Psychotherapy: A kind of clinical philosophy?

Abstract

I will speak up for philosophy as a deep, questioning attitude and a form of critical thinking. I will argue that the development of this kind of attitude is not only necessary to the therapeutic endeavour, it is identical to it. The work of developing this attitude requires courage not only from the ones-who-come-for-help, but also the ones-who-try-to-help. Amongst other things, I will contest the idea of psychotherapy as ‘treatment’ that seeks to ‘cure’ ‘mental illnesses’. I will say something about how this way of thinking tries to inform the ethos of the group analytic programme in Bengaluru, India. I will draw on my understanding of ‘Eastern’ philosophies, and contrast them with my evolving philosophy of psychotherapy. In this task I will call on a range of philosophers from Wittgenstein to Hume, Mead, Gaita, Keats, Weil, and de Beauvoir.