EXISTENTIAL THERAPY

EXISTENTIAL
THERAPY
FLORA MAY SAQUILABON-CONTEMPLO
BSED

Viktor Emil Frankl
(26 March 1905 – 2 September 1997)

Viktor E. Frankl was one of Europe’s leading
psychiatrists and one of the most modern thinkers
in the world. During and partly because of his
suffering in concentration camps, Frankl validated
a revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known
as Logotherapy. At the core of this theory is the
belief that man’s primary motivational force is
search for meaning and the work of the
logotherapist centers on helping the patient find
personal meaning in life, however dismal the
circumstances maybe. He is the father of
the Logotherapy, an existential analysis.

Rollo Reece May
(April 21, 1909 – October 22, 1994)

Rollo May was the best known American
existential psychologist and has often been
referred to as "the father of existential
psychotherapy." Although he is often
associated with humanistic psychology, he
differs from other humanistic psychologists
such as Abraham Maslow or Carl Rogers
in showing a sharper awareness of the
tragic dimensions of human
existence.

Rollo May very rightly established the fact that a person
develops through stages. According to him, all individuals
experience a number of stages throughout their lifetimes.
• Innocence,the stage of pre-self-
consciousness
• Rebellion, when a person believe in
their free will without understanding
the responsibilities that accompany
freedom

• Decision, where a person grasps his/her
independence from one’s parents and
makes decisions about what to do with
his/her life
• Ordinary stage, where individuals
experience a developed sense of ego and
responsibility
• Extential or Creative stage, where he/she
experiences self actualization.

• Existentialism is an area of philosophy
concerned with the meaning of human
existence. It looks at issues such as love,
death and the meaning of life - and how
one deals with the sense of value and
meanings in their own life. In an
existentialist approach to therapy, there
are basic dimensions of the human
condition.

• These are the capacity for self-awareness,
the tension between freedom and
responsibility, the creation of an identity
and the establishment of meaningful
relationships, the search for meaning, the
acceptance of anxiety as a condition of
living and the awareness of death and
non-being.

• Existentialists believe that our human
capacity for self-awareness gives us possibilities
for freedom - as we will realize that we are finite
and time is limited, we have the potential and
the choice to act or not to act, meaning is not
automatic and we must seek it, and we are
subject to loneliness, meaninglessness, guilt
and isolation. Therefore, people are free to
choose among alternatives available to them in
living and have a large role in shaping their own
personal destinies. The manner in which we
live and what we become are results of our
choices and people must take responsibility
for directing their own lives.

Goals of existential therapy
• The main goal of existential therapy is
first to help patients realize that they are
in control of their own lives through the
decisions they make. Once patients
realize their autonomy in life, they are
challenged to freely make choices
about how they want to live.

Existential psychotherapy is a style of
therapy that places emphasis on the human
condition as a whole. Existential
psychotherapy uses a positive approach
that applauds human capacities and
aspirations while simultaneously
acknowledging human limitations.
Existential psychotherapy shares many
similarities with humanistic psychology,
experiential psychotherapy, depth
psychotherapy, and relational
psychotherapy.

Existential therapy process
• Confrontation is commonly used as part of
existential therapy to help patients realize
how their actions/choices are responsible
for the current condition.

How Does Existential Therapy
Address Human Pain?
• Understand the pain
• Find ways to alleviate the pain.
The focus of existential therapy is on the
development of self-awareness and self
understanding because existential therapy
contends that we are each responsible for
creating the circumstances in our lives
and
finding meaning for our life experiences.

How Existential Therapy Works
Theoretically
First we need to look at the four core
dimensions of human existence:
•Physical
•Social
•Psychological
•Spiritual

The Four Main Methods Used in
Existential Therapy
Emily van Deurzen, author of the Handbook of
Individual Therapy, defines four main methods
used in existential therapy.
1.cultivating a naïve attitude
2.facing limitations
3.exploring a personal world view
4.enquiring into meaning

How Existential therapy Works
Practically
• Perhaps the most well-known existential therapy
exercise is the technique called the “empty chair”
activity. The therapist has the patient sit in one chair
facing an empty chair. The empty chair represents
another person who is a part of an unresolved issue.
The patient then role plays with the imaginary
person in the empty chair. The patient moves back
and forth speaking out both roles. This helps the
patient to become more fully present in the
immediate moment and leads to more clarity
regarding the unresolved issue. The goal is greater
awareness, acceptance of personal responsibility,
and resolution.

Advantages of Existential
Therapy
• Contemporary developments have made it more
flexible and easier to use
• It has been adapted to briefer systems of
intervention
• It provides a theoretical framework from which to
be eclectic
• It is conducive to collaboration with the client to
find a unique way of working together
• It is emotionally powerful and fulfilling for client

Disadvantages of Existential
Therapy
• It is dense, complex and difficult to master.
• There is very little guidance for the
practitioner.
• You can be an existentialist but you
cannot do it. It is not about technique but
your own personal stance.

Why Existential therapy Works:
• The bottom line is this: existentialism is based
on inevitable realities of the human experience.
Whether you believe in a divine power or not, we
do exist, and in our existence, we all experience
pain and suffering. Existentialism offers us a way
to discover our true, authentic selves through
the pain and suffering. For me, I see existential
therapy as a path through life that is illuminated
with hope and yes, those ever coveted American
values of freedom and independence.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
GUYS…..
MAI

EXISTENTIAL THERAPY

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