Therapy From The Stoics? Applying Ancient Wisdom.

Stoicism is a school of Greek philosophy founded in the 3rd Century BCE by Zeno of Citium and expounded upon by philosophers such as Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius among others.  

Essentially Stoics were concerned with understanding the relationship between cosmic determinism and human freedom, as well as developing a system of ethics and virtues. As a consequence, the Stoics presented their philosophy in pragmatic ways, that is as a way of life rather than just a system of thought.

Image by Michal Renčo from Pixabay

Interestingly, there has been somewhat of a renaissance in the field of applying ancient wisdom to modern forms of psychotherapy. Stoic practices, such as Socratic dialogue, contemplation of life, ‘mindfulness’ and daily reflection, can be integrated into existing therapeutic approaches.

Those of us who are trained in the ‘Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy’ (otherwise known as Viktor Frankl’s ‘Logotherapy & Existential Analysis’) will already be aware of the applicability, and efficacy, of such an approach. Therapy should always be about using the most applicable techniques that match the client's personality and broader aspirations, and that is why applying Socratic wisdom can be so powerful.

I am aware that many of the terms I am using at this stage can seem overly complicated! However, Stoicism itself is relatively straightforward, as is the way I apply it specifically in therapy.

So, I shall leave you for the moment with a few quotes from the Stoics that are worth reflecting on. There will be more information to follow, but we can start here:

“Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will—then your life will flow well.” EPICTETUS.

"You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength". MARCUS AURELIUS.

"While we wait for life, life passes". SENECA.

"No loss should be more regrettable to us than losing our time, for it’s irretrievable". ZENO.

There are numerous other quotes, exercises, and insights based on Stoic philosophy that I incorporate into my practice. If you want to find out more, send me a message via the 'Contact Me' form and I'll happily get back to you.

Take care,

Scott

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