This book addresses the topic of the unconscious from three different perspectives: philosophy, clinical psychology, and personal mental health. It is therefore relevant to a variety of individuals, such as students and philosophers studying philosophy of psychology and philosophy of mind, and students and practitioners in the field of mental health for whom the formal definition and description of the unconscious has undergone radical changes. In addition, it is informative and helpful in a practical way to individuals for whom a consideration of the unconscious has played a role in dealing with their own mental health. As the title suggests, this book is also meant as a resource for practitioners in the field of philosophical counselling. Philosophical counselling consists of a trained philosopher helping an individual deal with a personal problem or an issue that is of concern to that individual. The topic of the unconscious has been largely ignored in the philosophical counselling literature because the unconscious has been so strongly associated with psychology. But philosophical counsellors often find themselves seeing individuals who have previously undergone some form of psychotherapy. This means that not only must the philosophical counsellor be prepared to offer the client a perspective on personal problems that is removed from the psychotherapeutic medical model of distress as 'mental illness, ' but the counsellor must also be able to offer assistance free from the influence of the popular misconception that the unconscious is a controlling but ultimately incomprehensible entity buried deep within the mind. The chapters in this book are intended to help the philosophical counsellor achieve those ends.

Weaving together state-of-the-art research, theory, and clinical insights, this book provides a new understanding of the unconscious and its centrality in human functioning. The authors review heuristics, implicit memory, implicit learning, attribution theory, implicit motivation, automaticity, affective versus cognitive salience, embodied cognition, and clinical theories of unconscious functioning. They integrate this work with cognitive neuroscience views of the mind to create an empirically supported model of the unconscious. Arguing that widely used psychotherapies--including both psychodynamic and cognitive approaches--have not kept pace with current science, the book identifies promising directions for clinical practice. Winner--American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis Book Prize (Theory)

Annotation Critiques existing theoretical approaches and practices of philosophical counseling and presents a new model.

This book consists of a focused and systematic analysis of Freud’s implicit argument for unconscious mental states. The author employs the unique approach of applying contemporary philosophical methods, especially Kripke-Putnam essentialism, in analyzing Freud’s argument. The book elaborates how Freud transformed the intentionality theory of his Cartesian teacher Franz Brentano into what is essentially a sophisticated modern view of the mind. Indeed, Freud redirected Brentano's analysis of consciousness as intentionality into a view of consciousness-independent intentionalism about the mental that in effect set the agenda for latter-twentieth-century philosophy of mind.

In this book, Raabe argues that philosophy can effectively inform and improve conventional methods of treating mental illness. He presents clinical evidence showing that mild and so-called clinical mental illnesses can be both prevented and alleviated with philosophical talk therapy. Raabe offers concrete case examples that support his findings.

"This book discusses the philosophical questions asked by counselees and the philosophical dilemmas faced by counselors in philosophical counseling. It illustrates the role of tacit philosophical assumptions in the creation and resolution of problems, as well as the contribution of philosophical dialogue in overcoming presuppositions"--

Raabe examines some of the most perplexing problems a client may present to a counselor and how a philosopher would deal with them. He provides a detailed philosophical discussion as well as illustrative case studies of some of the most important issues encountered in any counseling practice. The first six chapters discuss philosophical counseling in general terms, while the following 15 chapters deal with specific life issues such as the differences between how men and women communicate and how this is relevant to a counseling discussion, the role of medication in therapy, the concept of normalcy, the meaning of life, the motivation behind suicide, dream interpretation, and religious beliefs. An important resource for professionals, students, and scholars involved with philosophical counseling and applied/practical philosophy.