Philosophy On The Couch

Circle Of Insight Productions

For thousands of years, philosophers and religious traditions have wrestled with the same questions that eventually entered the consulting room: Why do we suffer? Why do we repeat the same mistakes? What makes us jealous, resentful, anxious, ashamed, or afraid of abandonment? What is the self? What does it mean to love another person? And why is knowing how we ought to live rarely enough to make us live that way? Philosophy on the Couch brings philosophy, religion, and psychodynamic psychology into conversation. Each episode takes an idea from thinkers and traditions ranging from Stoicism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Taoism to Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Sartre, and Camus, and examines it alongside contemporary psychodynamic thought. Rather than asking which side is right, the podcast explores where these traditions unexpectedly converge, where they fundamentally disagree, and what each can teach us about the hidden forces shaping ordinary human life. Philosophy has long asked us how we should live. Religion has asked what our lives ultimately mean. Psychodynamic psychology adds another uncomfortable question: Why is it so difficult to become the person we already know we should be?

  1. 4d ago

    Why We Want What We Can’t Have: Freud, Buddhism, and the Problem of Desire

    Why does desire sometimes become strongest precisely when something remains beyond our reach? Freud believed wanting was woven into the architecture of the human mind, while Buddhist philosophy warned that craving can become one of the engines of suffering. On Philosophy on the Couch, we put these perspectives into conversation and ask a more uncomfortable question: do we actually want the thing—or do we need the wanting?

  2. Sep 24

    Stoicism and Emotional Control: Acceptance or Intellectualization?

    Stoicism teaches that much of our suffering comes from trying to control what does not belong to us: other people’s opinions, behavior, judgments, and choices. Psychodynamic psychology largely agrees, but introduces a more uncomfortable question—why do certain things outside our control affect us so deeply in the first place? The distinction between genuine acceptance and emotional avoidance may tell us whether we have actually mastered an emotion or merely found a more respectable way of escaping it.

  3. May 3

    Sartre’s “Bad Faith” vs. the False Self: The Psychological Cost of Living an Inauthentic Life

    Examine the striking convergence between Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of “bad faith” — the self-deception that denies personal freedom and responsibility — and Donald Winnicott’s psychoanalytic “False Self,” the defensive persona constructed to meet external demands at the expense of authentic existence.
This episode explores how inauthentic living creates profound psychological costs, including emotional numbness, identity fragmentation, chronic anxiety, and relational emptiness.
Essential listening for psychologists, psychotherapists, philosophers, coaches, and individuals seeking deeper self-understanding and pathways toward authentic living and psychological integration.

  4. Apr 25

    Marcus Aurelius and the Internal Citadel: A psychodynamic look at defense mechanisms in Meditations

    In this episode of Philosophical Psychodynamics, we explore Marcus Aurelius’ concept of the Internal Citadel through a psychodynamic lens, examining how Stoic practices in Meditations function as sophisticated defense mechanisms against psychological distress. We integrate existential psychology and philosophical principles to reveal how Aurelius cultivated self-awareness and emotional regulation by fortifying the inner self. Listeners will gain practical insights for building their own internal citadel in daily life, fostering greater authenticity and resilience.

  5. Apr 22

    The Ataraxia Analysis: Epicureanism as Affect Regulation

    Explore the intersection of ancient Hellenistic philosophy and modern depth psychology. This episode deconstructs the pursuit of *ataraxia* using psychodynamic personality axes, theories of emotional mastery, and concepts of self-fragmentation. Discover if tranquility is a state of mental health or a sophisticated defense against the universal "Anxiety of Lack."

  6. Apr 20

    Heraclitus and the Fluid Self: The Unconscious River You’re Always Stepping Into

    A high-level breakdown of Heraclitus’ philosophy applied to modern psychodynamic theory, exploring the fluid self, unconscious processes, and personality development for EPPP exam success. This episode connects classical philosophy with Freud, Jung, and PDM-2 concepts to clarify dynamic versus static models of personality. Ideal for psychology students, clinicians, and licensing exam candidates seeking a deeper understanding of the unconscious mind and test-ready clinical insight.

  7. Apr 13

    The Prison of Perception: Kant and the Psychodynamic Mind

    Philosophy On The Couch

  8. Apr 6

    Nietzsche’s Apollonian-Dionysian Duality

    Philosophy On The Couch

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

For thousands of years, philosophers and religious traditions have wrestled with the same questions that eventually entered the consulting room: Why do we suffer? Why do we repeat the same mistakes? What makes us jealous, resentful, anxious, ashamed, or afraid of abandonment? What is the self? What does it mean to love another person? And why is knowing how we ought to live rarely enough to make us live that way? Philosophy on the Couch brings philosophy, religion, and psychodynamic psychology into conversation. Each episode takes an idea from thinkers and traditions ranging from Stoicism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Taoism to Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Sartre, and Camus, and examines it alongside contemporary psychodynamic thought. Rather than asking which side is right, the podcast explores where these traditions unexpectedly converge, where they fundamentally disagree, and what each can teach us about the hidden forces shaping ordinary human life. Philosophy has long asked us how we should live. Religion has asked what our lives ultimately mean. Psychodynamic psychology adds another uncomfortable question: Why is it so difficult to become the person we already know we should be?

Information

  • Creator
    Circle Of Insight Productions
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Circle Of Insight Productions
  • Show Website
    Philosophy On The Couch