Philosophy Practice: An Alternative to Counseling and PsychotherapyAlthough philosophy has become a purely academic discipline over the last few centuries, it once played an important role in the politics of many Western nations. Now, the end of the 20th century, philosophy seems to be returning to its original, practical purposes, thanks to the new practice of philosophical counseling, which is now emerging as an alternative to psychoanalysis and other clinical approaches. This volume describes the main theoretical aspects of this practice based on an open-ended dialogue between a philosophical practitioner and a client or a group, and places it in a historical context, while contrasting it with various forms of psychological counseling. To illustrate how philosophy can be beneficial, the author, a practicing philosophical counselor, also presents several case studies from her own practice. |
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Extracts of Journal Reviews of
PHILOSOPHY PRACTICE: AN ALTERNATIVE TO COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
Iyyun, The Jerusalem Philosophical Quarterly 49 (July 2000): 333-339.
"This book is an impressive explanation and justification of the growing
profession of philosophical practice. In it, Shlomit Schuster offers
philosophical practice as an alternative to psychological therapy.
Clear, erudite, and well argued, this work grants the reader a lucid
understanding of this new practice and its rationale. Philosophers, in
particular, will gain by discovering here a fresh employment of philosophy
that raises questions about their understanding of the enterprise in which
they engage."
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International Journal of Philosophical Practice 1:1 (2001).
“Shlomit Shuster’s book on philosophical practice is the clearest, most comprehensive and authentic work in the – as yet very small – body of contemporary literature on the subject that I have come accross so far”
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Practical Philosophy 4, 1 (2001) 55-56.
“Schuster is always thoughtful in her presentation of her own and other people’s ideas. I was struck by the breath of her reading, and where I had knowledge of her material, by the depth of her insights.”
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Journal of the Society of Existential Analysis 12:1 (2001).
“The challenging and questioning nature of the material makes it a very useful book, not only for existential psychotherapists but for us all”
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American Journal of Psychiatry 159 (2002): 1075-1076.
"The narratives illustrate the spirits and intentions of philosophy practice
very well. The main impression is the gain of coherence, reconciliation
with those features of the self, the life history, or the situation with
which the individual has been cross, which is helped greatly by the
avoidance of "psychopathologization" of problems.
To sum up my impression of this book, there are useful intentions and
procedures outlined in philosophy practice, foremost among them putting the client's
problem into a wider frame of philosophical aporias."
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Association of Humanistic Psychology -- Perspective Magazine, JUNE/JULY 2001, p. 24
“Schuster’s book should be of great interest to every humanistic psychologist.”
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American Journal of Psychotherapy 54:2 (2000) 271-272.
"All in all, the book is provocative, [and] interesting ....”
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Israel Journal of Psychiatry 39, 1 (2002) 68-69.
“There is much to learn from this book.”
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The Canberra Times, July 8, 2000
Panorama p. 23.
"Written in a warm, reflective style, it is both a
reasoned critique of standard psychotherapeutic methods and a convincing
exposition of philosophical practice. But beneath the lucid narrative
of the book you also glimpse profound scholarship and a sharp intellect."
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Metapsychology
June 2000
“Schuster’s book can serve as a helpful introduction both to potential clients and also those who might want to try becoming philosophical counselors themselves”
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| Title | Philosophy Practice: An Alternative to Counseling and Psychotherapy ABC-Clio ebook Philosophy Practice: An Alternative to Counseling and Psychotherapy, Shlomit C. Schuster |
| Authors | Shlomit C. Schuster, Timothy Smith |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999 |
| ISBN | 0275965414, 9780275965419 |
| Length | 207 pages |
| Subjects | › › Philosophy / General Psychology / Psychotherapy / Counseling |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |