Existential Therapy So lets proceed to the introduction of our topic… What is Existential Therapy? a greater understanding of life's meaning; utilizing creative methods such as art or writing to express thoughts and feelings Read the ppt (Existential therapy is more a way of thinking, or an attitude about psychotherapy, than a particular style of practicing psychotherapy.) By using Existential Therapy can help your client better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It helps individuals find meaning in life and accepting responsibility for their decisions. Unlike Psychoanalysis, Adlerian Theraphy, and all other therapy Read ppt (can best be described as a philosophical approach that influences a counselor’s therapeutic practice.) Yalom and Josselson (2011) capture the essence of this approach: Read ppt (Existential therapy focuses on exploring themes such as mortality, meaning, freedom, responsibility, anxiety, and aloneness as these relate to a person’s current struggle) Sabi nga ni Rollo May na mas gumaganda yung buhay kapag naiisip niya yung death. So ang goal ng existential therapy is to help the client in their exploration of the existential “givens of life” the death, isolation, freedom, and meaning it enables people to meet these givens of human existence and to embrace and meet them rather than turn away from them. Which Yalom highlighted. Individuals can gain a more profound appreciation for their lives and an increased sense of control over their destinies Read ppt (Existential psychotherapy is an attitude toward human suffering [that] has no manual. It asks deep questions about the nature of the human being and the nature of anxiety, despair, grief, loneliness, isolation, and anomie. It also deals centrally with the questions of meaning, creativity, and love.) Basically, it brings the elements of philosophy and psychology into therapy to help you understand your place in your world. focusing on clients' concerns and exploring their beliefs about life; actively engaging with philosophical questions to help develop Read ppt (The existential approach rejects the deterministic view of human nature espoused by traditional psychoanalysis and radical behaviorism.) In psychoanalysis sees the individual as primarily determined by the unconscious forces and past events while behaviorist naman ay by socio cultural conditioning. But and mga existential therapist believe na we have freedom therefore we held accountable for our choices and action. Dito na papasok yung Existence Preceed Essence ni Sartre Historical Background in Philosophy and Existentialist Existentialist thought has been proposed and passed around between philosophers since the time of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard (early to mid1800s), but this philosophy has grown in popularity since the foundation-shaking events of the 1940s and 50s. Given this rise in popularity and its resulting influence on mainstream thinking, psychology took a renewed interest in this philosophy. responsibility of our choices and for planning for the future Jean-Paul Sartre . We are not born with a predetermined purpose or meaning in life. We are free to create our own essence through our choices and actions. Existence Preceeds Essence. Heidegger and Kierkegaard is writer of philosophy Sartre and Camus is literary writer Soren Kierkegaard, he addressed the role of anxiety and uncertainty in life. Kung hindi daw natin naeexperience ang anxiety we may go through life as sleepwalker daw. Key Figures in Contemporary Existential Psychotherapy Friedrich Nietzsche, he started existential nihilism begins with the notion that the world is without meaning or purpose. Existentialist philosophy has also had a significant impact on psychology and psychotherapy. Existential psychotherapy, influenced by thinkers like Rollo May, Viktor Frankl, and Irvin D. Yalom, focuses on exploring existential concerns, such as freedom, responsibility, and the search for meaning, in therapeutic contexts. Martin Heidegger siya yung nag popularized phenomenology. “If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I will free myself from the anxiety of death and the pettiness of life — and only then will I be free to become myself.” — Martin Heidegger. It is the way daw that we fill our everyday life with superficial conversation and routine shows that we often assume we are going to live forever and can afford to waste day after day. Read ppt Viktor Frankl Read ppt Martin Buber took a less individualistic stand than most of the other existentialists. He said that we humans live in a kind of betweenness; that is, there is never just an I, but always an other. Ludwig Binswager He based his existential approach largely on the ideas of Heidegger and accepted Heidegger’s notion that we are “thrown into the world.” However, this “thrown-ness” does not release us from the One of the key techniques us In logotherapy is paradoxical intention. It encourages the client to intentionally embrace the things they are trying to avoid. For example, the client is struggling with anxiety, ang gagawin ng therapist ay mas ipafeel sa client ung anxiety niya para iimprove niya yung sarili niya Another technique is dereflection, ditto naman ididirect yung attention away from the problem ng client towards sa mas meaningful life. Frankl approach to psychotherapy emphasizes the importance meaning and purpose in human experience by helping individual to find their own unique sense of meaning Rollo May Read ppt According to may anxiety is the result of individual’s realization that they are finite being in an infinite universe. He also argued that anxiety is not pathological rather part of a human experience. He believes na dapat yung therapist needed to present and engaged with the client rather than detached and objective. Parang sinasabi niya na we will all suffer, we will all gonna die but we still have the freedom. Shortcoming From a Diversity Perspective Irvin Yalom Read ppt Irvin Yalom (1980) describes four major “ultimate concerns”: death, meaninglessness, isolation, and freedom. He describes these as “givens of existence,” or an “inescapable part” of being human, and that every person must come to terms with these concerns through active choices to realize their individual potential. Multicultural Strengths From a Diversity Perspective Ppt Existential therapy is useful in working with culturally diverse clients because of its focus on universality, or the common ground that we all share. This approach emphasizes presence, the relationship, and courage. As such, it can be effectively applied with diverse client populations with a range of specific problems and in a wide array of settings The focus on subjective experience, or phenomenology, is a strength from a multicultural perspective. Another strength of the existential approach is that it enables clients to examine the degree to which their behavior is being influenced by social and cultural conditioning Some individuals who seek counseling may operate on the assumption that they have very little choice because environmental circumstances severely restrict their ability to influence the direction of their lives. Even if they change internally, they see little hope that the external realities of racism, discrimination, and oppression will change. In many cultures it is not possible to talk about the self and selfdetermination apart from the context of the social network and environmental conditions. However, a case can be made for the existential approach being instrumental in enabling clients to make conscious choices when it comes to the values they live by.
