Philosophy and Clinical Practice: Enriching the Therapeutic Encounter
A Ten-Month Seminar with Carol Swanson
Online via Zoom
Cost: $135-$300
First Friday of each month, 1:15–2:30 PM PT
First Meeting: September 4, 2026
Last Meeting: June 4, 2027
Texts: Nourishing the Inner Life of Clinicians and Humanitarians: The Ethical Turn in Psychoanalysis by Donna Orange, and Trauma and Human Existence: Autobiographical, Psychoanalytic, and Philosophical Reflections by Robert Stolorow
(participants should purchase their own copies of these texts)
This is the fifth year of an ongoing seminar exploring how philosophical ideas can deepen, challenge, and enrich clinical practice. The seminar is grounded in the conviction that psychotherapy is not only a clinical endeavor but also a profoundly human one, raising questions about understanding, suffering, ethics, relationship, and the nature of experience itself. This year we will read two thought-provoking texts.
The first is Nourishing the Inner Life of Clinicians and Humanitarians: The Ethical Turn in Psychoanalysis by Donna Orange, a distinguished philosopher and psychoanalyst whose work explores the ethical foundations of clinical practice. Orange invites us to consider how humility, responsiveness, and a commitment to human solidarity shape our work with those who seek our help. Donna was also a participant in a previous seminar, making her contribution especially meaningful to our ongoing conversations.
Our second text is Trauma and Human Existence: Autobiographical, Psychoanalytic, and Philosophical Reflections by Robert Stolorow. Drawing on phenomenology, existential philosophy, and psychoanalysis, Stolorow offers a powerful exploration of trauma, emotional suffering, and the ways human beings seek meaning in the face of vulnerability and loss. Together, these texts invite reflection on how philosophical perspectives can expand our understanding of therapeutic work and nourish our own lives as clinicians. The seminar will emphasize dialogue, careful reading, and shared inquiry rather than didactic instruction.
Participants will be encouraged to bring both clinical experience and personal reflection into the conversation. No prior background in philosophy is required. The seminar is intended for clinicians, therapists, analysts, counselors, and others interested in exploring the intersection of philosophy and psychotherapy.
The seminar will meet virtually on Zoom on the first Friday of each month from 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm, beginning September 4, 2026, and continuing through June 4, 2027.
Cost: Professionals: $300, Professional Affiliates: $270; Students: $150; Student Affiliates: $135
Questions about the seminar: Carol Swanson, LCSW caroleswanson@mac.com
For additional questions, email us at: event-host@ehnwpdx.org
About the Facilitator:
Carol Swanson, LCSW, ACSW has been in private practice in Portland, OR for over forty years. She cofounded the Portland Gestalt Therapy Training Institute and has trained therapists in Europe, Australia and the US. Her current interests are studying philosophical resources for humanistic clinicians. Although semi-retired, clinical work is still rewarding work along with living outdoors in her garden, on her bike, her kayak, or on the trails.