Philosophy for Psychotherapists

At a Glance

  • Classroom course (South Kensington)
  • Tuesdays 18:00 - 20:00
  • 10 weeks | November - February
  • Starts 13 November 2024
  • Fees from £144
  • Tutor: Dr Scott Biagi

Enrol-by Date

  • 4 November 2024
Booking link

Professional Development Courses: Psychotherapy

Very often the questions we ask ourselves as psychotherapists are essentially philosophical ones, concerning the nature of the mind, the relationship between mind and body, the relationship between thought and language, the nature of the self, the possibility of knowing another human being, and so on.

On this course we invite you to explore philosophical questions of relevance to psychotherapists with Dr Scott Biagi, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice and lecturer in philosophy at Imperial College London.

The aim of this course is not just to find out what various philosophers have written and said on various topics, but to engage in the activity of philosophical inquiry in the belief that this can enrich our understanding and discussion of our work as psychotherapists.

The course is aimed at practising psychotherapists or those in training to become psychotherapists, and is geared towards enriching the range of intellectual tools at your disposal to assess the theory and practice of psychotherapy. Philosophy is a skill, not a body of knowledge, and this will be reflected in how this course is taught. You will be encouraged to participate in classroom discussion and develop your ability to express and critically assess opinions on philosophical topics. 

The course is taught in person and you will be asked to participate in group discussion and other activities during the sessions. Questions and discussions at the sessions will be very much encouraged and welcomed.

No previous experience of philosophy is necessary, but you should have some background in psychotherapy.

Class Recordings

These classes are not recorded

 

Attendance Certificate

 

Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate

 

Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment

Course Information

Indicative course content

Although the aim will be to keep to this programme schedule, modifications might be made depending on the group dynamics.

In Weeks 1–5 we look at the roots of Freud’s theory of unconscious mental processes in modern philosophy, beginning with Descartes’ dualism of mind and body. Schopenhauer’s response to Kant’s ‘Copernican revolution’ in philosophy influenced Freud, and Hegel’s analysis of role of recognition in self-consciousness has been taken up in various ways by psychoanalytic thinkers after Freud. We will also consider behaviourist critiques of psychoanalysis. 

In Weeks 6–10 we explore the work of some twentieth-century philosophers who offer a picture of an embodied mind, drawing out the implications for psychotherapy. Gilbert Ryle’s critique of the myth of a ‘ghost in the machine’, the later Wittgenstein’s philosophy or language and Heidegger’s existential phenomenology have central themes in common, which illuminate contemporary understanding of change in psychotherapy. In particular, we will consider the shift from models of ‘insight’ to models of ‘authenticity’ in the therapeutic relationship. 

Dr Scott Biagi is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice and a lecturer in philosophy at Imperial College London where he currently teaches two undergraduate philosophy modules: The Meaning of Life, and Mind, Self and Social World. He holds a PhD in philosophy and ethnomethodology. His philosophical interests include the philosophy of language, existential phenomenology and aesthetic theory. He trained to become a psychotherapist at the Site for Contemporary Psychoanalysis and is a member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy.

Weeks Standard Rate Internal Rate Associate Rate
10 Early Bird: £241
Full price: £268
 Early Bird: £144
Full price: £160		 Early Bird: £190
Full price: £211
All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates are available until the end of 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible.

 

Rate Categories and Discounts


Standard Rate

  • Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.

Internal Rate

  • Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
  • People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
  • Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
  • Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
  • Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School

Associate Rate

  • Austrian Cultural Forum staff
  • Co-operative College members
  • Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
  • Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
  • Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
  • Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
  • Friends of the Royal College of Music
  • Harrods staff
  • Historic Royal Palaces staff
  • Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
  • Members of the Friends of Imperial College
  • Members of the Kennel Club
  • Members of the London Zoological Society
  • Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
  • Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
  • National Health Service (NHS) employees
  • Natural History Museum staff
  • Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
  • Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
  • Royal Geographical Society staff
  • Science Museum staff
  • Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
  • Students (non-Imperial College)
  • Teachers and other staff of UK schools
  • The American Institute for Foreign Study
  • Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
  • Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
  • Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Weeks Autumn term Spring term Summer term
 10 Week starting 11 November - week ending 14 December 2024 (5 weeks)* Week starting 13 January - week ending 15 February 2025 (5 weeks)* n/a
*This is a 2-term course: Autumn term PLUS Spring term

Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

  • Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
  • If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

What is sent When is it sent What does it contain
1. Payment confirmation Is sent straight away following submission of your online application
  • This is a receipt for your payment and includes payment date, order number and course title
  • Confirmation of your place on your chosen course will follow later as long as the course recruits enough students to run. If not you will receive a refund of your payment.
2. Enrolment confirmation Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received
  • Confirms your course choice
  • Shows your course's term dates
  • Confirms the day and time of your course
3. Programme information Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts
  • Contains joining instructions for your course, either online or in the classroom, depending on the course
 
  • If you need further help with the above information please ring 020 7594 8756 / +44 20 7594 8756.
  • All enrolments are provisional until the course is confirmed to run. This will be dependent on the course reaching the minimum number of enrolments.
  • All enrolments are subject to our Terms and Conditions. It is not possible to join one of our courses without agreeing to be bound by our Terms and Conditions.

If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Scott Biagi at s.biagi@imperial.ac.uk 

If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk