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Logic-Based Therapy, founded by Elliot D. Cohen, is a leading modality of
“philosophical practice”. or "philosophical counseling." Like
psychological practice, philosophical practice aims at helping clients
address their behavioral and emotional problems. In contrast, its
practitioners typically stress philosophical methods and theories above
mainstream psychological ones. LBT is offspring to Rational-Emotive
Behavior Therapy (REBT) developed by psychologist Albert Ellis in the
1950's. Dr. Ellis' vision has been to cultivate a form of therapy
enlightened by philosophy and logic. The Institute of Critical
Thinking, founded in 1985, seeks to carry on this philosophical tradition
in the form of LBT. To learn more about LBT and its relation to REBT
see LBT: The New Philosophical Frontier for REBT
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The idea that philosophical methods
and theories can provide therapy to people with problems of living occurred to me in the late 1970s ... Here was the
basic idea behind philosophical counseling: the use of philosophical methods and theories
to improve upon peoples practical, life decisions. Not theory for its own sake; not logic for the
share contemplation, but enlistment of these in the overcoming of practical life problems!
It was in fact my early hypothesis that many of the emotional and
behavioral problems that people suffer are the result of bad logic. I wondered how
many marriages went awry from the commission of faulty thinking errors; how many
familial dysfunctions amidst self-defeating bouts with anxiety, depression, anger
and guilt were fueled by conclusions that could never pass philosophical muster. Yet the
treatment of behavioral and emotional problems was classically the province of the
psychologist, not the philosopher. At the same time, training in logic and philosophical
analysis was not typically part of the training of psychologists.
In the mid eighties, I set out to confirm my hypothesis by attempting to
treat clients by giving them logic and philosophy, and what I learned in the
therapeutic endeavor confirmed my hypothesis, for I found people torturing themselves
through the commission of reasoning errors that could be easily flagged by students
of philosophy 101.
Prior to starting my clinical work, I had become aware of one form of psychotherapy that started with a similar hypothesis as my own, that
behavioral and emotional problems are rooted in irrational thinking. The theory in
question was (then) known as Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET), which had been developed by
psychologist Albert Ellis more than three decades before my own work began.
...Unfortunately,
philosophers of this era did not—and still do not —usually study the work
of counselors and psychotherapist in sufficient detail. Second, they did
not—
and still do not—usually try their theories out in the clinic. It was,
however, in overcoming these two tendencies inherent in my own training as a
professional philosopher that made the development of my approach to philosophical
counseling possible.
Realizing the need to bring philosophers, counselors, and
psychotherapists together I co-founded the American Society for Philosophy, Counseling,
and Psychotherapy in 1991 under the auspices of the American Philosophical
Association. The mission of this learned Society was, in the words of it Constitution,
"to foster the study of issues relating to philosophy, counseling and psychotherapy" and
"the means to this end shall include learned meetings to promote the scholarly exchange
of views." In 1995, as ASPCP members became interested in practical issues such as malpractice, licensing and certification, the Society turned to
development of a Code of Ethics and Standards of Certification, and in 1996 began to issue
certification to philosophers in philosophical counseling. ...
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