One exciting development in modern philosophy which may be of interest to the potential client is the area now called “philosophical counseling,” or, “private consult philosophy.”  This emerging area has been spearheaded by the establishment of the first organization of its kind, The American

The Four Philosophers, painting by Peter Rubens

Philosophical Practitioners’ Association (www.appa.edu).

This movement has arisen for many reasons, among which are:

a) The perception among many inside and outside of the field of philosophy that philosophy has become too specialized, impractical, and far-removed from the lives of most people, leaving them without the resources for living which philosophy can provide.

b)  With the above removal of philosophy from practical impact in the lives of most people, the need for continued funding for university curricula has continued to shrink.  The establishment of “private practitioners” of philosophy, it is thought, with time, may improve the public perception of the need for philosophy in society, and thus reverse the trend toward defunding academic philosophy.

c) Practitioners of philosophical counseling assert that intellectual needs are just as important as other human needs, whether psychological, emotional, physical, or material.  Unfortunately, the validity and importance of intellectual needs continues to be neglected in many areas of society, whether secular or sacred, including psychiatry, educational systems, the media, and modern science in general.

Philosophical counseling asserts in the face of such societal indifference the validity and importance of the life of the mind.  It offers the individual a confidential arena in which intellectual dilemmas, doubts, and needs can be addressed with one-to-one supervision.  Individualized guided reading programs, Socratic dialogue sessions, and group discussions are available for those with interested, inquiring minds.

Please ask Dr. Firnberg for more information on philosophical counseling, at drtom@thomasfirnbergmd.com, or schedule an appointment by going to the CONTACT tab above.  Also, please check back often for education video-seminars soon to be available under the tab above, EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS, on topics such as philosophical counseling and standard subcategories in philosophy — metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy.