Third force in counseling
Humanistic - existential theories which focused more on people's strengths, optimism, and free will
Belief in the dignity and worth of all people. We have an inherent tendency towards self-actualization
Based on phenomenology: principles that place importance on how people view and experience themselves and their world
Viktor Frankl:
Started as a practicing physician, but his imprisonment at Auschwitz led to his creation in logotherapy. The only way he survived was to create meaning and purpose which he then applied as a therapy approach
Rollo May:
Studied with Alfred Adler (Adlerian)
Credited with bringing Existentialism to the US
His work initially surrounded the human experience of anxiety as we struggle with change and growth, aloneness, and apprehension about death
Irvin Yalom
Prolific writer about existentialism & group therapy
Discussed the 4 ultimate concerns of the human condition
Inevitability of death
Freedom and responsibility to make choices
Isolation and loneliness
Meaninglessness of life
He identified the basic difference between existentialism and psychoanalysis: Freud saw people as struggling with the internal desires of the id and the socialized forces of the ego and superego whereas Yalom saw our conflicts as stemming from a search for meaning when there is no inherent one. Freud was missing the soul piece of what it means to be human
Development of Existential Therapy
One of the most widely used forms of therapy to address ultimate concerns
Terrorist attacks, polarized political climate, natural disasters, etc are some of the human experiences that Existential Therapy can address
People can’t control the events that happen to them, but they can control how they respond
Therapists encourage clients to accept responsibility to make strategic choices for their life
Philosophical Foundations
There were two waves of existential philosophy
Wave 1: 19th century Europe
Wave 2: 40’s - 5-’s (WWII)
Anxiety is the struggle between the living and the nonbeing - life vs death
Existential issues are are the core of the human existence and are repeatedly challenging us
Existential Thought vs Other Theories
Existential therapy isn’t as comprehensive a theory as much as it is an attitude toward living
People are much more than their drives, instincts, and behaviors
Existentialism lands in the humanistic school of thought and lends well with people like Carl Rogers who value self-actualization, therapeutic relationship, and freedom and responsibility of choices
Key Concepts
The Human Condition: Ultimate Concerns
Life has not inherent meaning and is full of challenges to which people must be open and aware of
Inevitability of death is the most ultimate concern that humans have. No matter what, we all die
Isolation is another ultimate concern. Nobody can truly understand us or experience our thoughts/feelings/life like we do.
Meaninglessness is an ultimate concern, too. This can lead to hopelessness, discouragement, and living in an “existential vacuum” which is the experience of a lack of meaning. At one point, everyone will ask “what is the meaning of (my) life?” and the only way to do that is take stock of our life
Freedom & Responsibility is the final ultimate concern. We have the freedom to make choices that create our experience. This responsibility to create meaning in our life can be daunting to many
Existential & Neurotic Anxiety
Existential Anxiety is viewed as part of the human condition as a result of the four ultimate concerns
Neurotic Anxiety is out of proportion to a particular event and is often an indication that we are not living authentically or assuming responsibility for our choices. This is more pathological
Existential Guilt results from the impossibility of fulfilling our innate potentials
Existential Guilt & neurotic anxiety occur when we lack awareness of our physical and psychological worlds, fail to take responsibility for making our lives meaningful, and realize we have not lived up to our potential. Depression is often a result of efforts to defend against existential guilt and anxiety
Dasein
The idea that all people have consciousness, exist in the world, and have responsibility for themselves
Unwelt: refers to how we connect with the physical world
Mitwelt: refers to being in-the-world with others, relationships, interactions and concerns. Subjective & based on personal experience
Eigenwelt: refers to our sense of our subjective world. Thoughts, feelings, desires. Self perceptions that impact how we interact with the world and those around us
Uberwelt: refers to the domain of our experience where we create meaning and make sense of the world
Mental health exists when all four aspects are in harmony.
Edith Eva Eger: survived Auschwitz by carefully selecting the best blades of grass to eat which reinforced her sense of control, gave her hope, and helped her believe she would survive. She says the more choices we have the fewer we think we have. Also says that we have the capacity to be good or bad and it is up to us to decide who we want to be
The Human Condition: Potentials
Awareness: all people have the capacity for awareness of themselves and the world. The greater someones awareness the more possibilities they have. Awareness is at the heart of most human capacities and therefore an increase in self-awareness is pertinent to self-growth
Decades ago, patients with terminal illnesses were not told because it was thought that they were better off. However, withholding this information deprived people of the capacity to make meaningful choices
Self-awareness includes the realization that everyone dies
Enhanced self-awareness is a one of existential therapy
Authenticity: people choosing the life they want to live based on their values and decisions. Authentic people = genuine, real, aware. There are three essential parts of being authentic
People being aware of themselves and their relationship with the world
People making choices knowing that there are inevitable consequences
People take responsibility for their choices, recognizing that awareness is imperfect and sometimes leads to unanticipated results
Freedom & Responsibility: there are 4 aspects of freedom (awareness, choice, action, change)
Once people accept that they have freedom they then have the responsibility
To be aware of their past history, current options, and potential
To make choices that give meaning to their lives
To exercise courage and thoughts in taking action toward change
We are the only ones in charge of our life. (empowering & frightening!)
Important the counselor consider oppression and culture as choices can be limited due to oppressive forces
Self-Actualization: innate & natural process that leads a person towards realization of that person's potential
Making Meaning: purpose and logic of a person's life is often reflected in their choices. Life has the potential to be purposeful and meaningful.
Pay attention to development and don’t limit their focus to early childhood. Our life is a process that is created through each choice we make
Striving for Identity & Relationship to Others: it is important to learn how to be alone before being with others because we must rely on ourselves to create our own meaning.
Therapists often can help clients differentiate between dependent relationships and affirming relationships
Relationships either fill a void or enhance life, the former being problematic
The Therapeutic Process
Makes minimal use of techniques but relies heavily on the therapist to effect change
Awareness is not enough, action must be taken towards meaningful change
Not time rushed or limited. There are no clear stages or transitions
Might start with a therapist developing an understanding of their clients' awareness of themselves and their world. Clients might describe their values, beliefs, background, choices made and choices not made. Middle phase is when counselors might use various interventions to encourage authenticity and awareness. Moves towards a close when people can implement awareness and establish more meaningful lives
Therapeutic Goals
Does not seek to alleviate symptoms, but seeks to help clients gain awareness and not live life in the victim role
Help clients confront their deepest fears about inevitable challenges of life
Empowers clients to use the freedom and responsibility they have to make good choices
Therapist Function & Role
Therapist is considered the primary vehicle of change
Therapist does not hold their back views, but express their values and beliefs, use humor, make suggestions and provide interpretations as a model of authenticity
Companions and co-explorers of clients deepest fears and beliefs that should be handled delicately
To emphasize a client's responsibility, therapist often ask how the client has contributed to different situations in order to take the focus off blaming others
Resistriced Existence: lack of awareness of oneself and one's problems
The main focus of therapy becomes helping clients gain awareness
The magnitude and intensity can be a lot for Existential Therapists. They must remain authentic to their own beliefs and appreciate those of others. If they have not come to terms with death and dying themselves might avoid or not attend to such material in discussion with their client
Relationship Between Therapist & Client
I-You relationship is central to therapy
Expands on Roger’s concepts of empathy, positive regard, and focus even more on the therapeutic relationship as an expression of intimacy, openness, and real human exchange
Therapeutic Techniques & Procedures
Symbolic Growth Experience
Learning and growth come from intense experiences
SGE = an intentional interpretation of an immediate experience to discover the symbolism and meaning behind it
Step 1: people are educated about the concept of the SGE
Step 2: they select a salient past experience and explore its importance in their lives
Step 3: they are helped to understand the meaning embedded in the experience
Step 4: they have a more clear sense of the meaning of their selected experience and use these strategies to grasp the significance of other experiences
Frankl’s Logotherapy
Therapy through meaning
Tasks include
Discover and notice where people possess freedom and potential for meaning
Actualize those potentials to transform and make meaning
Honor meanings realized in the past
Paradoxical Intention
Fear of fear increases fear, paradoxical intention intends to help break that pattern
Therapists encourage client to do or wish for the thing they fear most
Idea is that the more people search for meaning the less likely they are to find it. But if they engage with their values the are more likely to experience meaning naturally
Dereflection
One type of paradoxical intention based on self-transcendence and self-detachment
Takes the focus away from the individual and helps them concentrate more on other people than themselves
Intended to reduce self-observation and redirect attention in a positive way
Originally formulated to treat couples with sexual dysfunction. By focusing on the others performance and less on yourself, the end was more pleasure and less anxiety
Addressing the Four Dimensions of the Human Condition
Important for counselors to understand the human condition of all people before understanding the individual client's culture because there are more similarities between people than there are differences
Application & Current Use
Very relevant with broad applications
More our lives feel out of control (terrorism, school violence, mass casualties, political polarization) the more we search for meaning and purpose.