Christos Iliopoulos Bachelor Of Arts  La Trobe University  Philosophy (Major) & Art History (Minor)  Master of Arts Preliminary  La Trobe University  Political Philosophy Graduate Diploma in Education  University of Melbourne  Gifted Students Stream Australasian Association of Philosophy  Full Member

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Philosophical Counselling

Christos established Australia's first Philosophical Counselling practice at Williamstown in 2007.

Method

Christos believes that his clients respond best to an authentic and open approach. He welcomes them as fellow human beings and friends, and dispenses with the concept of professional anonymity: a concept that he believes may have its place in medicine, psychiatry, and psychology, but which is problematic in philosophical counselling. He believes that clients need to communicate freely, and in order to do so, they must know their philosophical counsellor well.

Most clients will attend once or twice, some several times, and others may attend for over a period of a year or more. Christos aims to make himself redundant to the client's requirements as soon as it is practically possible. The resolution of the most pressing issue takes precedence, with the empowerment of the client always being the over-arching purpose. He does not insist on a set course of attendance. His clients will determine the frequency of the visits and they are free to increase the frequency, or to cease attendance all together at any time. 

Christos does not conduct all of his philosophical counselling sessions at his practice. He often prefers to choose activities that may be directly or indirectly relevant to the client's issues and specific needs. He may meet his client at a cafe, or at an art gallery. At other times he may choose to meet at a public lecture or at a cinema to watch a particular film. Discussions following these activities will address the specific issues that the client is grappling with.

Christos draws his inspiration and ideas from thousands of years of philosophical tradition. His clients appreciate that they are learning philosophy whilst they address their issues with newly aquired life management resources. Christos believes that this real-life approach is the most successful in establishing the platform for successful therapy through philosophical counselling. 

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Biography Christos was delivered by a midwife in the remote village of Ptelea (Nestorio) - in the province of Kastoria - Greece, in September 1954. He arrived at Station Pier, Port Melbourne, onboard the Patris in March 1960 with his parents and siblings, and settled in Brunswick. The family was fleeing a homeland torn and impoverished by the Nazi and Fascist atrocities of World War 2, and the bloodshed of the Greek Civil War that followed. Not speaking a word of English, he was first enrolled at Moreland Primary, then at Brunswick North Primary. At Coburg West Primary he excelled at running. He set a new record for the 100 yard sprint. Christos met and spoke with Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe (Governor of Victoria) on a visit to the School in 1966.

Ptelea Village School 1959 (Kastoria, Greece) Christos is at centre front row

His most influential teachers were Dorothy Hamilton (English) who distilled philosophy from literature, and Richard Willmott (Art) who did the same from paintings. As a student, he skipped school to attend both Vietnam Moratorium marches, to protest at Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. He also skipped school to watch Armstrong set foot on the moon. His vacation work was at Wagner's camera store in Elizabeth Street. He returned to the School (1993) as a member of the teaching staff to teach Politics and Legal Studies.

Christos attended La Trobe University (1973-1977) and chose to study Philosophy, Politics and Art. His most influential philosophy teachers were Dorothy Mitchell for Ethics (Aristotle and The British Moralists) and Douglas Gasking for Language and Meaning (Ludwig Wittgenstein). He was elected President of the Hellenic Club and was a contributor of poetry and photography to Rebelais the student magazine. He returned to La Trobe University (1999-2005) where he researched the writings of Wittgenstein and was employed as a philosophy tutor.

After graduating in 1977 with a major in Philosophy, he drove semi-trailers; designed, manufactured and installed photo-finish cameras at racing tracks around Australia, and drove taxi cabs. By the end of 1978 he was working as a Purchasing Officer for Commonwealth Industrial Gases (CIG); then as Victorian Manager for the Taxi Truck Division of Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT); followed by a period as Managing Director of EPHS Ltd; and then as General Manager of Arrow Taxis. He was also a taxi plate owner and operator, and a board member of the Victorian Taxi Association.

In 1979 he married Pamela Maree Fry, whom he had met as a student at La Trobe University in 1975. Their son was born in 1979, and their daughter arrived in 1980. Following Pamela's diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis, Christos decided to walk away from the uncompromising demands of corporate and business life, to focus on raising his young family. He turned to teaching.

In 1987 he returned to study for the Graduate Diploma in Education at the University of Melbourne. He taught Philosophy, Classics, and Legal Studies in secondary schools and lectured in Communication Skills, Problem Solving and Transport Logistics in Tertiary And Further Education (TAFE) colleges. He was at this time admitted as a Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and awarded the Excellence in Education award by The Australian College of Education (Victorian Chapter).

In 1990 he was admitted as a Victorian Bail Justice and as a Member of the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices. In 1996 he was elected to the local government of Moreland, where he held the portfolios of Education and Economic Development, and chaired the Moreland Community Forum. His community involvement during this period, also included serving on the Executive of the West Coburg Progress Association, as President of the Coburg Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and as the Convener of the ALP Victorian Education Policy Committee.  

Christos has returned several times to the village of Ptelea, where he visits his godparents, friends and relatives. He has also travelled extensively throughout the Greek mainland and the Greek islands. Hiking to the top of Mt Olympus was a highlight of one visitation. He speaks fluent Greek and retains his Greek citizenship.

In February 2007 he established Australasian Consulting Philosophers, to offer Philosophical Counselling and corporate training programs, and in November of that year he established Williamstown Property Advocates, a successful property advocate business that is currently serving clients in Australia, the USA and Britain.

Christos has recently been granted a provisional patent (Patent Pending) on a revolutionary housing invention for the ethical care of the elderly and the disabled: Freedom Housing. He hopes to build the proto-type by April 2013. 

Whilst living in Williamstown he learned to sail. He delivers occasional short-courses in Philosophy at the Council of Adult Education (CAE).

He currently works as a consultant philosopher and offers philosophical counselling at his practice in Brunswick. Call Christos on 0438 356 145.

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Philosophy

Units taught at La Trobe University:

• Psychology, Self and World

• Mind and Value

• Philosophy of Human Psychology

• More Philosophical Problems

• Knowledge, Existence and Truth
   

Competent in the philosophy of:

• Aesthetics

• Ethics

• History

• Language

• Logic

• Metaphysics

• Mind

• Psychology

• Social Science

• Science

Special interest in the philosophy of:

• Aristotle

• Foucault

• Kant

• Schopenhauer

• Nietzsche

• Plato

• Wittgenstein

Conducted philosophical research into:

The nature of language, and how human beings create, employ, and communicate meaning. 

Born: Greece

Based: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA