Clinical philosophy philosophy as ther

8 182 0
Clinical philosophy   philosophy as ther

Đang tải... (xem toàn văn)

Thông tin tài liệu

hữu ích, hay,dễ đọc dễ hiểu cho các bạn tiếp cận thuật ngữ y khoa, sách khá hay vf chi tiết, có các sơ đồ giúp tóm tắt kiến thức , một số hình ảnh minh họa, mong rằng quyển sách sẽ giúp ích thật nhiều . chúc các bạn học tốt xin cảm ơn

Clinical PhilosophyPhilosophy as Therapy “Philosophy That Works” is a book by David Wolf (Wolf, D.M., 2003), a believer in and practitioner of practical philosophy Those who join Wolf in being proponents of practical philosophy find their roots in the philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman world One of their contentions is that “philosophy that works” began to be replaced later in history by philosophy as an end in itself, and open only to philosophers In this article I will discuss philosophy as an aid to therapy I will examine philosophy as a practical enterprise (practical philosophy) which serves as a guide for living Even though philosophy continues to be practiced by universities as an academic exercise, and as a method of investigating theories, practical philosophy has experienced resurgence in recent decades This article contrasts practical philosophy with philosophy as taught in academic institutions or written about in standard books and other treatises The definition of “practical philosophy,” will be evident as we move throughout this summary This article presents philosophy as: (1) a way of self-improvement rather than a source of theories, (2) a way of life, not a special skill or study separate from other disciplines, (3) a method that equips the thinker to offer practical advice, (4) an aid to spiritual development, and (5) a guide to clinical counseling Those from the field of psychology who set the stage for the use of philosophy in such a practical clinical manner have included Viktor Frankl, Carl Gustav Jung, Bernard Maslow, and Erik Erikson The readers of this article most likely use philosophical principles in their clinical work (1) Self Improvement Philosophy as practiced in the ancient world was an exercise designed to purify the person (the psyche) and to promote rational decisions It was not primarily an academic or literary exercise Nor was it primarily a way to: speculate about the ultimate foundations of reality, debate at length in order to increase familiarity with difficult concepts, develop cognitive strength, or to learn and promulgate the views of famous people It was primarily a way of therapeia or a cure for what ills the person (psyche) “Socrates’ aim in dialogue was not to impart a doctrine, but to care for the soul” (Grosso, M., 2005) The process of Socratic dialogue does more than help one arrive at superior theories The process of dialogue sharpens cognitive skills, eliminates unconstructive thinking, and instills a respect for one’s ignorance Thus it promotes Socratic irony — i.e., knowing that we not know This latter process was a cleansing of the mind (“care for the soul”) to make room for clearer thought and ultimately promote personal growth (2) Way Of Life For many centuries philosophy was not a separate discipline practiced by philosophers in philosophy books or philosophy departments in schools Philosophy was practiced by anyone who (1) loved to learn (philo = love, sophia = wisdom), (2) continued the practice of constant self-examination and self-correction [“know thyself,” “the unexamined life is not worth living,”] (3) tried to see the big picture of life, and (4) kept up with current trends in discovery in all areas of life Philosophy was a way to improve oneself by the constant exercise of good thinking, and by the habit of doing the right thing In the ancient world, especially as expressed by Aristotle, “virtue” was the habit of doing the right thing An excellent example of practical philosophy as used in counseling is embodied in M Grosso’s article on training the will (Grosso, M., 2005) He connects “will training” with the ancient Greek philosophical principle of encrateia which he translates as “selfmastery.” He describes clinical philosophy as a way of training the will to bridge the gap between intentions and actions (3) Practical Value One can see practical philosophy at work throughout history, in the form of philosophers acting as advisors or consultants Plato and others served as consultants to politicians Hume served as a diplomat Leibniz was also a consultant on engineering projects Those in authority in many fields turned to people we now call “philosophers” to guide them in improving their effectiveness in their fields Plato counseled Dionysius II of Syracuse, Descartes counseled Queen Christina of Sweden, and Locke was a counselor in the household of the first Earl of Shaftesbury These are just a few examples of the philosophers who counseled royalty, politicians, clergy and all others who asked for their services Though philosophy has become a purely academic profession in the last few centuries, at the end of the 20th century private philosophy tutors and counselors are increasingly gaining popularity (The Philosophical Counseling Web Site, 2008) (4) Spiritual Development For many centuries, prior to the development of philosophy as a separate discipline, there was also no distinction between intellectual and spiritual development Good thinking was thought to lead to good behavior and to a more pure and elevated inner life Therefore, for many philosophical movements in the ancient world, there was a religious and sometimes a monastic element to the groups who gathered to philosophy There were no philosophers who were not “theological,” as there was no hard and fast distinction between philosophers and religious thinkers It was expected, among those who joined the schools of many philosophers in the ancient world, that something like prayer, devotional use of reading and listening, exhortation to improvement, and emulating the mentor, would be a regular part of the discipline (5) Clinical Counseling Recent decades have seen the rise of philosophy as a professional counseling practice The American Philosophical Practitioner’s Association (APPA, 2008) certifies philosophical counselors at various levels of professionality [See also the Internationale Gesellschaft für Philosophische Praxis, (International Society for Philosophical Practice IGPP, 2008) The APPA promotes philosophical counseling as an alternative to psychotherapy for selected clients without mental disorders, and carefully distinguishes the two Philosophical counseling (a) emphasizes the growth of the whole person rather than focuses on symptoms, (b) focuses on helping people reach their life goals rather than treating disorders, (c) does not employ medical types of diagnosis, (d) relies heavily on bibliotherapy, and (e) employs philosophical principles to guide the progress of the counseling I am not certified in philosophical counseling by the APPA or any other organization I have a Master’s degree in philosophy and a Ph.D in clinical psychology, and I employ philosophical principles in my practice Some philosophical principles I use implicitly, and some I use explicitly in the process of sharing them with patients There is more didactics in philosophical counseling than in many psychotherapies One certified philosophical counselor (Grosso, M., 2008) has stated that his profession makes frequent use of cognitive behavioral methods Literature There has been an explosion of literature in the fields of practical philosophy and philosophical counseling in recent decades The American Philosophical Practitioners Association includes an extensive bibliography on their website, and maintains a journal which publishes relevant literature in this arena entitled Philosophical Practice In many cases, the titles of books in this field speak for themselves: Philosophical Midwifery, Philosophy for Counseling and Psychotherapy, Wise Therapy, Plato Not Prozac!, The Big Questions, Habits of Mind: An Introduction to Clinical Philosophy, Philosophy That Works An experienced classicist, Luke Timothy Johnson, has published a series of audio lectures on practical philosophical entitled Practical Philosophy: The Greco-Roman Moralists, published by the Teaching Company (Johnson, L.T., 2002) The Teaching Company also offers, Philosophy as a Guide to Living, by Stephen A Erickson (Erickson, S.A., 2008) Societies A number of professional societies offer education and oversight for the field of philosophical counseling We have already mentioned the APPA and IGPP In addition, The Philosophical Counseling Web Site (2008) lists such societies throughout the world Such societies include the Dutch, Norwegian, Canadian, Israeli, British, Finnish, Italian, Spanish, South African, Australian, Brazilian, and Portuguese One philosophy department in Japan publishes that it practices “clinical philosophy,” and on its website (Department of Ethics and Clinical Philosophy, 2008) states that it studies: “What is 'Quality of Life'”? One early practitioner in the area of philosophical counseling who has published in this arena is Gerd Achenbach (1984) who is a director of the IGPP (German initials for the International Society for Philosophical Practice) According to their website (2008), Achenbach began “private consultations about life problems and questions in 1981.” In 1982 Achenbach founded the IGPP, and published his first books on the subject in 1984 Soon after that, philosophical counseling spread over the European continent, and then to America Caveats There are those in the field of clinical philosophy who not employ rigorous scientific modes of thinking in their entire practice Two of their representatives take a personal, though not logical, stand against the use of diagnosis and medication in mental health practice In his otherwise useful book, “Plato not Prozac,” Marinoff (Marinoff, L., 1999) parodies the DSM-IV method of diagnosis with sarcastic exaggerations about the over-use of diagnosis He gives examples of over-use of diagnosis without citations or attributions to support his claims He employs ad hominem terminology when he claims that psychiatry “masquerades as serious science,” Ritalin has “nightmarish side-effects,” and claims that the medical establishment mistreats “American schoolchildren … drugging them by coercion.” He cites no evidence for such claims He states that “there is not one shred of medical evidence that ADHD is caused by any specific brain disease,” and does not supply any support for such a claim And he falsely claims that the DSMIV method of diagnosis is unscientific because “these so-called disorders are not tested according to any scientific criteria.” False, illogical, and ad hominem statements will only serve to detract from the assets of philosophical counseling In contrast, in personal communication with this author, Marinoff stated “We likewise see no controversy in referring clients to psychologists or psychiatrists when their problems lie outside our noetic scope of practice.” (Marinoff, L., 2008) In an unpublished book review supplied to this author by M Grosso (Grosso, M., 2008), he takes up the banner of Szasz and others who oppose the use of medication for the treatment of mental disorders Useable Truths Practical philosophy and philosophical counseling are likely to employ compact epigrams rather than rely on lengthy treatises Hence the frequent use of “sayings” of the sages in ancient philosophy One of the philosophical counseling websites provides a list of such potentially practical guides to life in the form of ancient and modern philosophical aphorisms Many are already well-known, and striking for their compactness: “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” (Seneca) “Nobody is so foolish as to prefer war to peace Because in peace sons bury their fathers, while in war fathers bury their sons,” (Herodotus) Brief sayings have the advantage of being easily remembered and repeated They can be called forth in times of stress, unlike the complex and lengthy treatises of academically oriented philosophy Therefore, they have practical value in daily life They not contain the caveats, explanations, defenses, and details found in lengthy treatises But they contain useful wisdom that is portable and practical, and can be used across all disciplines, social strata, levels of education, and personalities Therapeia not Theory Philosophical counseling is not normally practiced within one theoretical frame of reference The emphasis is on the client, not on the theory The philosophical counselor is a mentor and guide to the client, not a representative of some counseling method for which research support can be claimed In philosophical counseling, the practitioner and the client are more like colleagues than in traditional psychotherapy They search together, with heavy emphasis placed on the client to continue the search for practical wisdom outside the counseling session and for its application to daily life Bibliotherapy is frequently employed both for expansion of the mind and spirit and to continue the effects of the counseling session outside the practitioner’s office There are schools of thought in psychology which employ similar practices Practical philosophy is something that people seem to search for even if they never employ the term Attempts at practical philosophy can be found in inspirational articles in the popular press such the Reader’s Digest, the pithy sayings on Hallmark Cards or plaques on home walls, and the phrases employed by religions throughout the world Frequently repeated verses from religious literature have crept into secular discourse, “turn the other cheek,” “the truth will set you free.” Practical philosophy as a profession thus sets out to promote and extend what we are all trying to anyway Clinical philosophy may be more accessible to many seekers who cannot find their path through academic/professional philosophical or psychological modes of thought and practice Clinical philosophy can go deep enough for the most advanced philosophical person, or can be readily used by those unfamiliar with philosophy Clinical philosophy can help the most experienced thinker seek their true calling in life, deepen their understanding of themselves, enhance relationships, find more meaning in life, or develop a more fulfilling spiritual life Thinkers of all levels of experience have sought out philosophical guidance through the millennia, or offered it to others Now it has been given a contemporary name, and many practitioners are adding direction and strength to the profession Case Study A.B is a 50 year old Caucasian male who has been very successful in his career, continues to be generally recognized as an expert, and is in demand for his services His background is technical rather than customer service; his dress and behavior are that of a thinker rather than a motivator or salesman He and his wife of many years have a son His wife has been successful academically and now has a professional occupation which is also her true calling in life A.B frequently professes low self-esteem, difficulty enjoying his accomplishments, and hesitation about striking out in any creative areas of his life He has dreams he would like to fulfill, and possesses more than sufficient economic resources to bring them to fruition He often feels unattended to by his wife, as she pursues her true calling in life, while he continues to refine what such a true calling would be for him He is a verbal, conceptual, and analytical person, who habitually thinks over things at great length before he takes action He respects intellectual acumen in others, but is not condescending or elitist about it He responds best in therapy to verbal insight and challenge He does not bristle at being challenged if the confrontation is based on facts he can recognize about his emotions and behavior Extensive insight-oriented probing into his past or his relationships with others is not constructive for him When philosophical principles are offered in therapy he responds readily and often recognizes them from his voluminous academic training He finds that philosophical principles often tie together his scientific background, his penchant for tight logical thinking, and his desire for change He thinks much lowlier of himself than the facts indicate, and he becomes bogged down in this low self-esteem There is a gap between his intentions and his actions He is experiencing a weakness in encrateia (self-mastery) and lacks training in the will He is responding to challenges about the gap between his intentions and his actions, and through modified cognitive behavioral methods, he is pursuing activities that tie the two closer together He is especially captivated by the prospects of self-mastery through this process Case Study E.F is a 40 year old Caucasian male who excels in customer service His build, fashion in dress, trendy car, and engaging social manner make him stand out in a crowd These skills have served him well in his career E.F has been overwhelmed by the challenges of parenthood and husband-hood, and has withdrawn from his family with an acutely low mood This dysphoria accentuated his life-long propensity for reaching out to other women Before and during his relationship with his wife, he often established Platonic, and sometimes physical, relationships with other women His wife has become aware of these activities and this has lead to protracted and injurious ruptures in their relationship The patient complains about the guilt he feels, but continues to make himself available for extra-marital contacts He thinks much more highly of himself than the facts of his life indicate He responds best to philosophical principles which suggest the wisdom of humility, and of knowledge of one’s ignorance (Socratic irony) He is open to such a challenge and struggles to incorporate such principles Philosophical Principles in Current Practice Philosophical principles are not new to the practice of psychotherapy Many of the schools of thought in psychology are direct in acknowledging their debt to philosophical ideas which predated philosophy as a separate discipline As was indicated above, one philosophical practitioner (Grosso, 2008) has detailed philosophical counseling’s debt to cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapists (Beck, A, 1976.; Burns, D., 1980) are explicit in their description of the use of philosophical principles to guide human behavior In his book “Feeling good,” David Burns lists 12 common cognitive distortions which have a negative impact on mood and behavior Albert Ellis in his practice of rational motive therapy often confronts his clients using a combination of cognitive behavioral and general philosophical principles to directly expose them to the potential negative consequences of the choices Psychotherapists, consciously or unconsciously, employ philosophical principles when they make assessments about how to confront the patient's difficulties with unrealistically low or high self-esteem, making bad choices, or denying/rationalizing selfdestructive behaviors The millennia of classic philosophical writings from which we can draw, combined with current clinical work conducted by philosophical counselors, can provide us with material to enrich, guide, and challenge those in our care References Achenbach, G (1984) Philosophische Praxis Jurgen Dinter, Koln American Philosophical Practitioners Association APPA (2008) http://www.appa.edu/ Beck, A.T (1976) Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders New York : International Universities Press Burns, D (1980) Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Morrow, New York Department of Ethics and Clinical Philosophy, Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University (2008) http://www.let.osaka-u.ac.jp/clph/english.html Erickson, S.A (2008) Philosophy as a Guide to Living The Teaching Company, http://www.teach12.com Grosso, M (2008) Personal communication Grosso, M (2005) “Will Training and Philosophical Practice.” Philosophical Practice, 1(1), 23-32 International Society for Philosophical Practice IGPP (2008) Internationale Gesellschaft für Philosophische Praxis, http://www.igpp.org/eng/igpp_start.asp Johnson, L.T (2002) Practical Philosophy: The Greco-Roman Moralists The Teaching Company, http://www.teach12.com Marinoff, L (1999) Plato not Prozac Quill, Harper Collins, New York, NY) Philosophical Counseling Website (2008) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum /5914/index.html Wolf, D.M (2003) Philosophy that Works XLibris Corporation John W Wires, Ph.D Clinical Psychologist jwwires@msn.com

Ngày đăng: 17/10/2017, 22:46

Tài liệu cùng người dùng

  • Đang cập nhật ...

Tài liệu liên quan