Key Terms And Concepts

Question 1

An outcome of being confronted with the four givens of existence: death, freedom, existential isolation, and meaninglessness

Answer 1

Existential anxiety

Question 2

The result of, or the consciousness of, evading the commitment to choosing for ourselves in existential therapy

Answer 2

Existential guilt

Question 3

A philosophical movement stressing individual responsibility for creating one’s way of thinking, feeling, and behaving

Answer 3

Existentialism

Question 4

In existential therapy, an inescapable aspect of the human condition; we are the author of our life and therefore are responsible for our destiny and accountable for our actions

Answer 4

Freedom

Question 5

A method of exploration that uses subjective human experiencing as its focus; part of the fabric of existentially oriented therapies

Answer 5

Phenomenology

Question 6

In existential therapy, a state of functioning with a limited degree of awareness of oneself and being vague about the nature of one’s problems

Answer 6

Restricted existence

Question 7

In person-centered therapy, the act of perceiving the internal frame of reference of another; of grasping the person’s subjective world, without losing one’s identity

Answer 7

Accurate empathic understanding

Question 8

In person-centered therapy, the state in which self-experiences are accurately symbolized in the self-concept. As applied to the therapist, it is a matching of one’s inner experiencing with external expressions

Answer 8

Congruence

Question 9

In person-centered therapy, a growth force within us; an actualizing tendency leading to the full development of one’s potential; the basis on which people can be trusted to identify and resolve their own problems in a therapeutic relationship

Answer 9

Self-actualizing tendency

Question 10

In person-centered therapy, the necessary and sufficient characteristics of the therapeutic relationship for client change to occur. These core conditions include therapist congruence (or genuineness), unconditional positive regard (acceptance and respect), and accurate empathic understanding

Answer 10

Therapeutic conditions

Question 11

In person-centered therapy, the nonjudgmental expression of a fundamental respect for the person as a human; acceptance of a person’s right to his or her feelings

Answer 11

Unconditional positive regard

Question 12

In Gestalt therapy, The process of attending to and observing one’s own sensing, thinking, feelings, and actions; paying attention to the flowing nature of one present-centered experience

Answer 12

Awareness

Question 13

In Gestalt therapy, The process of interacting with nature and with other people without losing one sense of individuality. Achieved through seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and moving

Answer 13

Contact

Question 14

In Gestalt therapy, A way of avoiding contact and awareness by being vague and indirect

Answer 14

Deflection

Question 15

In Gestalt therapy, procedures aimed at encouraging spontaneity and inventiveness by bringing the possibilities for action directly into the therapy session. Designed to enhance here-and-now awareness. They are activities clients try out as a way of testing new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving

Answer 15

Experiments

Question 16

In Gestalt therapy, paying attention to and exploring what is occurring at the boundary between the person and the environment

Answer 16

Field theory

Question 17

In Gestalt therapy, the uncritical acceptance of others beliefs and standards without assimilating them into one’s own personality

Answer 17

Introjection

Question 18

In Gestalt therapy, The process by which we disown certain aspects of ourselves by ascribing them to the environment; the opposite of introjection

Answer 18

Projection

Question 19

In Gestalt therapy, The act of turning back onto ourselves something we would like to do or have done someone else

Answer 19

Retroflection

Question 20

In Gestalt therapy, unexpressed feelings such as resentment, guilt, anger, and grief, dating back to childhood that now interfere with effective psychological functioning; needless emotional debris that clutters present-centered awareness

Answer 20

Unfinished business

Question 21

In feminist therapy, A theory that uses male-oriented constructs to draw conclusions about human nature

Answer 21

Androcentric theory

Question 22

In feminist therapy, Power should be balanced in a relationship. In feminist therapy the voices of the oppressed acknowledged as authoritative and valuable sources of knowledge

Answer 22

Egalitarian relationship

Question 23

In feminist therapy, The idea that one’s own cultural group is superior to others and that other groups should be judged based on one’s own standards

Answer 23

Ethnocentrism

Question 24

In feminist therapy, the idea that there are two separate paths of development for women and men

Answer 24

Gendercentrism

Question 25

In feminist therapy, explains differences in the behaviour of women and men in terms of socialization processes rather than viewing gender differences as fixed in nature

Answer 25

Gender-neutral theory

Question 26

In feminist therapy, used to help clients understand the impact of gender-role expectations in their lives

Answer 26

Gender-role analysis

Question 27

In feminist therapy, provides clients with insight into the ways social issues affect their problems

Answer 27

Gender-role intervention

Question 28

In feminist therapy, an organized set of mental associations people use to interpret their perceptions about gender

Answer 28

Gender schema

Question 29

In feminist therapy, views a heterosexual orientation as normative and desirable and devalues same-sex relationships

Answer 29

Heterosexism

Question 30

feminist therapy takes this perspective, which assumes that human development is a lifelong process and that personality patterns and behavioural changes can occur at any time

Answer 30

Life-span perspective

Question 31

In feminist therapy, individuals’ personal problems have social and political causes. Therapy is aimed at helping clients change their own behaviour and become active participants in transforming society

Answer 31

Personal is political

Question 32

In feminist therapy, emphasis is on the power difference between men and women in society. Clients are helped to recognize different kinds of power they possess and how they and others exercise power

Answer 32

Power analysis

Question 33

In feminist therapy, a technique whereby the counsellor changes the frame of reference for looking at an individual’s behavior. There is a shift from an intrapersonal (or “blaming the victim“) stance to a consideration of social factors in the environment that contribute to a clients problem

Answer 33

Reframing

Question 34

In feminist therapy, an intervention that changes the label or evaluation applied to the clients behavioural characteristics. Generally, the focus shifted from a negative to a positive evaluation

Answer 34

Relabelling

Question 35

In feminist therapy, The idea that a woman’s sense of self depends largely on how she connects with others

Answer 35

Self-in-relation

Question 36

In structural family therapy an emotional barrier that protects individuals within a system

Answer 36

Boundary

Question 37

In multigenerational family therapy, Bowen’s concept of psychological separation of intellect and emotions and of independence of the self from others. The greater one’s differentiation, the better ones ability to keep from being drawn into dysfunctional patterns with other family members.

Answer 37

Differentiation of self

Question 38

In strategic family therapy, the term for a family organization characterized by psychological isolation that results from rigid boundaries

Answer 38

Disengagement

Question 39

In structural family therapy an intervention consisting of a family playing out its relationship patterns during a therapy session so that the therapist can observe and then change transactions that make up the family structure

Answer 39

Enactment

Question 40

In strategic family therapy, term referring to a family structure in which there is a blurring of psychological boundaries, making autonomy very difficult to achieve

Answer 40

Enmeshment

Question 41

The functional organization of a family, which determines interactional patterns among members

Answer 41

Family structure

Question 42

A schematic diagram of the family system, usually including at least three generations; employed by many family therapists to identify recurring behaviour patterns within the family

Answer 42

Genogram

Question 43

A family member who carries the symptoms for a family and who is identified by the family as the person with the problem. In genograms, this person is the index person

Answer 43

Identified patient/client

Question 44

In structural family therapy, accommodating to a family’s system to help the members change dysfunctional patterns

Answer 44

Joining

Question 45

In multigenerational family therapy, the way in which dysfunctional patterns are passed from one generation to the next

Answer 45

Multigenerational transmission process

Question 46

A technique in strategic family therapy whereby the therapist directs family members to continue their symptomatic behavior. Change occurs through defying the directive

Answer 46

Paradoxical directive

Question 47

Relabelling a families description of behaviour by putting it into a new and more positive perspective

Answer 47

Reframing

Question 48

A therapeutic approach where by the therapist develops a specific plan and designs interventions geared toward solving a family’s presenting problems

Answer 48

Strategic family therapy

Question 49

A therapeutic approach directed at changing or realigning the organization of a family to modify dysfunctional patterns and clarify boundaries

Answer 49

Structural family therapy

Question 50

In family therapy, a three-person system; the smallest stable emotional unit of human relations

Answer 50

Triangle

Question 51

In family therapy, a pattern of interaction consisting of detouring conflict between two people by involving a third person

Answer 51

Triangulation