Author: Nathan Nobis
Categories: Phenomenology and Existentialism, Ethics, Logic and Reasoning, Philosophy of Mind and Language, Metaphilosophy
Wordcount: 997
Everyone confronts questions about personal meaning and purpose, family and relationship conflicts, work-related frustrations, midlife crises, life-altering health problems, hard choices, and many more challenges in daily living.
Can philosophy help with any of these issues? Advocates of “philosophical counseling” argue it can. Philosophical counseling is the application of philosophical methods, concepts, theories, arguments, and insights to concerns that are traditionally addressed by psychology-based counseling.
This essay describes a leading approach to philosophical counseling, known as Logic-Based Therapy (LBT), that has been developed and used since the 1980s.
1. Understanding LBT
LBT has six basic steps:[1]
- identifying the reasoning that is leading someone to feel a certain problematic way: what does the person believe that’s contributing to how they feel? This often involves identifying unstated assumptions that are essential to their reasoning;
- evaluating the premises of that reasoning: are any false or unjustified beliefs leading to these unwanted feelings?
- any problematic beliefs or inferences are identified, reflected on, and acknowledged as worthy of rejection;
- for each problematic belief that’s identified, corresponding better—more reasonable, more justified, more likely to be true—beliefs to adopt are identified;
- a plan is developed to help the person more fully accept these better beliefs and integrate them into their lives;
- strategies are identified to maintain these better beliefs and their positive results: revising our beliefs often isn’t easy!
LBT differs from more typical forms of psychotherapy with its emphasis on using logic to evaluate the arguments we accept. Traditional therapists do confront and challenge problematic beliefs and thought processes. LBT is unique in that it helps people do this using philosophical concepts such as valid and invalid argument patterns, counterexamples, consistency, logical fallacies, conceptual analysis, and other tools drawn from logic and critical thinking.[2]
LBT’s step (1) involves explicitly displaying the reasoning—the argument—that’s leading to the troubling feelings. LBT builds on the insight of the ancient Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, who observed that beliefs about events, not the events themselves, are what upset people.[3] LBT holds that we often upset ourselves by accepting false or unreasonable premises that lead to our own depression, worry, anxiety, guilt, anger, and other forms of unhappiness. For example:
- “If I have been rejected by my friends, then I must be worthless.”
- “I have been rejected by my friends.”
- “So, I must be worthless” (and so I feel worthless).
From these premises, someone deduces their own worthlessness (“I must be worthess”) and so feels worthless and then may act like they are worthless (“What’s the point in trying? Nobody cares!”).
Steps (2) through (4) involve identifying problematic reasoning and premises and finding better arguments to accept. About the example above, we can critique both premises:
- first, just because some friends reject you does not mean that you are a worthless person. Those “friends” might be the problem: maybe they rejected you because they have bad values. Or maybe it’s just that “people change” and you all are no longer a good match. So premise A is likely false.
- second, premise B might be false: what seems like rejection could be something that has nothing to do with you: maybe there’s been a misunderstanding.
LBT diagnoses flawed reasoning via types of false or unjustified beliefs that tend to lead to negative personal consequences.[4] People sometimes seem to accept beliefs that suggest that they are demanding that the world, or certain aspects of it, conform to some ideal of “perfection”: if the world—other people’s behavior, my own behavior, etc.—does not fit some ideal, then it is awful![5] An assumption that the world must be a certain way or else is common to many harmful ways of thinking: e.g., “If I don’t have the approval of others then I am unworthy,” “If I fail the exam then I’m a total idiot,” “If I have a problem then I must keep ruminating on it and can’t do anything else,” and so on. LBT helps people see these assumptions.
Responding to such faulty premises often involves identifying beliefs that involve accepting reality as it is, despite its unavoidable imperfections: for example, “I am imperfect, I make mistakes, but I am still a good-enough person,” or “I would prefer this, but it doesn’t have to be that way: I can be OK without that,” and the like.
LBT’s steps (5) and (6) involve adopting better ways of thinking that are more conducive to happiness, often with help from philosophical writings.[6] For example:
- feeling worthless? Learning how Kant argued that all people are of infinite worth might be uplifting;[7]
- unable to experience pleasure, or feeling guilty experiencing pleasure? Learning about utilitarianism, a happiness-focused ethics, may help;[8]
- treating yourself unfairly—e.g., not forgiving yourself for mistakes you would readily forgive others for? Learning about fairness, logical inconsistency, or exploring the philosophy of forgiveness might help;[9]
- feeling guilty for not believing something you (perhaps falsely) believe you must believe? Learning about skepticism can help;[10]
- feel “stuck” in life? You may be inspired by the existentialists’ insistence that we are always radically free to create new paths for ourselves;[11]
- have a personal moral dilemma? Learning how different ethical theories might apply to the issue can be illuminating;[12]
- think your life lacks meaning? Learning what philosophers have said about what might make life more meaningful can help you create or find meaning.[13]
For almost any personal issue, there are philosophical discussions that may help people. LBT encourages people to engage in relevant philosophical thinking to gain healthier belief systems and thus better lives. Traditional counselors are usually not aware of the many rich insights from philosophy that can be applied to life’s problems.
2. Conclusion
Philosophical counseling is applicable to many challenges of everyday life, although there are limits in terms of the problems it can effectively address.[14] When irrational beliefs lead to harmful, self-defeating results, and there is a need for guidance in seeking more life-affirming goals, philosophical counseling can be useful. We all need help sometimes, and philosophy, and philosophers, can provide helpful wisdom and compassionate support.[15]
Notes
[1] The presentation of the methods of LBT in this essay is both a reinterpretation of these methods and a simplification of a simplification. For an extended, but still brief, introduction, see Elliot Cohen’s (2014) “Logic-Based Therapy to Go: A Step-by-step Primer On How LBT Can Work For You” on his What Would Aristotle Do? blog at Psychology Today. For further discussions of LBT, see Cohen (2025) and other materials by Cohen in the “References” and “For Further Reading” sections.
[2] For an introduction to some of these concepts, see Arguments: Why Do You Believe What You Believe? by Thomas Metcalf and Critical Thinking: What is it to be a Critical Thinker? by Carolina Flores.
Traditional therapists often focus on understanding a person’s formative relationships growing up and how that influences the person’s present outlook. LBT therapists are apt to be interested in understanding such relationships primarily for the purpose of understanding how someone’s upbringing has influenced which arguments the person accepts (and why), what beliefs they view as reasonable (and why), and thus what beliefs and assumptions might be influencing their emotional lives.
[3] Epictetus writes: “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things” (Enchiridion, §5). For an introduction to the philosophy of Stoicism, see Stoicism: Finding Happiness in What’s Under Your Control by Matthew Pianalto.
[4] LBT identifies better and worse ways of thinking—in terms of how they affect our emotional lives—through a set of “cardinal fallacies” and their corresponding “transcendent” or guiding virtues. For a brief overview, see Elliot Cohen’s Logic-Based Therapy to Go: A Step-by-Step Primer on How LBT Can Work for You (2014).
[5] For further discussion of common problematic beliefs that the world—or parts of it—must be “perfect” in various ways, see Cohen (2019), Making Peace with Imperfection. Psychologist Albert Ellis (1913–2007), who developed a form of psychotherapy called Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (a precursor to modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and a precursor to LBT), described these as false and unreasonable “must” or “should” statements that people often accept. See his classic (originally 1961, 1997 3rd edition) A Guide to Rational Living and later writings. Especially recommended is Jeffrey Mishlove’s “Thinking Allowed” show video interview with Ellis, available on Youtube, “Albert Ellis: A Guide to Rational Living – Thinking Allowed DVD w/ Jeffrey Mishlove.”
[6] These steps involve, in some manner, engaging philosophy as a way of life: see Philosophy as a Way of Life by Christine Darr for an introduction to this concept and understanding of philosophy.
[7] For an introduction to Kant’s philosophy and the idea that all people are infinitely valuable, see Kantian Deontology: Immanuel Kant’s Ethics by Andrew Chapman.
[8] For an introduction to Utilitarianism and other philosophical theories of happiness, see Consequentialism and Utilitarianism by Shane Gronholz, John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures by Dale E. Miller, Happiness: What is it to be Happy? by Kiki Berk, and Stoicism: Finding Happiness in What’s Under Your Control by Matthew Pianalto.
[9] For an introduction to an influential concept of fairness, see John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ by Ben Davies: here some relevant questions are, “In these circumstances, are you treating yourself in ways that you would be OK treating others?” and “In these circumstances, would you be OK with someone being treated this way, if you didn’t know who you were?”
[10] For an introduction to skepticism, see Pyrrhonian Skepticism: Suspending Judgment by Lewis Ross. For applications when people disagree on important issues, see The Epistemology of Disagreement by Jonathan Matheson.
[11] For introductions to existentialism, see Existentialism by Addison Ellis and Camus on the Absurd: The Myth of Sisyphus by Erik Van Aken.
[12] For an introduction to how to apply moral theories and other critical thinking concepts to real-world problems and issues, see Applied Ethics by Chelsea Haramia.
[13] For an introduction to philosophical reflections on the meaning of life, see Meaning in Life: What Makes Our Lives Meaningful? and The Meaning of Life: What’s the Point?, both by Matthew Pianalto.
[14] There are limits to philosophical counseling: philosophical counselors must be prepared to refer clients to licensed mental health professionals when someone’s personal challenges are not based on poor reasoning or mistaken beliefs that are correctable with reason and reflection, but rather causes other than that, such as neurological or other medical or “organic” causes. For guidelines on the limits and boundaries of philosophical counseling, see the National Philosophical Counseling Association’s page “Practice Areas/Boundaries.”
[15] For further discussion of the value of philosophical counseling, see Elliot Cohen’s (2019) “Did You Ever Consider Consulting a Philosopher? Some problems people have may be helped by consulting a professional philosopher” at his What Would Aristotle Do? blog on Psychology Today.
References
Cohen, Elliot D. (Mar 19, 2014). “Logic-Based Therapy to Go: A step-by-step primer on how LBT can work for you” at his What Would Aristotle Do? blog on Psychology Today.
Cohen, Elliot D. (Mar 23, 2019). “Did You Ever Consider Consulting a Philosopher? Some problems people have may be helped by consulting a professional philosopher” at hisWhat Would Aristotle Do? blog on Psychology Today.
Cohen, Elliot D. (2019). Making Peace with Imperfection (New Harbinger).
Ellis, Albert. (1997). A Guide to Rational Living, 3rd Edition. Wilshire Books.
Epictetus. (ca. 125 CE). The Enchiridion. (E. Carter, Translator, 1916). Project Gutenberg.
For Further Reading
Cohen, Elliot D. (2003) What Would Aristotle Do?: Self-Control Through the Power of Reason (Prometheus).
Cohen, Elliot D. (2006). The New Rational Therapy (Rowman & Littlefield).
Cohen, Elliot D. (2016). Logic-Based Therapy and Everyday Emotions (Lexington Books).
Cohen, Elliot D.; Zinaich Jr., Samuel; Chaukar, Himani; Lobont, Florin (eds.). (2024). Logic-Based Therapy and Consultation: Theory and Applications. Bloomsbury.
Goldhill, Olivia. (July 21, 2022). “Would you ditch your therapist for a ‘philosophical counselor’?” Quartz.
Love, Shayla. (October 20, 2021). “The Philosopher Will See You Now.” Vice.
Additional Resource
National Philosophical Counseling Association
Related Essays
Stoicism: Finding Happiness in What’s Under Your Control by Matthew Pianalto
Philosophy as a Way of Life by Christine Darr
Meaning in Life: What Makes Our Lives Meaningful? by Matthew Pianalto
The Meaning of Life: What’s the Point? by Matthew Pianalto
Camus on the Absurd: The Myth of Sisyphus by Erik Van Aken
Existentialism by Addison Ellis
Arguments: Why Do You Believe What You Believe? by Thomas Metcalf
Critical Thinking: What is it to be a Critical Thinker? by Carolina Flores.
Kantian Deontology: Immanuel Kant’s Ethics by Andrew Chapman
Consequentialism and Utilitarianism by Shane Gronholz
John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures by Dale E. Miller
Happiness: What is it to be Happy? by Kiki Berk
John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ by Ben Davies
Pyrrhonian Skepticism: Suspending Judgment by Lewis Ross
The Epistemology of Disagreement by Jonathan Matheson
Applied Ethics by Chelsea Haramia
Virtue Ethics by David Merry
“The Ethics of Belief”: Is it Wrong to Believe Without Sufficient Evidence? by Spencer Case
Hope by Michael Milona & Katie Stockdale
Acknowledgements
Nathan Nobis is grateful to Elliot Cohen for his comments and suggestions on this essay, especially since it offers an interpretation or presentation of LBT that is more general and less specific than Cohen’s: for example, Cohen describes what is here presented as a general category of “better beliefs” in terms of “guiding virtues” and “philosophical antidotes.” See, for example, the Logic-Based Therapy & Consultation Institute’s (2025) “Guiding Virtues, Cardinal Fallacies, and Their Philosophical Antidotes” in the For Further Reading above.
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About the Author
Nathan Nobis is a Professor of Philosophy at Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA. He is co-author of Thinking Critically About Abortion, author of Animals & Ethics 101, and the author and co-author of many other writings and materials in philosophy and ethics. NathanNobis.com
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