Existential Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom (1980)

What does it mean to live knowing that life is finite — that every choice we make occurs under the shadow of death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness?

This haunting question sits at the core of Irvin D. Yalom’s Existential Psychotherapy (1980), a book that boldly examines humanity’s deepest fears and turns them into chances for growth and understanding.

In Existential Psychotherapy, Yalom aims to provide a clear framework for addressing the universal concerns that define human existence. 

He identifies four “ultimate concerns”—death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness—as the core sources of psychological distress. Instead of viewing these anxieties as signs of pathology, Yalom encourages us to see them as the raw materials for self-awareness and growth. His goal isn't to eliminate anxiety but to teach both therapist and client how to face it bravely. In doing so, he links philosophy and psychotherapy, combining reflection and healing into one compassionate practice.

Terminal Illness and Loved Ones

Yes, it is true — hearing that someone you love has a terminal illness can be both heartbreaking and frightening. It may feel as if the ground has shifted beneath you, leaving you unsure of what to say, what to do, or how to simply be in such a moment.

This kind of news touches every corner of the human heart. It challenges not only our emotions but also our beliefs, our sense of meaning, and sometimes even our faith. You might find yourself asking: 

"The concealed structure of reality is reasonable.”

“The concealed structure of reality is reasonable.” -  Czesław Miłosz 

Czesław Miłosz’s claim that “the concealed structure of reality is reasonable” reflects a deep metaphysical optimism—an act of faith in the intelligibility of existence. It implies that beneath the surface chaos, suffering, and what seems like the absurdity of the world, there is a fundamental order accessible through reason, reflection, or perhaps revelation.

Counseling Ethics: Philosophical and Professional Foundations

Can a counselor act ethically without first reflecting philosophically? 

This question forms the living pulse of Counseling Ethics: Philosophical and Professional Foundations by Christin Jungers. At a time when professional ethics is often reduced to compliance checklists, Jungers reawakens our attention to the moral imagination and philosophical depth that true counseling demands.

Jungers’ book moves beyond rules and codes to explore why we act ethically, not merely how. She invites readers to approach counseling as a moral and philosophical vocation, rooted in reflection, autonomy, and virtue. 

Through experiential activities, case studies, and diverse theoretical lenses—from existential phenomenology to care ethics—she cultivates ethical awareness as a lived, dialogical process rather than a set of rigid prescriptions.

Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience

How do we remain calm when life trembles with uncertainty? 

How do we find meaning amid loss, disruption, or the silent erosion of what we hold dear?

In Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience, philosopher Nancy Sherman, a leading scholar of ancient and modern ethics, revives the enduring teachings of Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and their companions in reason. She offers not a cold or detached Stoicism, but a profoundly human one: a Stoicism of compassion, connection, and moral courage.

A Mindful Dawn: Lessons from a Philosopher of Happiness

(A reflective narrative inspired by Arthur Brooks’s morning practice)

“Every morning a new arrival.” 

-Rumi

The first light had not yet touched the horizon when Arthur Brooks, a professor of happiness at Harvard, quietly rose from sleep. The world was still asleep, wrapped in silence. For him, this was not a race against time but a meeting with it, a moment of intimacy with existence before the demands of the day began.

Brooks’s practice may sound disciplined, even austere, waking up at 4:30 a.m., moving straight to the gym, delaying coffee until sunrise. But beneath the surface lies something deeper than habit or productivity: it is a philosophical exercise in self-understanding, a dialogue between body, mind, and soul.

The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot

If there is one book that allows readers to enter the philosophical world of Marcus Aurelius truly—not as a distant historical figure, but as a fellow human grappling with suffering, duty, and meaning—it is Pierre Hadot’s The Inner Citadel. 

This work is more than a commentary on Meditations; it is a philosophical companion, a map of the soul, and a profound invitation to reflect on the freedom that lies within us.

Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome and student of Stoic philosophy, wrote his Meditations not for public acclaim but for private guidance.