1. Values in Psychology and Therapy. The concept of value has become central in contemporary therapeutic discourse. Many therapeutic interventions rely on the concept of value to prod people behave in ways society deems “healthy”. For example, positive psychology notes that values are a vital part of self-actualization. For a person to live a self-actualized …
In today’s essay I would like to continue our investigation of examination of the core doctrines of Pythagoreanism. Specifically, this essay will explore the Pythagorean theory of number, harmony, and cosmos. That number would play an important role in Pythagoreanism should probably not surprise us, given the famous theorem bearing the Pythagorean name and the …
Having grown up in a Christian family, I am familiar with the fact that spiritual teachings can come in the form of letters. Every week we would go to church and hear sermons derived from epistles (letters) said to be written by apostles such as Peter, Paul, or John. Rather than being confined to a …
I recently came across Dr. Elaine Aron’s work on high sensitivity. Aron posits high sensitivity as a trait exhibited across a variety of species that favors awareness and evaluation over unreflective action. While some animals, hoping to catch a tasty snack, may immediately dart after something new in their environment, others may stay back and …
Americans are finally beginning to reckon with the damaging effects of Evangelical purity culture. The publication of books like Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free, Damaged Goods: New Perspectives on Christian Purity, and Shameless: A Case for not Feeling bad about feeling good (about …
[Note: I am a philosopher, not a mental health professional. These are my personal opinions, and should not be regarded as professional advice regarding the diagnosis or treatment of mental illness. If you have concerns about your mental health, you should seek the counsel of a licensed mental health professional.] America has witnessed a mass …
Boethius’ The Consolation of Philosophy has been neglected by most Anglo-American philosophy departments. It is not unusual for students to come away from their undergraduate degree in philosophy with the basics of Russell, Quine, Kripke, and whatever else is marketed to be fashionable at the moment, but little to no exposure to the classical texts …
Note: I’m a philosopher, not a mental health professional. These reflections are my personal opinions and none of them should be construed as professional advice regarding the diagnosis or treatment of mental illness. Problems for Therapy as it is Traditionally Construed Despite branding efforts to the contrary, psychotherapy remains a human endeavor (and more an …
Viktor Frankl is known both for surviving the horrors of the concentration camps of World War II and for developing a psychotherapeutic framework he dubbed logotherapy. Often referred to as the Third Viennese School, this framework departs from previous approaches to psychoanalysis by appealing to the centrality of the search for meaning in human life. …
Purported miracles and the testimonies concerning them are essential to many religious traditions. They can not only define a religion’s conceptual content, but can also serve as evidence for that content. For example, consider the following early Christian credal formulation recited by St. Paul: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached …