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Instead of passively accepting the circumstances of others and surrendering control, an existential therapist might focus on the question, "Although you have lived with certain patterns thus far in your life, now that you recognize the consequences of some of those patterns, are you willing to discuss creating new ways of dealing with life's situations?"(Ibid).
On the positive side, existential therapy offers a relatively easy introduction to psychotherapy for most counselors. It stresses self-determination, the acceptance of personally responsibility, and provides perspective for understanding the role and value of anxiety and guilt. It is positive and proactive in that it encourages the individual to embrace life's journeys -- birth, evolution, death -- and to become comfortable making personal decisions based on their needs, without "needing" others (Schneider, 2007).
Conversely, existential therapy lacks a complete statement of principles and practices that can be delineated within the profession. Often, practitioners, because of a lack of centralized standards and rubric, use vague and abstract terms and concepts, do little academic research, and fall back on a more relaxed and less synergistic form of therapy. In addition, the methodology is of dubious value for lower-functioning clients, clients in extreme crisis who need less introspection and more direction, and those who are more nonverbal. To benefit from existential therapy, the patient needs to be not only more self-aware, but also with...
139-45).
Essentially, the use of existential psychotherapy, like other therapeutic methodologies, is neither good nor bad, positive nor negative. It is situational in both its approach and efficacy. There is not one therapy for every occasion, person, or condition, nor is there one therapy for every therapist. Instead, the paradigm of existential therapy is "a psychological construct that can be justified only by its clinical usefulness As is the case with all constructs, it will eventually be followed by another… with greater explanatory power" (Yalom, 1980, p. 486).
REFERENCES
Ankrom, S. (January 27, 2009). "Existentialism." About.Com. Cited in:
http://panicdisorder.about.com/od/glossaryah/g/Existentialism.htm
Corsini, R.J. And D. Wedding. (2007). Current Psychotherapies, 8th ed. Brooks
And Cole.
Schneider, K. (2007). Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy: Guideposts to the Core
Of Practice. Routledge.
Schreurs, A. (2002). Psychotherapy and Spirituality: Integrating the Spiritual Dimension
into Therapeutic Practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Wilkes, R. And M. Milton. (2006). "Being an Existential Therapist." Existential Analysis.
Yalom, I. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. Basic Books.
REFERENCES
Ankrom, S. (January 27, 2009). "Existentialism." About.Com. Cited in:
http://panicdisorder.about.com/od/glossaryah/g/Existentialism.htm
Corsini, R.J. And D. Wedding. (2007). Current Psychotherapies, 8th ed. Brooks
And Cole.
This does not mean that there are no general principles or guidelines established for care, however, and I intend to compensate for the lack of a codified structure in existential therapy by reading extensively on techniques and methodologies both for existential therapy and other psychological therapies. By maintaining a wide arsenal of theories and techniques, I will always be ready to adapt my method of care for an individual
Psychotherapy Skills in Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy by Martin Adams and Emmy Van Deurzen is the first book that can be considered as the first convenient and matter-of-fact introduction to an Existential approach that is skills-based. Those who are not acquainted with philosophy can easily access this boos as it provides several genuine and substantial skills, tasks and connections required in Existential practice. The book is an actual guide for enabling
My personal reflections on these existential givens will impact my practice as an existential counselor. Although the influence of my personal views is significant to me, they will not inhibit the progress made by a client. Sharing a sense of commonality with the client, including the questioning of life's significance, will better assist with having insights into their feelings (Geller 2003). The aim of existential psychotherapy is to reflect upon
The following describes the process of Gestalt therapy: Gestalt therapy is a phenomenological-existential therapy founded by Frederick (Fritz) and Laura Perls in the 1940s. It teaches therapists and patients the phenomenological method of awareness, in which perceiving, feeling, and acting are distinguished from interpreting and reshuffling preexisting attitudes. Explanations and interpretations are considered less reliable than what is directly perceived and felt. Patients and therapists in Gestalt therapy dialogue, that is,
theory make it the most appropriate for the client in the case study? Among Ana's presenting problems include a general sense of hopelessness, with difficulty sleeping, and overall signs of depression. Gestalt therapy, however, would refrain from labeling Ana in the way that some clinical and psychiatric diagnoses can do (Elliott, 2014). The benefit in Ana's case of using Gestalt therapy would be to address her issues without the need
Dr. Keshen feels that the reason for this is that most of the literature that is available on the subject is extremely convoluted. Even the foremost authors on the subject disagree on it verities making most existential psychotherapists' ideas heterogeneous. However, the author feel that if a more precise and well-defined model of existential psychotherapy could be developed that would be amenable to some kind of empirical validation it