What does psychotherapy share with philosophy—and where does its path diverge? Along the way we see why academic philosophy and evidence-based therapies tend to lost sight of core human concerns addressed in depth therapy.
Gary, this was an eloquent and thoughtful (also thought-provoking) essay. Thank you. One of my favorite parts is the section about the positive aspects of "resistance" in life (i.e. challenges). The Stoics wrote about this a lot, of course, and they were hardly alone. During the many years that I was teaching, I told my students very clearly on Day 1 that I intended to challenge them. Because my job was to be their coach, to make them better, as they prepared for their professional career. To do that, a coach needs to challenge his charges and perhaps we all need to remember that this is not only part of life, but required for growth. Students, like your patient, who identified the challenges and accepted them as their own were the students who learned and grew the most. "The obstacle is the way", yes? Anyway, thank you.
I couldn't agree more. That the obstacle is the way is a message that needs amplifying right now, especially among parents and teachers. Haidt is on to something when he worries about the Coddling of the American Mind. Thank you for your reflection.
Gary, this was an eloquent and thoughtful (also thought-provoking) essay. Thank you. One of my favorite parts is the section about the positive aspects of "resistance" in life (i.e. challenges). The Stoics wrote about this a lot, of course, and they were hardly alone. During the many years that I was teaching, I told my students very clearly on Day 1 that I intended to challenge them. Because my job was to be their coach, to make them better, as they prepared for their professional career. To do that, a coach needs to challenge his charges and perhaps we all need to remember that this is not only part of life, but required for growth. Students, like your patient, who identified the challenges and accepted them as their own were the students who learned and grew the most. "The obstacle is the way", yes? Anyway, thank you.
I couldn't agree more. That the obstacle is the way is a message that needs amplifying right now, especially among parents and teachers. Haidt is on to something when he worries about the Coddling of the American Mind. Thank you for your reflection.