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  5. Ancient Philosophers in Dialogue with Modern Clinicians

Ancient Philosophers in Dialogue with Modern Clinicians

Against the backdrop of concerns about mental well-being and increasing pressure on mental health systems, this project explores how ancient philosophy can contribute to clinical psychological therapy.

In collaboration with the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) at Cambridge University, UK, we have created a novel intellectual space where ancient philosophy scholars and clinicians collaborate to explore the potential of 'applied ancient philosophy' while actively contributing to advancements in psychological therapy.

The project is driven by genuine interdisciplinarity. Rather than promoting philosophical counselling or reviving specific philosophical schools of thought, our approach remains critical, reflective, and inclusive. Our aim is to investigate how ancient philosophical ideas can meaningfully contribute to modern conversations about mental health while remaining attentive to both philosophical rigor and clinical relevance.

Co-Organizers:

  • Tim Dalgleish, Dawson Professor of Young People's Mental Health at the University of Cambridge
  • Georgia Mouroutsou, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, King's University College, and Research Professor, Department of Philosophy, Western University
  • James Warren, Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge

Workshops:

  • Two-day workshop in Cambridge, UK on July 14-15, 2025: The Therapeutic Focus on the Present: Ancient philosophers in dialogue with modern clinicians. Funding provided by CRASSH, the Faculty of Classics and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. For background on the workshop, see this interview with Georgia Mouroutsou and James Warren.
  • Upcoming conference in 2027 on resilience and flourishing co-organised by James Warren, Tim Dalgleish and Georgia Mouroutsou. Details and dates to be determined.

Relevant Publications:

  • Dalgleish, T. (2025). Towards a third wave of transdiagnostic psychological therapies. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, in press.
  • Dalgleish, T., & Hitchcock, C. (2023). Transdiagnostic distortions in autobiographical memory recollection. Nature Reviews Psychology, 2, 166-182.
  • Dalgleish, T., Black, M., Johnstone, D. & Bevan, A. (2020). Transdiagnostic approaches to mental health problems: Current status and future directions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88, 179-195.
  • Mouroutsou, Georgia, Aristippus of Cyrene, Pleasure and the Present. 2025. Cambridge University Press (Elements Series)
  • Mouroutsou, Georgia, ‘The Plasticity of Temporal Attention: Training a Healthier Mind as Inspired by Marcus Aurelius’, in The Phenomenology of Emotion Regulation. Feeling and Agency, ed. by Thomas Fuchs (in press with Oxford University Press). 
  • Mouroutsou, Georgia, ‘Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations: Plasticity of the Present Moment.’ Ancient Philosophy 40, 2, 2020, pp. 411-434.
  • Warren, James, 2025:Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations, Cambridge University Press (joint editor with Charles Brittain)
  • Warren, James, 2021: A Study in Ancient Moral Psychology, Oxford University Press
  • Warren, James, 2004: Facing death: Epicurus and his Critics, Oxford University Press