Existential Therapy Flashcards

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1
Q

existential psychotherapy is not a formal ______ of psychotherapy

A

school

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2
Q

existential psychotherapy represents a way of _________ about the ______ ________

A

thinking; human experience

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3
Q

who said these things about existential psychotherapy in the 19th century?

anxiety and guilt are a part of what it means to be human
dehumanized by technology

A

Nietzsche

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4
Q

who coined the term existentialism/what does it mean to be a person in the 20th century?

A

Jean Paul Sartre

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5
Q

existence precedes ________; what does this mean?

A

essence; meaning and choice, blank slates that we decide what to do

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6
Q

we are meaning-_____ people in a meaning____ world

A

making; less

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7
Q

when was the first book published on existential psychotherpy?

A

1980

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8
Q

why do existential psychotherapists not say they are so?

A

categorizing themselves as existentialists goes against the belief of rejection of categorization/putting boundaries on people

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9
Q

key of existentialism: emphasis on the …

A

individual and their responsibility and freedom to make their own meaning

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10
Q

understanding psychological distress arises from a confrontation with …

A

our existence

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11
Q

who is responsible for who we are and what we become?

A

we are!

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12
Q

Gestalt is a form of _____________ psychotherapy

A

existential

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13
Q

what is a natural feeling when confronting your mortality?

A

anxiety

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14
Q

living authentically means…

A

internal world is consistent with outside world and making intentional choices

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15
Q

central conflict

A

between the individual and the ultimate concerns of existence

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16
Q

psychoanalytic theory of defenses vs. existential psychotherapy theory of defenses

A

PA:
drive - anxiety - defenses

E:
ultimate concerns - anxiety - defenses

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17
Q

are psychoanalytic and existentialism defenses the same?

A

no! may be same words but different definitions or vice versa

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18
Q

4 ultimate concerns of existential psychotherapy

A

freedom
isolation
meaning
death

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19
Q

freedom in existential psychotherapy

A

ultimate freedom to make choices, requires the individual to confront their own destiny

existence precedes essence

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20
Q

confronting own destiny means seeing the …

A

patterns and limits of givens in life

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21
Q

given meaning existential psychotherapy

A

things we can’t change, but can chose how we react to it

similar to circumstance in PPT

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22
Q

what two things does freedom require?

A

responsibility and will (intentionality)

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23
Q

living without taking responsibility is to live in ___ _____

A

bad faith

24
Q

willing is the process from _______ to ________

A

wishing; deciding/acting by making a choice

25
Q

failures of willing give rise to pathology: (three things)

A

impulsivity
compulsivity
decisional panic

26
Q

impulsivity

A

inability to be aware of wished and desires

unconscious choices, acting without intention

27
Q

compulsivity

A

inability to reconcile/getting stuck in between unconscious wishes and desires

want one thing but thinking of something else

28
Q

decisional panic

A

aware of wishes but can’t decide

want multiple things and can’t have all of them

29
Q

similarities between compulsivity and decisional panic?

A

prevents intentional decisions

unable to make choice, comes from different places

30
Q

3 forms of isolation

A

interpersonal
intrapersonal
existential

31
Q

interpersonal isolation

A

no matter how close we get, I won’t share consciousness with others and vice versa

32
Q

intrapersonal isolation

A

isolation from self, conscious being isolated from everything I am aware of

job is to bring as much awareness as possible

33
Q

existential isolation

A

inherit aloneness in universe, just is

34
Q

isolation requires balance between…

A

wish for contact and knowledge of aloneness

35
Q

defenses against isolation

A

crave witness
- use of others to be witness to us to be seen and less isolated
- social media (likes and shares) are a great example

fusion
- avoid personal growth and adopt to others
- latching onto another person/their authentic living
- “can’t live without you”

36
Q

what was the example of the 4 ultimate concerns used in class?

A

the married at first sight couple!

37
Q

defending against meaninglessness

A

making excuses

not having meaning/running on autopilot, what you are “supposed” to do

give up choice to culture/society around us rather than deciding for ourselves

38
Q

what is the ultimate existential concern and core inner conflict

A

death

39
Q

denial-based defenses for death

A

specialness
- irrational/unconscious, we are immortal or the laws of biology do not apply to you
- ex. smokers do not think they will get lung cancer
- become preoccupied with prepping for the future (ex. saving money they will never get to spend)

ultimate rescuer
- belief in god/higher power
- feeling like someone is watching out for them/guarding welfare

40
Q

fellow travelers

A

therapist and client are both traveling through life doing the same work, showing that the therapist also has their own dealing with the ultimate concerns

41
Q

goals of therapy

A

understand
- making unconscious conscious

identify
- identify defense mechanisms

discover
- discover their destructive influence

develop
- develop other ways of coping

42
Q

life cannot be lived without …

A

anxiety

43
Q

is the goal of existential psychotherapy to get rid of anxiety?

A

no! goal is to find tolerable level of anxiety and live with the ultimate concerns

44
Q

existential psychotherapy has an emphasis on the ___, rather than psychoanalysis with an emphasis on the ____

A

now; past

45
Q

is existentialism a comprehensive system of techniques?

A

no!

46
Q

existentialism is a _________ to understand suffering

A

framework

47
Q

techniques for addressing freedom

A

point out instances in the moment

correct “can’t” to “won’t”
- making patient take responsibility for choices

inquire about patients role
- get them to realize we have more freedom than we think we do

encourage ownership

48
Q

ways to navigate failures of willing in addressing freedom

A

correct inability to wish
- help identify what patient wants

reduce impulsivity

help patients decide

49
Q

alternatives exclude definition

A

no way to get everything!

learn to tolerate uncertainty

50
Q

review annie’s existential psychotherapy sessions!

A

got it

51
Q

addressing meaning

A

help
- help patient focus on values beyond themselves/find meanings and values

develop
- develop curiosity and concern for others

remove
- remove obstacles to whole-hearted engagement (activities they chose because they find it meaningful, like in PERMA model in PPT)

52
Q

addressing death

A

awakening experience
- forcing existential confrontation, like a near death experience or loss of loved one

examine regret
- be honest and take responsibility for regrets

choice towards a “lived life”
- how to live forward, built life we “lived”/built meaning and lived willingly

53
Q

addressing isolation

A

balance isolation and support
- no one person can be all things, accept we are always isolated in some way

reciprocity and mutuality
- find this in relationships

authenticity
- therapist demonstrates this to client

alone together
- like COVID, we have limits to isolate but can do it with others

54
Q

mechanisms for psychotherapy: existentialism

A

empathy
- help counteract avoidance, bring forward wishes and examine regret

here-and-now
- a lot of checking in in the moment
- reciprocity

fellow traveler

55
Q

why is existentialism hard to quantify?

A

we are not focused on a decrease in symptoms

56
Q

cultural considerations for existentialism

A
  1. ultimate concerns transcend culture
  2. culture influences defenses
    - culture creates meaning for us
  3. therapist must acknowledge and adapt
    - be open and consider the patients side while staying authentic
57
Q

culture definition in relation to existentialism

A

meaning which people create, creates people