Existential Therapy Chapter 4 Existential Therapy l l

Existential Therapy Chapter 4

Existential Therapy l l l Both a philosophy and a philosophical approach to counseling. Not a particularly well-defined way of counseling. Based on the philosophy of 19 th century theologian and philosopher Kierkegaard and 20 th century philosopher Heidegger. Focused on the pursuit of becoming an individual. Emphasis on the need for commitment.

The Philosophy Area of philosophy concerned with the meaning of human existence l Asking questions about issues of love, death, and the meaning of life l How one deals with the sense of value and meaning of one’s life l

Common Beliefs l Existentialists share some common beliefs: l l l Importance of anxiety, values, freedom, and responsibility in human life. Emphasis on people finding meaning in what they do. The world changes as people’s ideas about it change Ideas of world are a human construction “Beings-in-the-World” Self cannot exist without a world AND l The world cannot exist without a person (a l being) to perceive it l l Must study human beings in their worlds l Phenomenological perspective

Phenomenology Defined: A philosophy or method of inquiry based on the premise that reality consists of objects and events as they are perceived or understood in human consciousness and not of anything independent of human consciousness l People’s perceptions or subjective realities are considered to be valid data for investigation l Phenomenological discrepancies exist two people perceiving same situation differently l

View of Human Nature/Personality l l l People are free to choose any course of action AND are responsible for any choice they make, healthy or not. Personality is an emerging, a becoming, a process of being that is not fixed or characterized by traits l Believe that existence precedes essence To understand a human being is to understand the world he/she constructs l l Believe that people form their lives by the choices they make. Being and world are inseparable

Three Levels of our World l Umwelt (in-nature): ourselves in relation to biological & physical aspects l Mitwelt (with-others): world of persons; the social world l Eigenwelt (for-ourselves): the way we reflect on, evaluate, and experience ourselves Chapter 4 Copyright © 2007 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. S

Existence in the World l l l Authenticity Existential anxiety l nonbeing l meaninglessness l isolation & loneness Finiteness Existential givens Intentionality Meaning of life

The Meaning of Life Meaning = Being l Some believe we can discover life’s meaning in three ways: l l Ultimate Meanings – there is an order to the universe. l Meaning of the moment. l Common, day-to-day meaning.

Theory of Psychopathology l l Lying (inauthenticity) leads to neurotic anxiety Existential anxiety differs from neurotic anxiety l l Freud: instinctual drives produce anxiety, which produces defense mechanisms Existential: awareness of ultimate concerns produces anxiety, which produces defense mechanisms

Existential Anxiety Existential anxiety is normal l Life cannot be lived, nor can death be faced, without anxiety l Anxiety can be a stimulus for growth as we become aware of and accept our freedom l We can blunt our anxiety by creating the illusion that there is security in life l If we have the courage to face ourselves and life we may be frightened, but we will be able to change l

Pathology Source of pathology or causes of existential anxiety l Loss of meaning l Not making choices l Lack of relationship or alienation l Denying alternatives when making choices l

Existential Vacuum A sense that life has lost all meaning. l Individuals who are self-indulgent may feel a sense of normlessness and valuelessness. l Carried to an extreme, these individuals would develop noogenic neurosis – characterized by the feeling that one has nothing to live for. l

Roles of the Counselor/Therapist l l There is virtually no agreement among existentialists about how to systematically formulate their ideas into a uniform way of helping others. Part of the reason is that existentialists believe that every client is distinctive. As a result, counselors are sensitive to voice, posture, facial expression, dress and apparently accidental moves of the body. Not unusual for counselors to share personal experiences to deepen the relationship.

Therapeutic Relationship A “being-together” l A process of change & a source of content l Honesty l Patient responsible for patient; therapist not responsible for patient l In-the-moment “I-thou relationship” l Authentic l Positive regard important but not universal l Chapter 4 Copyright © 2007 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. S

Roles of the Counselor/Therapist l l Concentrate on helping the client experience subjective feelings, gain clearer selfunderstanding and move toward the establishment of a new way of being in the world. Focus on living productively in the present, not recovering a personal past. Focus on ultimate human concerns. Do not use psychological tests or make diagnoses.

Therapeutic Content l Focuses on all aspects of content l Intrapersonal = being-for-oneself, responsibility l Interpersonal = being-for-others, intimacy l Individuo-social = being-in-the-world, transcendence l Meaning/fulfillment = just that

Therapeutic Processes l l l Help individuals see themselves capable of directing their lives through active choice Encourage clients to enter into an authentic, equal therapeutic relationship Binswanger, Boss, and May draw heavily on psychoanalytic techniques Chapter 4 Copyright © 2007 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. S

Therapeutic Processes l l Patients freely express themselves, with little intervention from therapist Patients become conscious of repeating patterns of being Existentialist's honest feedback facilitates breaking out of closed world Burden of choosing is on client Chapter 4 Copyright © 2007 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. S

Goals l Realize the importance of meaning, responsibility, awareness, freedom and potential. l l Take more responsibility for their life. l l l Coping with Meaninglessness Creating new meaning Shift from an outward to an inward frame of reference. l l Discarding old values Establish a will to meaning. Make a decision about both present and future directions in life. Become sensitive to experiences. Improve encounters with others.

Strengths and Contributions l l l l Emphasis on the uniqueness of each individual. Recognizes that anxiety is not a negative condition, but rather a part of the human condition and can act as a motivator. Access to a tremendous amount of philosophy and literature. Stresses continued human growth and development. Effective in multicultural and gender counseling situations. Helps connect individuals to universal problems faced by humankind. May be combined with other perspectives and methods.

Limitations and Criticisms l l l Has not produced a fully developed model of counseling. Lacks educational and training programs. Difficult to implement beyond an individual because of its subjectivity. Clinicians do not diagnose or test their clients. Closer to existential philosophy than to other theories and therapies associated with counseling.