to the critical thinking approach, aims at understanding the depth of life. ‗It's main task is not to analyze the ideas, but to finish them for a deeper understanding of life‘. (Valentinovich 2018:151 Also, philosophical counseling and philosophical companionship are two kinds of philosophical practices which happen in the form of individual or group work. It is assumed that philosophical counseling is similar to an existential form of psychotherapy where counselors through counseling understand the structure and existential questions of the individual. It tries to understand an individual‘s ontological ideas and worldview. On the other hand, philosophical companionship is another form of philosophical practice where individuals are engaged in understanding different ideas and concepts of life through phenomenological reduction3 and philosophical contemplation. Similarly, Socratic Cafe is another group of philosophical companionship founded by Christopher Phillips where people meet and exchange their philosophical perspectives through the Socratic method. Talking about its therapeutic approach, philosophical practice mainly focuses on solving psychological problems. Through systematization and generalization of the problem, it helps to resolve the interlocutor‘s problem. This approach allows us to understand the synthesis of psychotherapy and philosophical practices. Nussbaum‘s conception of philosophy as therapy is based on the belief that philosophy should not simply focus on cognitive problems, rather also on emotive as well as conative problems. It should focus on irrational fears, invalid conclusions, and misguided assumptions of life. She says that a good life cannot be based on reasons only, rather it is one‘s emotions and actions that constitute a good life. (Sulavikova 2012:134). 4. AN ALTERNATIVE TO PSYCHOLOGY OR PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC APPROACHES? It is difficult to explain the exact difference between philosophical practice and psychotherapy as not only do both fields have different sources and methodologies but, unlike psychology, philosophical practice doesn't have a single unified approach. However, some European philosophical practitioners have made attempts to distinguish these two fields. According to them, theories of psychotherapy are based on the scientific workings of the mind (cognitive, emotive, and conative aspects). Their intervention of seeing individuals is on the parameter of psychological factors, whereas philosophical practitioner inquiry is based on understanding the worldview of an individual. This worldview involves the very basic idea about life, morality, happiness, sorrow, integrity, etc. However, certain human problems can‘t be addressed by philosophical practice, for example, different cognitive disorders and mood disorders. These disorders require medication and psychological counseling. While philosophical 3
Derived from the philosophical traditions of phenomenology and phenomenological psychology, for the study of firstperson experiences of consciousness (For details see, Depraz, N. (1999). The phenomenological reduction as praxis. Journal of Consciousness Studies)
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