Chapter 4 - Existential Therapy Flashcards
What is the main focus of existential therapy?
Exploring themes like mortality, meaning, freedom, responsibility, anxiety, and aloneness.
How is existential therapy best described?
A philosophical approach that influences a counselor’s therapeutic practice.
What are some of the fundamental existential questions?
Why am I here? What gives my life purpose? Where is the source of meaning?
What are the basic dimensions of the human condition in existential therapy?
Self-awareness, freedom and responsibility, identity and relationships, search for meaning, anxiety, and awareness of death.
What is the first existential preposition?
The capacity for self-awareness.
Why is self-awareness important in existential therapy?
Greater awareness increases freedom, but also exposes loneliness, meaninglessness, and isolation.
What is the second existential preposition?
Freedom and responsibility.
How does existential therapy define freedom?
We are responsible for our actions and our failures to act; freedom and responsibility go hand in hand.
What is the third existential preposition?
Striving for identity and relationship to others.
What is meant by ‘the courage to be’ in existential therapy?
Trusting oneself to search within and find personal answers.
How does existential therapy view relationships?
Authentic relationships provide fulfillment, while relationships based on deprivation lead to dependency.
What is the fourth existential preposition?
The search for meaning.
What is logotherapy?
A therapy approach that helps clients find meaning in their lives.
What is the ‘existential vacuum’?
A sense of meaninglessness that leads to feelings of emptiness and hollowness.
What is the fifth existential preposition?
Anxiety as a condition of living.
What are Yalom’s four ‘givens of existence’ that create anxiety?
Death, freedom, existential isolation, and meaninglessness.
How does existential therapy view anxiety?
As a normal and necessary response to life’s uncertainties.
What is the difference between existential and neurotic anxiety?
Existential anxiety is normal and invites growth; neurotic anxiety is disproportionate and often unconscious.
What is the sixth existential preposition?
Awareness of death and nonbeing.
How does existential therapy view death?
Death gives significance to life and can be a motivating force if accepted.
What are the four primary goals of existential therapy?
Helping clients become more present, identifying self-imposed blocks, taking responsibility, and expanding ways of being.
What is the core of the therapist-client relationship in existential therapy?
A person-to-person journey that emphasizes respect, faith in clients, and empathy.
Is existential therapy technique-oriented?
No, it focuses on deep, meaningful interaction rather than structured techniques.
What role does existential therapy play in group counseling?
It helps clients take responsibility, provides a mirror for self-reflection, and fosters authentic relationships.
What are the strengths of existential therapy from a diversity perspective?
It emphasizes universal human experiences and recognizes social and cultural influences on behavior.
What are some criticisms of existential therapy regarding diversity?
It may be too individualistic and overlook social injustices, making some clients feel misunderstood.
How have existentialists contributed to psychotherapy?
They have deepened the understanding of anxiety, guilt, loneliness, and alienation.
How can existential therapy be integrated into other approaches?
Its core principles can be incorporated into various therapeutic modalities.
What is a major limitation of existential therapy?
It lacks concrete techniques and may not provide sufficient structure for some clients.
Why might some clients struggle with existential therapy?
Clients who prefer direct guidance or struggle with abstract concepts may find it difficult.
How does existential therapy address meaninglessness?
It encourages clients to take responsibility and actively create their own meaning in life.
What is existential isolation?
The realization that each person is ultimately alone, which can be a source of both fear and self-discovery.
How does existential therapy view suffering?
As an opportunity for personal growth and deeper understanding of life’s meaning.
What is the existential perspective on change?
Change occurs when clients embrace their freedom and take responsibility for their lives.
How does existential therapy handle grief and loss?
By helping clients find personal meaning in suffering and acknowledging the reality of death.
What is existential authenticity?
Living in alignment with one’s true values and not conforming to external pressures.
What is an existential crisis?
A period of deep questioning about meaning, purpose, and one’s role in the world.
How does existential therapy view avoidance?
Avoiding existential concerns diminishes engagement with life and prevents personal growth.
What are some paradoxes explored in existential therapy?
Freedom vs. responsibility, isolation vs. connection, and life vs. death.
