How does philosophical counseling differ from Psychological Counseling?

Psychological counseling is more apt to view clients from a medical model; it diagnoses and treats. A philosophical counselor does not diagnose a client according to societal standards for normalcy, mental health etc. The client is not viewed as a patient but as an active participant in an intellectual encounter. As such, the client is also required to be accountable and do their ‘homework’ between sessions.

Psychological counseling focuses on healing and understanding whereas Philosophical counseling focuses on evolving and manifesting potential.

Psychological counseling typically requires extensive background exploration, often going back to childhood. The duration of treatment is thus very long, sometimes running for years, even a lifetime. Philosophical counseling achieves fast results. Emphasis is on present and future. The client is guided towards an understanding of the current situation and its implications for the future. Hence even without insurance philosophical counseling is much less expensive.

There is also no dependency between the client and the philosopher. The philosopher does not dictate any solutions to the client but encourages the client to reach solutions on their own while using their own thinking, values and convictions. Continuous treatments are not necessarily better. Quite often the issue at hand is specific and can be dealt with in a short amount of time. The philosophical counselor offers to educate the client in more effective ways of thinking, to be able to better handle similar situations on their own.

Psychological counseling is problem oriented; Philosophical counseling is solution oriented.

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