• Women's Studies Review
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.3-39
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• 2009

Philosophical counseling, established by Achenbach in 1981, began as "philosophical practice" and emerged only recently as a new field of philosophy in its own right. It attempts, by recasting the philosopher as a counselor, to bring philosophy back from academia and recover the ancient notion of "doing philosophy," in a real-life context. Furthermore, it allows clients who are at a critical moment in their life a chance to revive their authentic selves and empowers them to pursue their own path. By engaging with philosophical counseling, clients are more likely to realize their hopes for their lives by examining their lives thoroughly and facing them anew. This paper first attempts to investigate philosophical counseling services for Korean women and to outline a new model of counseling based on the combination of two models of counseling, philosophical counseling and feminist counseling. In the second chapter, it seeks to introduce the history and characteristics of philosophical counseling and in the third chapter, the history and characteristics of feminist counseling are investigated, focusing on a counseling-activity entitled "Telephone for Women." Finally, in the fourth chapter, a comparative study is made by identifying the common aspects of each counseling type, in order to promote the shared outlooks of both counseling models. Although these two models of counseling emerged from different historical, social, and cultural contexts, they were founded according to four common beliefs, which are as follows: first, a focus on the importance of "practice," second, the establishment of an equal relationship between the counselor and the client, third, the importance of counselors listening attentively to the client and opening themselves up, fourth, the encouragement of clients becoming truly themselves and self-educated. Therefore, the writer believes that these two models of counseling are both aiming at the realization of an authentic "human life." It is hoped that philosophical counseling will give Korean women an opportunity to maintain a dialogue that will improve their "well-being" in the future.