Existential Therapy Flashcards
_____ was a prisoner in the Nazi Concentration Camps where he lost his entire family.
He believes that essence lies in searching more meaning.
Victor Frankl
_____ was an American psychiatrist and published many books on existential therapy.
He integrated psychoanalysis and existential therapy, studied with Adler, and is known for “problems of being.”
Rollo May
_____ defined the four “givens of existence.”
He believed in focusing on the here and now of the therapeutic relationship and exploring the client’s interpersonal world.
Irvin Yalom
Existentialism is an area of philosophy concerned with ….
the meaning of human existence
- explores themes and issues of love, choice, freedom, responsibility, death, and the meaning of life
Concerned with how one deals with sense of value and meaning in one’s life in relation to ….
the present/future view
Deterministic or nondeterministic?
Nondeterministic
- believes it is an oversimplification to view people as controlled by predetermined physical laws
Individuals have _____ and can constantly _____ their lives.
free will; recreate
focus on active, positive aspects of human ____ and ____
growth; achievement
Says that the greater our ______, the greater our possibilities for freedom.
self-awareness
Self-awareness includes:
- we are ____ (time is limited)
- we have the _____ to act or not to act
- meaning is not automatic - we must ______
- we are subjective to loneliness, meaninglessness, emptiness, and isolation
- finite
- choice
- seek it
____ is “the courage to be”
Identity
- we must trust ourselves to search within and find our own answers
According to Existentialism, what is our greatest fear?
that we will discover that there is no core, no self
Being existentially _____ helps us to discover our authentic self
alone
balancing ____ and ___ helps us develop a unique identity and live authentically in the moment
aloneness; relatedness
______ occurs when a client does not take responsibility, is not aware of feelings, or otherwise is inauthentic in dealing with life.
Resistance
______ is important to note when client’s attention focuses on the therapist. Should work to make progress in the process of developing a real and authentic relationship.
Transference
According to Existential Therapy, the manner in which we live and what we become are a result of _____.
our choices
______ is normal and is the outcome of being confronted with the four “givens of existence.”
Existential anxiety.
- Life cannot be lived meaningfully and with responsibility, nor can isolation or death be faced, without anxiety!
______ is anxiety about concrete things that are out of proportion to the situation.
Neurotic anxiety.
- we are typically unaware of it!
Role of therapy relationship is very important; counselor should strive toward an honest, open, and _____ relationship with client.
egalitarian
The therapeutic relationship serves to _____ authenticity, freedom of choice, and appropriate handling of anxiety circumstances, self-disclosure.
model
T/F: There are multiple, specific techniques a counselor should employ in existential therapy.
False.
- there are little to no specific techniques designated within this theory
When is the counseling process at its best?
when the deepest self of the therapist meets the deepest part of the client
What are the phases of existential therapy?
- Initial phase: Identifying assumptions
- Clients are assisted in identifying and clarifying assumptions about world. - Middle phase: Value system
- Clients are assisted in more fully examining the source and authority of their present value system. - Final phase: Action
Clients are assisted in translating what they have learned about themselves into action.
What are some strengths of existential therapy?
- something all counselors can incorporate
- stresses self-determination and accepting personal responsibility
- provides perspective for understanding:
a) value of anxiety and guilt
b) role of death
c) creative aspects of being alone
d) choosing for oneself
What are some limitations of existential therapy?
- lacks systematic statement of principles and practices
- global terms and abstract concepts
- limited empirical research
- limited applications for:
- lower-functioning clients
- clients in extreme crisis who need direction
- those who are nonverbal
What are the 6 Propositions/”Basic Dimensions of Human Existence”?
- Capacity for self-awareness
- Tension between freedom and responsibility
- Creating one’s identity - establishing meaningful relationships
- Search for: meaning, purpose, values, & goals
- Accepting anxiety as a condition of living
- Awareness of death and nonbeing
