Frequently Asked Questions

All philosophical counseling sessions have moved to Zoom.

When working together online, I recommend you find a private, quiet place on your end so you can speak freely with minimal interruptions.

(But I get that interruptions sometimes happen. Full disclosure: I have a dog who sometimes likes to say hello. We just want to minimize them so you can focus on you!)

Psychotherapists diagnose mental illness and behavioral disorders. They tend to search for a diagnosis while listening to your life problems.

Philosophical counselors don’t diagnose. We tend to assume that most life problems are not signs of mental illness but the challenges of the human condition that we all face — like creating a life of purpose, empowerment, integrity, and authenticity. In philosophical counseling, we work through struggles surrounding meaning and purpose, beliefs and values, ethics and justice, identity and change, freedom and self-determination. Philosophical counselors approach their clients not as patients but as thought partners with whom to work through the big questions of life. If a medical issue is suspected, a philosophical counselor will suggest that their client seek advice from their doctor.

Psychotherapists tend to approach your life problems by asking a lot of questions about your emotional life, eliciting feelings, tracing a personal history of trauma, and identifying childhood origins of current difficulties.

Philosophical counselors tend to approach your ways of feeling as a starting point for uncovering your ways of thinking — including old assumptions, interpretations, judgments, values, and worldviews. We then proceed to examine these assumptions, try out alternative ways of thinking, and consider which choices you might make going forward for a more empowered and fulfilling life. Since your ways of thinking influence nearly everything you do (your feelings, choices, goals, actions, creativity, and relationships), transforming your ways of thinking can have a big effect on the rest of your life.

Psychotherapists use techniques and modalities learned in the field of psychology to treat their patients.

Philosophical counselors draw on philosophy’s wisdom traditions to enrich our interactive conversations and open up new points of view. Philosophical counselors also use philosophy’s critical and creative thinking tools to question mainstream beliefs and cultural norms, examine life, and imagine new possibilities . . . just like Socrates!

In philosophy, anything is open to question, so no particular religious faith is required. Many of my clients reveal they are “recovering” from their religious upbringing and looking for another way to approach life’s big questions. Beyond all the dogmas you were taught as a child, there is a field full of new questions. I will meet you there. Naughty language is welcome.

Some of my clients are in psychotherapy at the same time as philosophical counseling. Most of the time, psychotherapy and philosophical counseling complement each other. They approach your problems from different points of view and with different tools, both of which are valuable.

Some clients come to philosophical counseling because they want something different from psychotherapy. They couldn’t get into the bigger questions they wanted to pursue in psychotherapy and were looking for a new approach. That’s great, too!

Email me (Monica) to schedule a free 30-minute discovery call.

We can talk about your struggles, your goals, the kind of help you’re looking for, and what we do in philosophical counseling. We’ll set up your first appointment if we both think we’re a good fit.

At this time, I offer philosophical counseling to adults (at least 18 years of age).

I will consider younger teenage clients on a case-by-case basis. If you’re a 14-year-old in the throes of an existential crisis, you’re in.

Your first 30-minute discovery call, to find out if we’re a good fit, is free.

The regular rate for a one-hour session is $150.

An introductory package of five sessions is available for $600. (That’s a discount of $150. The package is non-refundable.)

A few sliding-scale spots are available. There may be a waiting list for these spots, as they are typically full with students. Please ask me about them if you have a financial need.

The sliding scale is between $75 and $150 per hour, depending on your household income. To calculate your rate on the sliding scale, take your household income and multiply by .1%. So, if your household income is $80,000 a year, multiply by .001, and your rate is $80 for an hour-long session.

Every week or every other week…

You can decide whether you’d like to meet weekly or every other week, depending on your availability and how much time you like to have to “digest” new ideas and try them out in practice in between sessions.

I recommend three months of work together…

The transformative work we’ll be doing requires that we go deeply into your life’s narratives, reflect on your deepest values, question assumptions, think critically and creatively, try on new perspectives, evaluate your options, and take practical steps toward the life you want to build.

That takes some time. So, I recommend a commitment of at least three months of work together to unpack issues and make lasting changes in your life. You can always stay for longer!

Philosophical counseling is not covered by health insurance. It is considered an educational (not a medical) service, primarily because philosophical counselors do not diagnose or treat mental illness or behavioral disorders.

In my humble opinion, however, the philosophical work of developing meaning, freedom, and authenticity in your life — and learning to combat the soul-crushing systems of alienation at work in our culture — is crucial for human health and flourishing. We’ll have to wait for the health insurance companies to catch up on that.

After each session…

Right after our session, I will email you a PayPal invoice that allows you to pay by credit card online. Please pay your invoice within 24 hours.

Or, as a non-refundable package before our first session…

If you’d like to purchase the five-session introductory package, I will email you a PayPal invoice for you to pay before our first session.

If you cancel your session with less than 24 hours’ notice, I will not be able to fill your spot and will have to charge you for your session.

If you need to cancel, please do so as far in advance as possible (a week in advance is preferred).

Nope!

We will be doing philosophical activities together, like examining assumptions and values, trying out fresh perspectives, and applying new insights to our lives. I will bring in philosophical insights from my studies as they seem useful to our discussion, but you do not need any prior knowledge of them.

Nope. For those with a background in philosophy, you may find that we have studied many of the same thinkers… or that we haven’t. Philosophy is a big field, after all.

I think it’s always best to assume the other person doesn’t know the details of your favorite philosophies, or which parts of them you have in mind. Communication works best when we avoid name-dropping, and instead try to explain to each other the insights we find relevant and why in our own words.

And, it’s good to remember that our main goal in philosophical counseling (which makes it different from a class) is to connect the inspiring philosophical ideas we talk about back to the life problems you’re dealing with, so they can help you with YOUR unique situation.

I am most inspired by traditions in ethics, existentialism, and feminism.

You’ll find me talking about the ancient Greeks: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics.

I also like to draw on Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone De Beauvoir, and Viktor Frankl for insights on empowerment and creativity.

Karl Marx will probably make an appearance if you get me riled up.

Feeling playful? The late Wittgenstein is a great way to loosen up our thinking.

I’m a newbie at Eastern philosophy, but I’m enjoying my studies of Buddhism and Taoism.

I usually suggest “homework” in the sense of a question or two to reflect on for the next appointment… or an action to take during the week to try out a new insight. On occasion, I might recommend readings if you’re eager.

But there is no “required reading” in philosophical counseling. Head over to philosophy workshops for that!

No… thank God!

It is totally fine to call ideas into question, give opposing evidence, or challenge each other in the spirit of thinking through a problem together. But we’re not going to be sparring. It is not a competition of egos.

We’re here to understand each other’s insights and work together on a common problem. We’re trying to figure out how to proceed through enduring philosophical questions in the way that will serve you best.

Come with an open mind and be ready to try new perspectives and habits.

Accept that life transformation is not a one-session process. It takes time to examine ideas, shift your point of view, and experiment with new insights in practice.

Have confidence in your own power to make changes in your life.

And let yourself laugh!

Immediately, you will have a friend and deliberation-partner who wants to understand you, who sees you in your specificity, who takes your experience seriously, who cares about your value as a person, and who roots for your freedom and personal fulfillment.

You’ll get a supportive relationship with someone who wants to help you soar in your life. That in and of itself is a kind of healing from everyday alienation.

Well, stick with it and you’re likely to become a certified badass, pursuing a unique, creative, purposeful path that never existed before you showed up on earth.

Knowing what you care about most, you’ll be able to recognize and find your kin in the world and connect meaningfully with your people… and other creatures, too. (Don’t forget about them!)

We need around 8-10 people ready to venture for a retreat.

The quickest way for retreats to come back is to gather your own small group and talk with me about some dates that would work. I will figure out the location, program, and pricing.

A three-night retreat costs about $600-$700 per person (which covers lodging or camping, food, and the program). It does not cover travel to and from the retreat site. In the past, we’ve been able to organize a carpool caravan to get everyone to the retreat site.