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Existential Therapy Flashcards

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 ___ _____

24
Q

willing is the process from _______ to ________

A

wishing; deciding/acting by making a choice

25
failures of willing give rise to pathology: (three things)
impulsivity compulsivity decisional panic
26
impulsivity
inability to be aware of wished and desires unconscious choices, acting without intention
27
compulsivity
inability to reconcile/getting stuck in between unconscious wishes and desires want one thing but thinking of something else
28
decisional panic
aware of wishes but can't decide want multiple things and can't have all of them
29
similarities between compulsivity and decisional panic?
prevents intentional decisions unable to make choice, comes from different places
30
3 forms of isolation
interpersonal intrapersonal existential
31
interpersonal isolation
no matter how close we get, I won't share consciousness with others and vice versa
32
intrapersonal isolation
isolation from self, conscious being isolated from everything I am aware of job is to bring as much awareness as possible
33
existential isolation
inherit aloneness in universe, just is
34
isolation requires balance between...
wish for contact and knowledge of aloneness
35
defenses against isolation
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
what was the example of the 4 ultimate concerns used in class?
the married at first sight couple!
37
defending against meaninglessness
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
what is the ultimate existential concern and core inner conflict
death
39
denial-based defenses for death
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
fellow travelers
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
goals of therapy
understand - making unconscious conscious identify - identify defense mechanisms discover - discover their destructive influence develop - develop other ways of coping
42
life cannot be lived without ...
anxiety
43
is the goal of existential psychotherapy to get rid of anxiety?
no! goal is to find tolerable level of anxiety and live with the ultimate concerns
44
existential psychotherapy has an emphasis on the ___, rather than psychoanalysis with an emphasis on the ____
now; past
45
is existentialism a comprehensive system of techniques?
no!
46
existentialism is a _________ to understand suffering
framework
47
techniques for addressing freedom
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
ways to navigate failures of willing in addressing freedom
correct inability to wish - help identify what patient wants reduce impulsivity help patients decide
49
alternatives exclude definition
no way to get everything! learn to tolerate uncertainty
50
review annie's existential psychotherapy sessions!
got it
51
addressing meaning
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
addressing death
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
addressing isolation
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
mechanisms for psychotherapy: existentialism
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
why is existentialism hard to quantify?
we are not focused on a decrease in symptoms
56
cultural considerations for existentialism
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
culture definition in relation to existentialism
meaning which people create, creates people

Psych 360 (27 decks)

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