So the ancient Stoics used the word therapia to describe what they’re doing…they called it a therapy of the mind or a therapy of the psyche. This was a cliche, it was a familiar term in ancient philosophy.
On this podcast, I’m diving into what ancient wisdom has to offer for our very modern emotional struggles, and the art of not losing your mind in a world that never lets up.
There’s something strangely reassuring about knowing people were wrestling with the same stuff 2,000 years ago — even if they wore togas and wrote with a chisel.
Serenity is not just for sitcom punchlines or 12-step meetings. The ancient Stoics had a word for it: therapia, a kind of psychological medicine long before Freud put someone on a couch.
My guest is Donald Robertson.
Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, acclaimed author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, and one of the world’s leading voices on Stoicism. He’s also the founder of the Plato’s Academy Centre in Athens and a founding member of the Modern Stoicism nonprofit.
We explore many of the tools and exercises Stoicism offers for emotional regulation and resilience, and examine the idea that the early Stoics were the first psychotherapists. Donald explains Stoicism contained a clear system of therapy in ancient Greek and Roman thought.
The episode covers a ton of ground, including:
- How shifting definitions shape our understanding of mental illness
- On the paradox of growth through adversity
- Struggle and transformation
- Experiential wisdom
- Fortune and the bitch goddess of success
- Stoicism as an ancient psychotherapy
- The philosophical roots of cognitive therapy
- On anger, and the art of self-mastery (Seneca, Galen)
- Worry and rumination
- How Marcus Aurelius aggregated tools for resilience
- Stoicism’s broader vision
- On the “view from above” and the liberation of perspective
- How time expansion mitigates worry
- The complex relationship of thoughts and emotions
- The core proposition
- Why unproductive complaining signals resistance to reality
- Acceptance and the dichotomy of control
- How to reconnect with what’s essential in a noisy world
This is deeply practical. This isn’t motivational fluff; it’s a toolkit for anyone who’s ever gotten tangled in their own head.
Enjoy!
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