Entering the Client’s World
Many theorists have contributed to Existential Psychotherapy; however, Rollo May brought this form of therapy to the forefront. In 1958, along-side Ernest Angel and Henri F. Ellenberger, May had published one of the first American books on Existential Psychology. Entitled “Existence”, the book introduced its readers to existential-phenomenological psychologists and the idea that "every scientific method rests upon philosophical presuppositions". May argued that for psychologists to help their patients they must enter their patients’ world. By using this approach, the healing process is a two-person “relationship” which allows the patient to grow without judgement or limitations. Since Existential theorists believe
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These “givens” are mortality, isolation, meaninglessness, and freedom. These four givens, also referred to as “ultimate concerns”, form the body of existential psychotherapy and compose the framework in which a therapist conceptualizes a client's problem to develop a method of treatment. (Existential therapy, n.d.) If a client develops a conflict with any of the four givens, they will be filled with dread that is often referred to as “existential anxiety”. For example, if one were to form a fear of mortality the approach would be to form a balance of an awareness of death while at the same time not being overwhelmed by it. Irvin Yalom (1980), a student of Rollo May’s, stated that “life cannot be lived nor can death be faced without anxiety” (1980, p. 188). Therefore, the purpose is to encourage the emotional issues using full engagement and accepting responsibility for how the existential anxiety developed. A fear of mortality may have formed due to several losses within one’s life and their inability to accept great loss frequently or at an early age. With this approach Existential practitioners can help guide their clients to accept their ultimate concerns however it is only with the client’s will to accept, what they cannot change, that therapy will produce self-growth. It is with the realization that the client is …show more content…
Existential therapy is not recommended for clients who are unwilling to delve into their deeper conscious or unwilling to accept responsibility for their thoughts and decisions. One could also suggest that this type of therapy is not well suited for therapists who cannot be blunt with a client. Existential therapists are not confined to the neutral, passive, interpretive psychoanalytic role. The role of an Existential therapist is to help one’s client come to terms with their inner self and the way they interpret their world without denying the “givens of existence” (reality). As Rollo May stated, “I do not believe in toning down the daimonic. This gives a sense of false comfort. The real comfort can come only in the relationship of the therapist and client” (Diamond, 1996, p.
What is unique about constructivism is its ability to examine problems from the client’s point of view is that it allows individuals to create their own reality during counseling appointment. According to Pamelia Brott (2004), therapists act more as facilitators of change than therapeutic leaders, the client is viewed as the agent of change (191). The constructivist perspective reality comes into being through the interpretations of what the world means to the client individually (p.192). As Sharf (2015) explains, “…in the act of knowing, it is the human mind that actively gives meaning and order to that reality to which it is responding…" (p.455). Because of this the constructivist perspective does not provide a single theoretical structure as each counseling session is unique in providing client’s a solution that is applicable to
We may nevertheless say that existentialism is a form of phenomenological philosophy that relies on certain reflective methods of studying human consciousness instantiated in the individual, society, and culture, which emerged as a popular general movement characteristic of 20 century European thought represented thought represented across many disciplines including literature, the humanities, and the social sciences. Existential psychology rejects the mechanistic views of the Freudians and instead sees people as engaged in a search for meaning (Trull & Prinstein, 2013, p. 382), therefore an existential psychotherapist may attribute the cause of the person’s anxiety to lost meaning of life. As Trull and Prinstein (2013) stated, the ultimate goal of existential psychotherapy is "to help the individual reach a point at which awareness and decision making can be exercised responsibly" (p. 383). The role of an existential psychotherapist is to enable the client to come closer to experience. By experiencing self, the client can learn to attach meaning and value to life. Sometimes the therapist will confront the client with questions “that force the client to examine the reasons for failure to search for meaning in life” (Trull & Prinstein, 2013, p.
He knows the "why" of his existence, and will be able to bear any "how." With the same theory in mind as above, one can see how easy it would be to lose hope or give up if the means of the suffering were not worthy of the suffering.... ... middle of paper ... ... This part of the book transitioned from an easy-reading autobiography to a complex psychiatric journal describing, in detail, the theory behind logotherapy.
Guignon, B. C. and Pereboom, D. (eds). (2001). Existentialism: Basic Writings. Indianapolis, IN: Hacket Publishing.
classicmoviescripts/script/seventhseal.txt. Internet. 4 May 2004. Blackham, H. J. Six Existentialist Thinkers. New York: Harper, 1952. Choron, Jacques. Death and Western Thought. New York: Collier Books, 1963.
Existentialists believe that “to live is to suffer; to survive is to find meaning in the suffering”. Despite all the horrific experiences in the concentration, Viktor Frankl is determined to not lose the significance of his life and succumb to the cruelty of his situation. With the use of three literary techniques- argumentation, rhetoric, and style- Frankl gives his proposition warrant that a man will not find meaning in his life by searching for it; he must give his life significance by answering questions life asks him.
“The goal of reality therapy is to help clients get reconnected with the people they have chosen to include in their quality worlds and to teach clients choice theory” (Corey, 2013, p. 183). Letting clients understand that they have a choice in their lives will help them gain control. Furthermore, “the goal of existential therapy is to challenge clients to recognize and accept the freedom they have to become the authors of their own lives” (Corey, 2013, p. 74). As individuals, we have to face different aspects of life such as isolation, freedom, and responsibility. Helping a client through their struggles and acknowledge these life struggles may help guide the client to a positive point in their lives.
"If we affirm life and live in the present as fully as possible, however, we will not be obsessed with the end of life"(Corey p.153). This is the way of thinking for the existential theorist when it comes to patients who deal with death anxiety. Dr. Yalom dealt with this issue when he did a study on bereavement. He put an ad in the paper that asked for volunteers who would be willing to be interviewed. In order to meet the requirements the people had to have grief in their life that they were unable to overcome. A chapter in Yalom's book titled The Wrong One Died went into detail about a woman named Penny. Penny had lost a daughter four years prior to the interview. When she showed up at the office she told the secretary that she needed to see the Dr. Yalom immediately. Penny's life was a struggle ever since the tragedy of losing her daughter. In explaining the reason for not being able to let it go after such a long time, she mentioned how she felt responsible for horrible death. After a few meetings of therapy Penny came to realize that her daughter was not coming back, and she began to deal with the real issues that were causing her so much pain. She told Dr. Yalom that the way she handled her daughter's death made her feel extremely guilty. So guilty that she couldn't even remember the actual dying process tha...
The Merriam – Webster Dictionary defines existentialism as a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad (Merriam, 2011). In other words, an existentialist believes that our natures are the natures we make for ourselves, the meaning of our existence is that we just exist and there may or may not be a meaning for the existence, and we have to individually decide what is right or wrong and good or bad for ourselves. No one can answer any of those things for us. A good example of existentialism is Woody Allen’s movie, Deconstructing Harry. A man is haunted by his past and his past has followed him into the present. He is a wreck not because of the things that happened to him, but because of the choices he made. He is consumed by regret and insecurity and he tries to find blame in his situation with someone other than himself, however he cannot (Barnes, 2011). Throughout the rest of this paper I will be discussing two of the most prominent existentialists, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.
Both of which were religiously oriented. During the 1940s, May studied psychoanalysis at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology in New York City, Where he meet and was influenced by Harry Stack Sullivan and Erich Fromm. In 1946, May became a practicing psychoanalyst and shortly after enrolled in the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University. During this time, he had contracted Tuberculosis and lived in a Sanatorium for about 18 months. This was probably the turning point of his life and while facing the possibility of death, May filled his empty hours with reading. Authors he read were Soren Kierkegaard and Freud, which inspired the existential movement and also became the basis of inspiration for Rollo May’s theory. In 1949 at Columbia University, graduating Summa Cum Laude, Rollo May received the first PhD award in clinical psychology that institution ever awarded at the relatively advanced age of 40. After receiving his PhD, he went on to teach at a variety of top
Existential therapy is concerned with one’s being; the world in which they live, the implication of time, and the mindfulness of being whole. The basic dimensions of the human condition, according to the existential approach, include (1) the capacity for self-awareness; (2) freedom and responsibility; (3) creating one’s identity and establishing meaningful relationships with other; (4) the search for meaning, purpose, values, and goals; (5) anxiety as a condition of living; and (6) awareness of death and nonbeing. All give significance to living and explore the degree to which a client is doing the things they value.
Existential therapy focuses on the positive approach of looking at an individual as whole, incorporating multiple factors and tendencies to applaud human capacities and acknowledgement. Fridrich Nietzsche is a philosopher who is known as the founder of existential theory by theorizing that any individual can overcome any event or concern through internal wisdom and self powerment. In fact, I believe existential therapy is closely related and are similar to multiple approaches, such as the humanistic approach by looking at the concept of individuals having moral, internal ethical values which drives their behavior in a positive aspect. Due to this, existential therapy focuses on the good within individuals bringing out positive attributions
Existential Therapy was chosen to assist Bonnie with her Issues. Existential therapy is a more effective approach because it deals with concrete issues. The theory focuses on the attitudes of individuals and important life themes. This type of therapy help individuals cope with everyday issues by understanding oneself, taking responsibility for oneself, and finding meaning in life. Existential therapy would be a great approach to address Bonnie’s depression, and anxiety symptoms, which stems from low self-esteem. The existential approach will help Bonnie with her depression by recognizing that she is depressed and accepting her feelings. Once, the depression is recognized than therapy will assist Bonnie with her anxiety by confronting unexpected events. Lastly, existential therapy will help Bonne with her self-esteem by finding meaning in life and becoming more self-aware.
The existential approach to therapy has six key propositions: (1) We are able to be self-aware, (2) We need to be responsible for our choices that we make freely, (3) We are allowed to be who we are, (4) Things can always change, (5) Anxiety is a normal feeling, and (6) Death is inevitable (Corey & Corey, 2014). There are different types of existential therapy, but the main purpose remains the same. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stress of life. One could easily forget that they are in control of their actions and reactions. “The aim of therapy is that the patient experiences his existence as real…which includes becoming aware of his
In 1950s America, the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis were beginning to be reexamined and expanded as more cases of mental distress and disorders were uncovered that no one knew how to treat. These cases could often related back to one main theme, which was unhappiness in one aspect of an individual’s life. This problem area could be home life, work, social status, or a number of other areas. No matter what the root of the problem, the issue always caused a person to feel inconsequential and their minds would spiral down a negative path until they were no longer, by society’s terms, sane. Existentialists, those who believe individuals should be responsible for developing how they want and when they want, viewed these allegedly crazy people as developing at their own pace. They did not believe, however, that these people were discovering the meaning of their life as they were, more often than not, unhappy with their lives. The existentialists believed that when one does not aim for a specific goal or yearn to find meaning in their life, they are not living their life the way it was intended. The existential view emphasized a person or individual being responsible for determining their development on their own terms and discovering the meaning in life. When the mind gets in the way, in cases such as psychopathy, it does not allow for the individual to discover the true meaning of their own life as their judgment may become clouded by their current state of mind. The mind has a great deal of power in the matter of deciding whether a person will succeed on the existential path or if they will go down the path of psychopathy. This power can do a person a lot of good but it may also cause them a lot of stress and harm ...