Empowerment Through Thought is a practical philosophy business.
Unlike academic philosophy which is primarily aimed at exploring philosophical questions for the benefit of other philosophers, and public philosophy which is primarily made of academics bringing their ideas into the public sphere, practical philosophy is centered on leveraging the best ideas from philosophy to actively help folks who may have never formally studied philosophy. Empowerment Through Thought accomplishes this goal through philosophical counseling, philosophical life coaching, group coaching, and self-study courses.
Dr. Louise’s Training
Dr. Louise attended the University of Arizona where she got her BA in philosophy and religious studies. After two trips abroad, she decided she wanted to continue her studies focusing on Buddhist Philosophy. She attended the University of Notre Dame where she received her Ph.D. in May 2021. Deeply inspired by the Buddhist view that philosophy is useful only in so far as it helps the reduction of suffering, Dr. Louise launched Empowerment Through Thought. While academics claim that philosophy is good for the soul, Dr. Louise has set out to demonstrate that this is the case by bringing the healing power of philosophy to people who need it the most.
In December 2020, Dr. Louise was officially recognized as a Certified Philosophical Counselor by the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. You can learn more about this organization here.
Empowerment Through Thought
This business is dedicated to helping survivors navigate the fall-out of long term abuse by leveraging the medicine of philosophy. We are committed to engaging in transparent and ethical sales practices. All of our activities center the agency of, and enthusiastic consent from, the people we serve. We pull on and honor all of the world’s greatest thinkers including ideas from Indigenous, Africana, South American, and Asian philosophical traditions. We are based in South Bend, Indiana on the traditional homeland of the Pokagon band of Potawatomi.
Dr. Louise’s Personal History
Dr. Louise was raised by two abusive parents. In high school she discovered Marcus Aurelius’ The Meditations, and immediately fell in love with philosophy. At a time when she had very little control over her living circumstance, philosophy offered her new ways to think and fundamentally shifted her everyday experience. Like many survivors of long term abuse she needed those critical thinking skills to eventually set big boundaries with the abusive people of her past. As she made her way through two abusive marriages, philosophy continued to ground her and help her fight for the life that she deserved. Today she is happily living alone with her chiwinnie Moose and her black kitty Freya.
Empowerment Through Thought 