place of reason in life … Wise Therapy
is well written and engaging. The
case histories are illuminating examples of therapeutic techniques at
work, the
thought experiments are well designed, and the philosophical position
adapted
from the internal debates of the philosophers is level headed.
… I recommend it
highly to philosophers with an interest in counselling, and
psychological
counsellors with an interest in philosophy. “ Jeff
Mason in The
Philosophers Magazine
Wise
Therapy
Postscript
(written September 2005)
Postscript (written
September 2005)
I
wanted to write the sort of book that I would myself find
useful as a therapist and counsellor.
Since reading Plato and J.S. Mill in my early
undergraduate days in
Oxford I have been convinced that philosophy has a big contribution to
make to
wise living. Although
philosophy is
notorious for providing more questions than answers, the deeper I
looked into
the main topic areas of relevance to psychotherapy and counselling, the
more I
became convinced that a coherent, plausible and illuminating answer to
key
questions could be derived. Each chapter of Wise Therapy begins
with a
survey of a philosophical topic - well-being, right and wrong, reason
and the
emotions and the meaning of life – with a view to mining
– like Aristotle, as
one very kind reviewer put it – an acceptable synthesis. But how to use these
insights in counselling
and psychotherapy? My key idea is that wise therapy occurs when one
uses methods
derived from wise philosophy, rather than, for example,
merely instructing
the client in philosophy. So
in the
second part of each chapter I describe methods that therapists can use
that are
consistent with the philosophically –acceptable answers. Some
of these methods
are adapted from existing therapies – such as existential
therapy, logotherapy
and cognitive therapy – others are new. In the final chapter
the Counsellor’s
Philosophical Toolbox, I
collect all
these methods together and describe them in more detail. This chapter
is, if
you like , the pay-off for all the hard – but hopefully
stimulating –
philosophical thinking that the reader is invited to carry out in the
previous
chapters.
Feedback
from readers has been very encouraging, and I hope
that the book provides ideas that can’t be found elsewhere. Looking back on the book
four years later, I
am fairly pleased with what I wrote, but have some regrets about what I
left
out. I would love to say more about the nature of wisdom, about how to
do
philosophical counselling and about how to apply these ideas as
self-help
rather than as a therapist. Perhaps I’ll write about these
things in a
follow-up book. But,
for now, I hope
that Wise Therapy forms
a useful stepping stone in your
journey as a therapist or counsellor.
Wise
Therapy Contents listing
Chapter
1 Introduction
1.
Wise Therapy
2.
What is Philosophy
and why is it Relevant to Counselling?
3.
Philosophical
Counselling and other philosophical forms of counselling
4.
How to use this book
Part
1 Ethics
1.
Introduction
2
Metaethics : The
foundations of ethics
Chapter
2 Well-being
1.
Philosophical
theories of well-being
2.
Can counselling help?
3.Values-Focused
Counselling
Chapter
3 Right and Wrong
1.
Starting Point -
Counsellor's Own Ethical Dilemmas
2.
Philosophical
theories about right and wrong
3. Progress
towards ethical
decision-making
4.
Decision Counselling
Part
2 The Emotions, Reason and the Meaning of
Life
Chapter
4 The Emotions and Reason
1.
Three theories about
the nature of emotions
2.
The Emotions,
Rationality and Emotional Wisdom
3.
Emotion-focused
Counselling
Chapter
5 The Meaning of life
1.
Philosophy and the
Meaning of Life
2
Counselling and the
Meaning of Life
Chapter
6 The Counsellor's Philosophical Toolbox
A)
Critical thinking
B)
Conceptual analysis
C)
The Charles Darwin
Method
D) Developing
enlightened values using RSVP
E) Progress - A
procedure for good
decision-making
F)
The philosophical methods of CBT
Conclusion
Bibliography
&
References
Web
sites & Contact
Details
Recommended
Reading
Brian
is sad and sometimes gets depressed, but most of all wonders how he has
come to
lose touch with all that he used to think important. Claire is a young
psychology undergraduate with a career decision looming over her. Torn
between
pursuing a traditional career and trying to do something more
meaningful with
her life, such as becoming a counsellor, she is suffering much anguish
and
anxiety over the decision. Alex, a dying woman with six months to live,
urgently wants the opportunity to take stock of her life.
In
previous eras, Brian, Claire and Alex may well have gone to their
priest or
family for help. In the twenty-first century they are just as likely to
seek
help through counselling. These people do not need to have their
unconscious
interpreted, or be clinically diagnosed . A listening ear may help but
is it
alone sufficient to help them make good decisions, understand the
language of
their emotions and work out how to lead a meaningful and worthwhile
life? More
than anything, Brian, Claire and Alex are in need of wise therapy. But
have
counsellors got the tools and knowledge to be wise therapists?
Linda
has been approached by a couple wanting to take advantage of the
low-cost
therapy she offers, and is unsure whether it is ethical to branch out
into
couple counselling, for which she has no specific training. The latest
revelation of Ian's client's inner world leaves him with a dilemma
about
whether confidentiality extends to clients who are potential
child-molesters.
Both of these practitioners realise that to be wise therapists, they
need an
area of expertise not covered by training programmes focussing on
communication
skills and psychological theories alone.
Susan
is a counsellor trying to defend counselling against the attacks of her
smug
anti-therapy psychiatrist friend, Graham. "Empirical studies show that
counselling is a cost-ineffective way of helping people, and it would
be quite
wrong to provide public money to subsidise it" says Graham
triumphantly.
Susan is sure that there must be a good answer - but is lost for words.
How she
would like to be a wise therapist who could put such doubters in their
place…
We
would all like to be wise therapists. The question is - how can we
achieve
this? In this book I intend to show how philosophy can help ...
@
Tim LeBon Sage 2001
Critical
acclaim for Wise
Therapy
“Like
Aristotle,
LeBon examines what is said and extracts what is best from it
…. There are many
fascinating exercises designed to bring out and enlighten the client's
values,
conception of the good life, well-being, happiness, pleasure, and the
proper
place of reason in life … Wise Therapy
is well written and engaging. The
case histories are illuminating examples of therapeutic techniques at
work, the
thought experiments are well designed, and the philosophical position
adapted
from the internal debates of the philosophers is level headed.
… I recommend it
highly to philosophers with an interest in counselling, and
psychological
counsellors with an interest in philosophy. “
Jeff Mason in The Philosophers Magazine
"Wise Therapy, the
book, is part of
a series aimed at promoting an integrative attitude as its ethos. Among
all the
many perspectives of psychotherapists and counselors, philosophy needs
to take
its place and needs to find its voice. LeBon has provided
an effective means by which counselors can
bring philosophy into their work with clients."
“Provides some
additional and valuable arrows for the therapist's
quiver "
Irvin Yalom, author of Love’s Executioner
“Tim
LeBon with his book illustrates that philosophy has much to
offer to counselling and psychotherapy… As a counsellor
I found in the book new paths for my relationships with the
clients. The using of simple
language by the writer in order to explain difficult philosophical
concepts,
the style of writing, the originality and the applicability of the
ideas, the
very good structure and the sequence of "Wise Therapy", makes it a
highly readable and innovative
source. Apart from the text, the book as a whole is a rich
source itself, including bibliography
references, recommended
reading, interesting websites and e-mail addresses. It is a very good
choice for libraries and counselling centers from different
orientations.
For these
reasons, I strongly
recommend it for philosophers as well as
practitioners, teachers, students and supervisors in counselling and
psychotherapy."
Grigoris
Mouladoudis in Self
and Society
“The
task LeBon has set
himself is not simply the explication of various philosophically
oriented
approaches to therapy, but an attempt to present a form of
‘integrative
therapy’ based on acceptable philosophical theories and
techniques … I think
there are potentially three audiences for this book. Firstly there are
those
who want to gain a critical overview of philosophy and counselling.
Secondly
there are those who want to gain some practical tools for applying
philosophical
ideas with clients. The final group are those that are interested in
the
application of a coherent philosophical model to their work. There is
no doubt
that the book provides for the first two audiences admirably. For those
in the
third group, there is going to be a period of waiting. This is a book
that of
necessity sets the scene, provides the rationale and suggests ways of
integrating philosophical insights and practical therapy. As the
beginning of a
project it is an admirable start.”
Robert Hill in The
Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis
“LeBon has
… authored a
text which should become a staple on the philosophical
counsellor’s bookshelf…
Wise Therapy is a concise, well-written book … His ability
to relate
philosophical concepts to counselling concerns is admirable and attests
to the
skill and knowledge he possesses as a working counsellor. But, by far
the most
important part of LeBon’s book to PC is the last chapter,
“The Counsellor’s
Philosophical Toolbox”.
Craig
Munns
in The
Examined Life
“LeBon has
done
a good job of offering practical approaches to some of the most
important and
vexing issues that arise in counselling … LeBon’s
book contains helpful
suggestions, practical information, and useful examples, and would make
a good
addition to the library of any counsellors willing to allow philosophy
to turn
mere client sessions into wise therapy.”
Peter Raabe
in Practical Philosophy
"Wise Therapy is an accessibly pitched and clearly written introductory book on the application of philosophy to counseling, a specialty which Le Bon, in several places, traces right back to the practice of Socrates (in Plato's dialogues)....
Wise Therapy is a comprehensible and well argued book dealing with the practical therapeutic applications of philosophical research that may well be of interest to philosophers but - as the author himself intends - will be of most obvious benefit to therapists and counselors, both by informing their dialogue with clients in new ways and by helping them become more informed about ways to resolve the ethical dilemmas arising within the context of their own work"
Matthew Ray in MetaPsychology
“Wise
therapy provides a lucid, original and very practical
guide to how philosophy can help counsellors. The author argues that in
order
for therapy to be wise, it should help clients gain enlightened values,
make
better decisions and achieve emotional wisdom. To do this a sound
philosophical
base is essential. Theories about each key topic - well-being, right
and wrong,
the emotions and reason and the meaning of life - are discussed
critically yet
constructively, with a view to arriving at an overall understanding
that can
inform good counselling practice. The second half of each chapter goes
on to
extract these practical methods and insights. Of central interest to
all
counsellors and psychotherapists will be RSVP, a method to help clients
develop
enlightened values, and Progress, a procedure to help facilitate good
decision-making. The author, a practising counsellor, also shows how
insights
gained from cognitive-behavioural therapy, logotherapy,
existential-phenomenological counselling and philosophical counselling
can be
integrated in a coherent manner. The resulting methods are drawn
together
usefully in a final section, The Counsellor's Philosophical Toolbox. As
well as
providing ideas to help clients, the book also shows counsellors how to
make
good ethical decisions themselves, and discusses the value of
counselling as a
whole. Punchy, practical and original, Wise Therapy is essential
reading for
all counsellors who wish to place their practice on a sounder
footing.”
From
the back cover of Wise
Therapy
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