Chapter 4 - Existential Therapy Flashcards
What did Victor Frankel realize while in the Nazi death camps that set the foundation for existential therapy?
That we have choices in every situation. Even in terrible circumstances we could preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom and independence of mind.
Frankel asserted that everything could be taken from a person except what one thing?
To choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.
What are the central themes of logo therapy
Life has meaning under all circumstances,
The central motivation for living is the will to meeting
We have the freedom to find meaning and all that we think
We must integrate body mind and spirit to be fully alive
What was Yellam’s four “givens of existence” or ultimate human concerns?
The freedom and responsibility, existential isolation,, meaninglessness and death
Is existential therapy a way of thinking and attitude about psychotherapy or is it actually a particular style of practicing psychotherapy?
Existential therapy is a way of thinking and attitude about psychotherapy
What is the goal of existential therapy
Assist clients in their exploration of existential “Givens of life” and how these are sometimes ignored or denied.
Existential therapy is grounded on which assumptions?
That we are free and therefore responsible for our choices and actions. Also we are not victims of circumstance because we are largely what we choose to be.
What idea was Soren Kierkegaard particularly concerned with?
He was concerned with angst– addressing the role of anxiety and uncertainty in life. Existential anxiety is associated with making basic decisions about how we want to live.
What is existential analysis according to Binswanger
Existential analysis (Daseinanalysis) emphasizes the subjective and spiritual dimensions of human existence. Binswanger (1975) contended that crises in therapy were typically major choice points for the client.
What do existential therapists think about therapy being a set of techniques?
Existential therapist did not identify therapy with a set of techniques. Instead it bases therapeutic practice on an understanding of what it means to be human.
What is the idea of self awareness And how can it help an individual?
The greater our awareness, the greater our possibilities for freedom. We can increase our awareness in the following areas (not exhaustive list):
* We are finite and do not have unlimited time to do what we want in life.
* We choose our actions and therefore we can partially create our own destiny
As individuals increase their self awareness, what are some specific areas of awareness they may experience?
- They realize that they are so preoccupied with suffering combat death, and dying that they are not appreciating living
- They come to realize that they are failing to live in the present moment because of preoccupation with the past, planning for the future, or trying to do too many things at once
- They learned that they are not condemned to a future similar to the past, for they can learn from their past and thereby reshape their future
Schneider and Krug said that existential therapy embraces which three values?
(1) the freedom to become within the context of natural and self-imposed limitations;
(2)the capacity to reflect on the meaning of our choices; and
(3)the capacity to act on the choices we make.
What is Jean Paul Sartre idea of inauthenticity?
An inauthentic mode of existence consists of lacking awareness of personal responsibility for our lives and passively assuming that our existence is largely controlled by external forces
What is freedom from Sartre’s perspective
Freedom is that we are responsible for our lives, for our actions, and for our failures to take action.
What is existential guilt?
Existential guilt is being aware of having evaded a commitment, or having chosen not to choose. This guilt is a condition that grows out of a sense of incompleteness, or a realization that we are not what we might have become. Existential guilt can be a powerful driving force towards transformation and living authentically.
What is authenticity
Implies that we are living by being true to our own evaluation of what is a valuable existence for ourselves; it is the courage to be who we are
According to existentialists, when we are able to stand alone and tap into our own strength what happens to our relationships?
Our relationships with others are based on our fulfillment and not our deprivation
What is intersubjectivity
the fact of our interrelatedness with others and the need for us to struggle with this in a creative way.
What did Frankl conclude was the biggest source of existential stress and anxiety in modern times?
Meaninglessness
What is existential neurosis
The experience of meaninglessness
What is an existential vacuum
The feeling of emptiness or hollowness due to meaninglessness in life.
What is existential anxiety
Is the unavoidable result of being confronted with the Givens of existence (i.e. Death, Freedom, Choice, isolation, and meaninglessness)
What is the difference between normal anxiety and neurotic anxiety
Normal anxiety is an appropriate response to an event being faced; making decisions in life choices can be frightening and induce anxiety.
What did Schineider and Krug identify as the four essential aims of Existential-humanistic therapy?
(1) to help clients become more present to both themselves and others;
(2) to assist clients in identifying ways they block themselves from fuller presence;
(3) to challenge clients to assume responsibility for designing their present lives; and
(4) to encourage clients to choose more expanded ways of being in their daily lives
What is a restricted existence
A state where an individual has a limited awareness of themselves and are often vague about the nature of their problems. They may see few, if any, options for dealing with life situations, and they tend to feel trapped, helpless, and stuck.
Is the existential approach technique oriented?
The existential approach is unlike most other therapies in that it is not technique-oriented. Existentially oriented therapists may incorporate many techniques from other models or create their own techniques, but these interventions are made within the context of striving to understand the subjective world of the client.
What happens during the initial phase of existential therapy
During the initial phase of counseling, therapists assist clients in identifying and clarifying their assumptions about the world. Clients are invited to define and question the ways in which they perceive and make sense of their existence. They examine their values, beliefs, and assumptions to determine their validity.
