Mark Dillof, director of The Philosophy Clinic, has been involved with philosophical counseling since 1986. He has consulted with people on a variety of life problems. His form of counseling is similar, in significant respects to “existential psychotherapy,” but goes beyond the goal of authenticity and points in the direction of self-awakening.
Dr. Dillof earned his B.A. and M.A degrees in philosophy from Binghamton University,an M.A. in psychology from the Graduate Faculty of The New School for Social Research, and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in philosophy and psychology from Union Institute and University. In the early 1980s, he left academia to work for several years as a stockbroker in New York City. Dillof's career became more checkered when he left Wall Street to accept the prestigious position of house magician at a famous Catskill Mountain Resort Hotel. He performed there and on cruise ships for several years, and had plenty of time, between magic shows, to think about life's ultimate questions.
Dillof's teaching career began when Binghamton University asked him to design a course on the philosophy and psychology of comedy. That very popular course was called "Comic Visions of Life." As an adjunct professor at Binghamton University, he also offered a course called “Ontological Foundations of Psychotherapy,"
In 1985 Mark Dillof started the Endorphin Clinic for Laugh Therapy, a clinic dispensing cosmic humor to individuals, couples, and organizations suffering from chronic seriousness. Realizing that people were not taking his Endorphin Clinic seriously enough, he started a clinic with a more somber sounding name, hence The Philosophy Clinic. For over eighteen years Mark Dillof has been director of The Philosophy Clinic, and has been involved with unique form of philosophical counseling. He also offers a variety of workshops in the area of self-development.
In 1992, Dr. Dillof became the first philosopher to grant himself the distinguished designation S.C.E.E. (Self Certified Epistemologist Extraordinaire) In June 2000 his book Awakening with the Enemy was published. It is about using the conflicts in a relationship to "awaken."
From 2003 to 2005, Mark worked a management consultant. From that experience, he derived some profound philosophical insights into the dynamics of organizational life. He also offers personal and executive coaching, with a philosophical twist.
