Many life issues can be discussed and
resolved by the use of reasoning, mutual exploration of
values and beliefs, application of ethical principles,
or alternative interpretations of the meaning and purpose
of life. Kate Mehuron is a client counselor, certified
by the American Philosophical Practitioners Association.
In client sessions, she employs active listening and Socratic
dialogue to disclose clients' implicit beliefs and values
for mutual examination and discussion. The dynamic of
client sessions revolves around the transformative insight
that there are other ways to think about these issues
than those habitually held by the client. Alternative
approaches from the western philosophical tradition range
from sources that embody classical agent-centered views,
to existentialist, phenomenological, or postmodern insights
on the ecstasies of lived experience. Contemporary social
justice perspectives may be helpful to the growth of client
horizons, afforded by feminism and critical social theories
inclusive of race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Alternatives to Judeo-Christian traditions can draw from
the religious and spiritual traditions of Buddhism, Taoism,
Hinduism, Gnosticism, and Native American traditions,
depending on the philosophical yearning expressed by clients.
The task of the philosophical counselor is to introduce
these alternatives in an accessible way and to assist
clients to independently apply their chosen philosophical
tools and interpretations to their lives.
Kate Mehuron holds a doctorate in Philosophy
from Vanderbilt University and teaches as Professor Philosophy
in the Department of History and Philosophy, Eastern Michigan
University, Southeast Michigan. She teaches both online
and bricks-and-mortar courses on Ethics, Philosophies
of Life, Feminist Theories, Ancient Philosophy, Existentialism,
Phenomenology, and Contemporary Continental Philosophy.
Kate Mehuron also holds a Masters in Religious Studies
from the Religious Studies Department, University of Denver,
and Denver, Colorado. Under a university-approved Human
Subjects Research Study on Case Studies in Philosophical
Counseling, Kate Mehuron offers a limited number of pro
bono client sessions in exchange for client participation
in her university-approved case study collection project.
As a member of the Society for Philosophical Inquiry founded
by Christopher Phillips, she enjoys facilitating Socrates
Cafes on campus and in local cafes in Ypsilanti, Detroit,
and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Contact Kate Mehuron, (734) 945-8841,
kmehuron@gmail.com, or at Eastern Michigan University,
(734) 487-1018.
