Counselors provide this service, too-at a price. Another ear was the priest or minister. They lacked psychological jargon, but they often set people on their way toward solving their dilemmas. The idea that there is such a thing as wisdom is as viable today as in the past. But our faith in wisdom has been eclipsed by our idolization of science.
Science can do little or nothing for the human condition.
It may help our aching bones for a while, but it does nothing for loneliness or grief or confusion. Another sign of the bankruptcy of the counseling industry is its fadishness. I feel better after a trip to my counselor. And you would be correct. Maybe we'll eventually kick the habit.