Rick Repetti

My Approach

In my role as a Philosophical Counselor, my primary objective is to be fully present with you in session, bringing the best of my being, energy, attention, experience, insight, understanding, intuition, and knowledge to your unique journey as it presents itself and unfolds in the present moment. I aspire to help you find out what you want from Philosophical Counseling, which can be helping you figure out any of the following: who you are, how you do and ought to think, believe, value, know, desire, doubt, wonder, inspire, aspire, act, grow, who you want to become, what your most burning questions are, what is your conception of your highest good, what matters most to you, what’s relevant to you and what is not, what kind of life you have been living and what kind of life you want to live, what kind of relationships you’re in, how you sustain yourself in terms of physical health, economically, in relationships, in family, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, existentially, how you construe your finitude, limits, weaknesses, shadow, failures, how you construe your special light, sense of self, agency, personality, individuality, your unique superpowers, your connections or memberships in various groups and communities, your connection with the Transcendent, the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, your visions, projects, hopes and fears, in a word, your narrative and your philosophy of who you are, and of how that all fits together or doesn’t. Every human being is, among other things, a teleological – goal-oriented – center of value, of meaning, a living story, a mystery and a precious philosophical dialogue partner, a jewel in a lotus. (In Indian philosophy, the jewel represents the enlightened mind believed to be our true nature, and the lotus represents the unfolding world, the changes within which typically eclipse our innate wisdom.) Part of my work is to help my clients see themselves as such, by helping them to help me to see them as they are, so I can mirror that back to them.

While these are driving imperatives I bring to my work, I show up empty of expectations, so I can fill myself up completely with my clients’ cognitive, affective, and valuational frameworks, their salience landscape, their worldview and experiential horizon, so I can be a mirror through which they can better see themselves. I view each client as a shifting system of hierarchical needs – security, love, connection, meaning, value, health, understanding, etc. – and accept whichever layer of their metaphorical multi-layered onion that they bring into session as the aspect of their being they tacitly or explicitly deem most relevant to where they are in the moment in their journey. A given client may need a dialogue partner that functions in any of these roles, as a/an: elder, equal, sage, spiritual guide, sounding board, mirror, therapist, consiglieri, guide, sensei, guru, coach, inspirational speaker, arbiter, judge, second opinion, neutral party, reality checker, strategist, mediator, teacher, professional friend, the sort of friend who knows you well enough to know which type of friend you need at different times (one who supports you as you are and/or who calls you on your stuff), partner in exploration, role reverser, frame-shifter, co-imaginer, co-contemplative, meditation guide, midwife, scribe, biographer, intuitive empath, and/or, witness to your growth, among countless other possible roles. I allow whichever of these possible roles seems relevant in a given session to emerge spontaneously in my work with each client.

I believe in somewhat of a methodless method that includes access to any methods that might be useful in a given case, since every client ­­– even the same client at different times – is unique.

Bio

Rick Repetti, PhD (CUNY Grad Center 2005), is Professor of Philosophy at CUNY/Kingsborough, a VP, Co-Director of the Board of Examiners, and faculty member of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA), a level 2 APPA-certified Philosophical Counselor, Philosophical Consultant, and Socratic Dialogue facilitator, faculty member of the Philosophical Practitioners Association of India, Chief Philosophy Officer of Knowledgecoin.io, meditation instructor for the Vervaeke Foundation, founding member of the CUNY Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies group, former fellow of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, multiple decades practitioner and instructor of meditation and yoga, former marathoner, and 4th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. Rick is also an assistant editor for the Journal of Buddhist Ethics, on the International Editorial Board of the journal, Philosophical Practice, editor of the Routledge Handbook on the Philosophy of Meditation (2022) and of Buddhist Perspectives on Free Will: Agentless Agency (Routledge 2016), and author of Buddhism, Meditation and Free Will: A Theory of Mental Freedom (Routledge 2019) and of The Counterfactual Theory of Free Will (Lambert 2010), as well as author of dozens of peer reviewed articles and anthology chapters on the same topics. Rick also co-hosted with John Vervaeke the “Philosophy of Meditation” series on his YouTube channel Voices with Vervaeke, where he has also appeared as a guest several times, as well as on a number of related channels, such as The Secular Buddhist, The Integral Stage, UTOK, and others.

Together with Christopher Mastropietro and Ryan Barton, Rick has helped design Socratic Counseling, a uniquely Socratic form of philosophical counseling that blends a very eclectic set of philosophical, existential, psychological, spiritual, transpersonal, and noetic insights, techniques, frameworks, methods, and psycho-technologies to bring Philosophical Counseling to a more transformative level and orientation.

Client Stories 

"I had the privilege of working with Rick Repetti in 2023, and the experience was transformative. Rick seamlessly blended philosophical wisdom with practical guidance, helping me navigate life’s complexities with greater clarity and purpose. He went above and beyond and took the time to prepare an email with a series of writing exercises and educational resources. These tools empowered me to continue my growth independently between our counseling sessions.

I deeply appreciated the depth and quality of Rick's questions, as well as his encouragement to explore my thoughts and feelings more thoroughly by going deeper and further. His empathetic and thoughtful approach gave me profound insights into my personal and professional challenges.

What truly sets Rick apart is his genuine commitment to the growth and well-being of his clients. He creates a space where one feels heard and understood. Rick’s ability to ask the right questions and offer meaningful reflections is beyond words.

I wholeheartedly recommend Rick Repetti to anyone seeking a philosophical counselor who can provide both intellectual stimulation and emotional support. His guidance has been invaluable, and I am deeply grateful for the positive impact he has had on my life." -Kristy

"Rick brings an infectious energy to philosophical counseling. He offers an uncommon breadth of knowledge across multiple traditions of philosophy and beyond, based on a life of philosophical scholarship and meditation practice. Philosophical intensity and mastery are combined with a generous and compassionate presence...and a large dose of 'street smarts'! I have benefitted greatly from his counsel. I expect you will too." -John

Intro sessions

There is no cost for an initial introductory session.  Contact us to schedule.

Sessions offered online.