Existential Therapy Case Study

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Background and Identifying Information Sarah DeJesus is a 26 year old Caucasian female. She has two children, one boy age eight and one daughter age two. Her father is Puerto Rican and her mother was born and raised in West Virginia. Client is self-referred. Description of the Presenting Problem Sarah reports that she has been having depressive symptoms such as sadness, weight loss, inability to sleep, and mood changes. Client also reports substance abuse. She reports that she feels sad most of the time and that she has had a hard past. She reports having anxiety most of the day and has a hard time functioning. Client reports that she was gang raped and suffers from flashbacks and severe mood changes. Client reports that no matter what she …show more content…

This theory states that we are influenced by our parents but not determined by our early childhood developments or instincts. Most people live with limited self-reflection, they avoid core issues related to humanness and meaninglessness, facing our core issues head on leads to anxiety and dread, not facing our core life issues head on leads to a neurotic existence. It is better to face our core issues, aloneness, death, and living meaningfully, even if there is a price to pay with such awareness. Changing ones way of living requires focused self-discipline. When treating an issue the person has, you have to consider the whole person and how that issues might have contributed to all parts of their …show more content…

We started with Phase I. I Contact client and met to discuss what to expect with our sessions. We then went to phase II, the therapist was able to sit down and understand the clients world view and the things she was going through. Phase III is Education and Integration, the therapist educated the client about existential world view. Phase IV is awareness, client was understood existential philosophy. Phase V is self-acceptance, the client understands that from now on they can choose differently. Phase VI is responsibility, the client has taken responsibility to make different choices, accepts that one can be purposeful and bring own meaning. Phase VII is choice and freedom, the client made conscious choices that are freeing from their self-imposed neurotic constraints. Phase VIII is separation, the client realizes that she no longer needs

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