Practical philosophers find, through experience, that one's psyche ultimately takes comfort in the examination of the meaning of life, the use of critical thinking tools to clarify and correct values and beliefs, exploration of one's hidden assumptions, and the discovery of alternative interpretations of the cosmos or life experience. Conceptual exploration even of cherished ideas such as the soul itself is part of this practice, resulting in more confidence in one's belief system as that system is thoroughly examined by critical thinking. There is no limit to what you can philosophize about, except your own choices in the matter. Because philosophical inquiry can be applied to any part of your life, your feelings or your thoughts, an added benefit is the sense of wonder that may arise in the course of your sessions with a philosophical counselor.
The history of philosophical counseling is relatively recent. The German philosopher Gerd Achenbach opened his philosophical counseling practice in 1981 near Cologne, Germany. The practice of philosophical counseling quickly began to spread through the pioneering work of individual counselors and the growth of professional associations in the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Austria, France, Switzerland, Israel, Great Britain, the United States, and more even as I write this passage. You can see the international, professional, and diverse character of philosophical counseling simply by using your favorite search engine with the keywords, "philosophical counseling" or "philosophical practice."
There have always been philosophers and philosophical organizations committed to the practical activity of helping others and themselves to lead the examined life and to pursue the big question, "How should one live?" The ancients provide the earliest examples. In the nineteenth century, existential philosophers such as Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and Kierkegaard plunged academic philosophy into self-criticism about how academic philosophy had led it to abstraction and away from its primary use as an examination of the self and ordinary life problems. In the twentieth century, the English philosopher Wittgenstein proposed to return philosophy to its power to critically reflect on the assumptions mired in ordinary language.
German philosophers such as Heidegger and Husserl insisted that philosophy return to lived experience to examine the roots of lived experience in consciousness: phenomenology is the branch of study born from this effort. French philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir promoted the use of philosophy not only to explore consciousness but to advocate the practical use of philosophy to influence the realm of political controversy through existential argument.
Some practical philosophers, faced with the twentieth century's upheavals of two world wars, ongoing cold wars and the rise of terrorism, want the power of philosophy to be used in affairs of state. English philosopher Bertrand Russell exemplified this in his pacifist efforts on the international level. French philosopher Michel Foucault illustrated this aspiration by his criticisms of medical, penal, and mental health institutions. These are merely a few examples of the ways that philosophers have committed themselves to teaching others and themselves in the pursuit of the examined life. I have provided examples only from the so-called "western" tradition of philosophy. The overall picture is grander when we look at the way that ancient schools of philosophy in Eastern traditions have remained anchored in the pursuit of the alleviation of suffering through contemplation, meditation, and the practice of ethical modes of life. Again, you can get the bigger picture of how philosophical counseling draws on Eastern and indigenous traditions by investigating with your search engine the diversity of sites that appear by use of the keywords "philosophical counseling" and "philosophical practice."
Today, philosophical counseling is a full-fledged profession that is part of a wider movement of philosophical practice conducted through philosophy cafes, organizational consultants, group counseling, and individual client counseling. This movement is dynamic, experimental, and self-critical. The professional organizations that are springing up in every country are in the process of defining their own professional codes of ethics, certification procedures, scholarly standards, and organizational mission. Some academically affiliated philosophers are beginning to offer courses in philosophical counseling, and the day is near when advanced degrees in philosophical counseling are available.
Notably, Canadian philosophical counselor Peter B. Raabe, Ph.D. is one of the first people internationally to be awarded a doctorate based on a dissertation about philosophical counseling (link). His books Philosophical Counseling: Theory and Practice (Praeger Publishers, 2001) and Issues in Philosophical Counseling (Praeger Publishers, 2002) provide rigorous overviews of the history, practical case studies, and conceptual underpinnings of philosophical counseling practice. He was one of the first Board members of the Canadian Society for Philosophy Practice. American philosopher Lou Marinoff, Ph.D. is developing a graduate program in addition to his role as co-founder of the American Society for Philosophy, Counseling and Psychotherapy and President of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. His pioneering book Philosophical Practice (Academic Press, 2002) advised philosophers how to start their own practices and prescribes the procedures, standards, and protocols maintained by the APPA. His books Plato not Prozac! (HarperCollins Publishers, 1999) and Therapy for the Sane (Bloomsbury Press, 2003) are popularizing the concept of philosophical counseling on an international scale. Israeli philosopher Dr. Shlomit C. Schuster, author of the ground-breaking book Philosophy Practice: an Alternative to Counseling and Psychotherapy (Praeger Publishers, 1999), directs the Center Sophon and maintains an active website publicizing international philosophical practice organizations. These are just a few examples of the dynamic and experimental character of philosophical practice today.