Judith Stove | Travis McMullen | Courtney Shipley
Judith Stove
My name is Judith Stove, and I live near Sydney Australia. I’ve been a member of the Brisbane Stoics Facebook group for some time.
That would have been in April 2020, but a month or two before that, I had personally discovered or rediscovered Stoic philosophy. In February 2020, my husband and I had travelled to Istanbul, and as it turned out I had brought chicken pox with me. In a small flat in Istanbul, not knowing how sick I or
my husband might get, I read one of the books I had brought, which was the letters of Seneca.
What a perfect choice that turned out to have been! Seneca reminded me that illness may always be around the corner: we are not exempt from it just because we’ve gone on holidays. He reminded me that being far from home, as he was when he was exiled from Rome, is also a constant element of the human condition. As it turned out, I was fortunate in not becoming very ill at all, while my
husband escaped completely.
The experience proved to have been excellent preparation for what followed. Just weeks later the Australian borders closed, and the world in general faced the uncertainty of a novel illness and political response. That was the background to my joining the Facebook groups, and gradually coming to realise how extensive the global Stoic revival had become.
In November that year, a small group of us, including members of Brisbane Stoics, organised the first Australian Stoicon-X, entirely online. It was great fun, and we made or consolidated some excellent friendships. In 2022 we graduated to organising in-person Stoic events in Melbourne: our next Stoicon-X event will take place in October 2023, in conjunction with Stoic Week organised by the
Modern Stoicism movement.
Through our philosophy reading groups, Courtney and I have developed our understanding of Western philosophical authors and concepts. We would love more people to come along to our online reading group; they are a great learning experience.
My learning in Stoicism continues through the podcast which I co-host in The Walled Garden philosophical community along with Simon Drew, another former Brisbane Stoics person! The podcast is called Soul Searching with Seneca, and we have been exploring Seneca’s letters in depth. This kind of close study helps us not only with greater understanding, but even with our personal growth and the kind of transformation which ancient philosophy always sought to bring about.
Philosophy and literature are living disciplines which enrich our lives, and can help us to become more understanding, to arrive at better judgements, and ultimately to become better people.
Travis McMullen
My name is Travis McMullen and I live in Brisbane, Australia. I’ve been a member of Brisbane Stoics since 2020, finding the group on meetup. I had heard of Stoicism over the years, although never put much energy into the history behind it, or engaged in detailed discussions. I was hooked after I attended my first catchup and have been a regular attendee ever since.
I’ve always been interested in ancient history, particularly the greeks and romans. Through my readings, Stoicism would be mentioned, particularly when you look at the life of Marcus Aurelius. YouTube took me into a rabbit role of Modern Stoicism, and I was introduced to the works of Ryan Holiday and the Daily Stoic. After reading some of these books, I then started looking for groups near me so I could engage in in-person discussions.
Since attending the meetings, I’ve become more interested in Traditional Stoicism, and enjoy reading the ancient texts and commentaries. My learning in Stoicism continues daily as I try to incorporate teachings into daily life – even if it is just a daily reminder that there are things up to us and not up to us, and to live in accordance with Nature – even if I’m falling short. The philosophy of life has had a major impact on me, and has helped me to understand myself better, make better decisions, and be calmer when dealing with and facing adversity.
Courtney Shipley
My introduction to Stoicism came during a challenging period of life as a new father. While searching for practical wisdom, I discovered Stoic philosophy and was struck by its ability to speak directly to everyday concerns while offering a profound vision of human flourishing. What began as a personal interest soon became a lifelong study and practice.
Today, I am one of the hosts of Brisbane Stoics, a community that has become an important part of my life. More than anything, I enjoy bringing people together to explore philosophy as a way of life. The group provides a space where people can think deeply, challenge assumptions, develop meaningful friendships, and support one another in the pursuit of wisdom and virtue. I believe philosophy is at its best when it is lived in community rather than studied in isolation.
Alongside my work as a counsellor and psychotherapist, I have been developing an approach to philosophical psychotherapy that I call Aretotherapy. Drawing inspiration from Stoicism, Socratic dialogue, phenomenology, and contemporary psychotherapy, Aretotherapy seeks to help people cultivate excellence of character (aretē) through deeper self-understanding, meaningful participation in life, and the development of practical wisdom. Rather than treating philosophy as a collection of techniques, it approaches it as a lived practice directed toward flourishing.
The group-therapy form of this work is called The Prokopton Project—named after the Stoic term prokopton, meaning one who is making progress. The project combines philosophical reflection, experiential exercises, and supportive community to help participants develop greater autonomy, competence, relatedness, and virtue in everyday life.
If you would like to learn more about Aretotherapy or The Prokopton Project, please feel free to ask me at a Brisbane Stoics meeting or visit Socratic and Stoic Psychotherapy for Personal Growth