Introduction Existential therapy (ET) is a dynamic approach that focuses on issues and concerns that are imbedded in the individual’s existence (Yalam, 1980). ET is based on the view of “specific forces, motives and fears that interact in the individual” (Yalam, 1980). The purpose of ET is to help clients in making choices based on their belief system, accept reasonability for their actions and the outcomes, whether positive or negative, and find meaning in their life (Eliason, Samide, Williams & Lepore, 2010). ET is applied to a case vignette of Anna throughout this paper. Concepts A concept that could be applied to Anna’s case is attention to nonverbal behavior. This is Anna’s first time in therapy. Anna arrived early, had shaky hands …show more content…
Some anxiety is an appropriate response to a situation one is facing, however “neurotic anxiety is out of proportion to the situation” (Eliason, 2010). Anna’s report of “worrying all the time” and “cant get my brain to shut off” is no longer healthy and motivating. The therapist could help Anna find ways to deal with her anxiety in a constructive manner and to be able to tolerate some ambiguity and uncertainty. The last concept: awareness to death is what gives significance to living. It provides humans with motivation to live life and take advantage (Eliason, 2010). Utilizing this concept might allow Anna to find motivation and take advantage in living her life, finding out what she wants to do as well as finding a new job, as she has been unemployed for three …show more content…
ET therapist should listen empathetically, draw from different theoretical approaches as needed and adopt a flexible style (Murdock, 2013). Specific to Anna, the therapist’s goal would be to confront Anna on her lack of movement in life and help to encourage Anna to move forward and find meaning. Client’s role Clients in ET are challenged to take responsibility for their actions and behaviors. Clients are required to be active in the process and share fears, guilty feelings and anxieties (Murdock, 2013). Anna’s role is to take responsibility as well as being open, honest and to confront her feelings. Treatment Populations and Social/Cultural
Together, therapist and patient examine not only a situation that the client was involved in, but also the client’s experience of the event. This is done in the relational context of the therapeutic relationship, allowing experiences to evolve and for deepening and articulation to cause change.
The purpose of the article is to “present a theoretical-practical reflection on the application of the Phenomenological-Existential Therapy with children and adolescents at a community based clinical setting” (Pires, 2016, p. 93). The article provides a summary of how Phenomenological-Existential Therapy can be applied in different contexts. The study consisted of a model that helped the therapist work together with the client, parents, and community. The model consisted of an eight-session therapy, including initial assessment, intervention, and follow-up. The therapy focused on the un-knowing, choice and freedom, eigenwelt, mitwelt, umwelt, uberwelt, being-in-the-world-with-others, and the four dimensions of existence. The intervention takes into consideration the child’s needs, the parent’s need, and the family’s community.
During this movie, the clinician started the session by building a positive relationship with the patient; she did so by showing the patient pictures of her children that the clinician should state the objective before starting a new task. She even struggles on the terms “move” “pick up” “take” or “touch” “under” or “beside.” I saw the different steps and methods she took for her to help this client. For example, when she was saying the phrases she would get it correct saying it with the clinician and being able to recognize objects that she described, and verbal praise. The clinician was helping her build her cognitive functions; such as reading, talking, following directions and asking questions.
The therapist would then interpret this information, which consists of teaching, pointing out and explaining what the therapist is noticing through this free association (Corey, 2013). One of the key factors in a therapeutic process is the client-therapist relationship. Without this relationship, transference cannot be assessed.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United Sates. Anxiety is typically under diagnosed. Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, and getting anxious. It’s a feeling that you cannot shake, your heart begins to race, and you feel as if you cannot breath. Some believe anxiety is something that a person can control. They are wrong, anxiety is a debilitating mental illness that is hard to control and manage without the proper help. I chose anxiety because it is something that struggle with every day. The topics I will be discussing in my paper are the types of anxiety disorders, the manifestations of anxiety, treatment and medications, nursing interventions and patient education on anxiety. (Carol D. Tamparo, 2011)
In consequence, humanists and existentialists argue that people who mostly receive judgment and criticism for their behaviors are more vulnerable to developing a psychological disorder because they fail to recognize their worth (Comer, 2016, pg. 110). Overall, the humanistic-existential treatment model objective is to change clients’ harsh self-standards as they gain self-awareness and self-acceptance by valuing and giving meaning to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Comer, 2016, pg. 110). The main types of therapy for this model are client-centered therapy, gestalt therapy, and existential therapy. In these type of treatments, practitioners avoid giving personal remarks and their opinions, because they allow the client to control the session by creating a supportive and warm atmosphere in which clients are able to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths while critiquing themselves honestly in an attempt to find their own solutions (Comer, 2016,
"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...
In this paper, the readers will learn that I, Chantiara Johnson, played the role of a therapist. My friend, who is a college Sophomore played the role of client. I will use the techniques that I learned during the first three weeks of this course; these techniques will help me conduct the interview with my client. Throughout this interview, I will mock and reflect a therapy session of a client who is facing the feeling of loneliness and the feeling of not being enough.
Here the therapist would help X review her emotions, thoughts, early life experiences, and beliefs to acquire the necessary insight into their emotional life about their current emotional situation. The therapist can then draw an emotional pattern of X over time. Taking, for instance, her reaction to her failed marriage, her parents' deaths and lastly, her relationship breakdown with her half-siblings. Pin-pointing recurrent behavioral patterns establish a persons' way of responding to situations, these can be ways of avoiding distress or development of defense mechanisms. Strategies are then drawn to cope with these
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.
Van Deurzen, E. (2000). Humanistic-existential approaches. In C.Feltham & I. Horton (Eds.), Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy (pp.331-336). London: SAGE Publications.Ambrose, T.K., & Mayne, T.J. (1999). Research Review on Anger in Psychotherapy. Clinical Psychology, 55(3), 353-363.
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
... properly interact and communicate well with their clients, they need to be emotionally intelligent, self aware, create a therapeutic relationship and develop reflective practices. All of the above contributes to an individual’s health and so it’s very important that we are able to control our emotions, correct and learn from our mistakes, examine and balance our life and create a therapeutic environment so that our clients feel comfortable, safe and trust us enough to live their life in our hands.
Existential therapy is a technique that brings awareness to the power of our choices. “This existential approach has opened the way for a more agentic view of human nature and has taken into consideration some of the most fundamental concerns of humanity, which were previously underappreciated in the field of psychology” (Bartz, 2009, p.70). It has been shown to be successful in a variety of groups. Some of these groups are; children, people who have been adopted, incarcerated youth, and victims or culprits of abuse. One doesn’t have to only use one theory or approach during their practice. When it comes to existential therapy, the person using the approach can adapt their interventions to fit their style and personality. At the end of the day, it’s about what will work for the
Not all anxiety is negative. The Dalai Lama once said, "Once you 've been bitten by a snake, you are very cautious even of a coiled rope." This is a great example of the manner in which anxiety can serve a person to be careful, cautious, and considerate when moving through what can be perceived as dangerous terrain. Anxiety also provides fuel for humanity to take actions in planning and developing for the future. In this way, a counselor must understand what is a healthy sense of awareness of danger and future expectations and