Existential Therapy
Existential therapy encompasses more of an attitude or way of thinking about psychotherapy rather than the standard style of psychotherapy practice. Existentialism is an old philosophy that emphasizes personal choice and freedom. It supports humans in choosing their preferred existence and meaning in life.
Theorists believe that self-respect and self-awareness play significant roles in identifying one’s identity. Personal evolution is necessary as things in life constantly change. The only thing that remains constant is the individual’s responsibility to decide which moment they want to be and how they want it to be.
Capacity for Self-Awareness
Human beings can increase their awareness of motivations, alternatives, and factors in their lives. As this form of self-awareness is developed, the potential of the individual’s life fulfillment is elevated—the greater the self-awareness in humans, the greater the possibilities for freedom. Self-awareness is built on the foundation of choice, freedom, and responsibility. As awareness of available choices increases, a sense of responsibility for the consequences of these choices also increases (Sousa et al., 2019).
Humans are prone to feelings of meaninglessness, guilt, isolation, loneliness, and emptiness. Most people tend to be alone, yet they have an opportunity to relate to other beings. One may choose to either restrict or expand one’s consciousness. As concepts of self-awareness are the root of most other human capacities, deciding to expand consciousness is essential for human growth.
Human beings are complex and diverse in all aspects, and to become more self-aware, they need to understand themselves in many areas of their lives. These key areas include personal traits, habits, values, emotions, and psychological needs that influence their behavior. Learning about one’s personality can help individuals thrive in various situations, even during challenging times. Focusing on personal values is important, and being aware of which aspects are more important and fruitful to the individual than others.
Psychological needs may drive behaviors to the need for affection, belonging, achievement, control, power, and self-actualization. Emotional self-awareness is a key facet of emotional intelligence, which entails being aware of our feelings, understanding them, and knowing how they impact our thoughts. Emotional self-awareness enables one to understand the internal process of living a life filled with positivity.
Searching for Meaning
Existential therapists encourage patients to reflect deeply on what gives their lives meaning and purpose. A reliable therapeutic relationship is essential to inspire patients to believe in their ability to find their way of being. Pursuing your passions can help you find meaning in life. When a person’s existence lacks meaning, they may feel empty and hollow (Daei Jafari et al., 2020). Helping patients recognize the interconnected nature of their subjective experiences of happiness, sadness, fear, and excitement is a central aspect of existential-humanistic therapy. It helps psychologists and their clients organize their investigations into the root causes of emotional and mental distress.
The existential-humanistic school of thought emphasizes free will and a sense of awe for the preciousness of life. All treatment is viewed through the lens of presence in existential-humanistic psychology. Being present means learning more about oneself, understanding what matters most, and making the most of the present moment’s opportunities for growth and transformation. Practicing aspects of searching for meaning can teach one to accept and cope with their anxieties. One can understand and be sensitive to the whole scope of their experience.
Case Example
Scenario
The client reports that the two years following the COVID-19 pandemic have been particularly challenging. After her mother nearly died from the Delta variant in June 2021, her health deteriorated, resulting in increased dependence on the client for daily support. Additionally, the client’s husband was retrenched, and the ongoing economic downturn in South Africa has made re-employment difficult, placing significant financial pressure on the household.
Analysis
While working with the patient, I would proceed by making her aware of how she is trading her security of dependence for the anxieties brought by her life decisions. Her identity should not be anchored to other people’s definitions of them or seek confirmation and approval of her being in others. Instead, she is more self-aware and looks more to herself for affirmations. In many ways, she keeps herself a prisoner by her past decisions, which makes her realize she is always free to make new decisions. Even though she cannot change the current events of her life, self-awareness concerning personal values, traits, and emotional self-awareness may help her change how she reacts to these events.
She will be aware that she is not condemned to a future similar to the past and can learn from it, reshaping her future to be as she wants it to be. She can learn to accept her limitations and still manage to feel worthwhile by searching for new meaning in life. Finding meaning in her life will entail recognizing that she is subject to free will and paying attention to what matters most in her life in terms of personal growth. She should understand that she does not have to be perfect to feel worthy in life. When she becomes more self-aware and starts searching for meaning in her life, she will open up to create her destiny through her choices.
Person-Centered Therapy
The person-centered approach assumes that people may learn to understand themselves, solve their problems, and be trustworthy even when they are not actively engaged with a therapist. The therapeutic process relies heavily on the therapist’s outlook and character, as well as the rapport established between the therapist and the client.
Therapeutic Goals
The person-centered approach aims for the client to achieve high levels of integration and independence. Treatment goals extend beyond only fixing the issue at hand. Instead, the focus is on empowering clients to develop their skills and become part of the process of identifying and addressing their issues (Corey, 2021). The objectives of the process encourage the patient’s characteristics, which relate to self-trust, an internal source of evaluation, self-confidence, and a willingness to grow.
Therapists’ Function and Role
The person-centered therapist develops the skills to trust and recognize human potential, providing the client with unconditional positive regard and empathy that facilitates change. The therapists strive to avoid being fully in control of the therapy course and instead follow the client’s lead wherever possible. A therapist’s positive outlook might impact a client’s growth more than the therapist’s technical knowledge or treatment plan (Corey, 2021). The therapist’s belief and attitude in the client’s inner sources create the therapeutic climate for growth. The therapists establish a personal rapport with patients and become a catalyst for change; human factors have a greater impact on therapy outcomes than theoretical or procedural factors.
The therapeutic environment is shaped by the therapist’s perspective and faith in the client’s abilities. The therapist’s presence, availability, and attention to the client’s current situation are crucial (Corey, 2021). The therapist’s willingness to be open and honest is crucial to the success of the therapeutic relationship. The therapist facilitates transformation by being reliable, caring, and honest (Woo et al., 2018). Clients can enhance their level of functioning by releasing defense mechanisms and challenging limiting beliefs.
Relationship Between Client and Therapist
The client’s feelings of inconsistency, vulnerability, or worry form the basis for the initial psychological interaction. The client evaluates the therapists and their compatibility with one another. The therapist holds the client in the highest regard. The therapist’s goal is to help the client feel as though the therapist has been in their shoes and can relate to the client’s situation. The therapist should convey some of their compassionate understanding and unshakeable positive esteem to the patient.
The concept of congruence or sincerity emphasizes the importance of therapists maintaining a genuine, integrated, and authentic demeanor throughout all sessions. The therapist needs to be able to read the client’s evolving needs and adapt the treatment accordingly (Corey, 2021). Consequently, developing a genuine rapport with the customer is the key to achieving unconditional positive regard. A therapist’s acceptance and appreciation of a patient are important.
Therapists should demonstrate to their patients that they value them as unique individuals by acknowledging their feelings and experiences as valid. A therapist’s ability to empathetically and accurately interpret the events and feelings expressed by clients during therapy sessions is a key component of the profession. The aim is to help clients develop a deep connection with themselves, experience richer and more intense emotions, and recognize and resolve any internal inconsistencies they may have. Emotionally-focused treatment benefits patients who need time to mentally and physically process their past experiences. The therapist should boost their confidence in making decisions and carrying out a plan of action.
Professionals can better understand their customers’ perspectives by developing subjective empathy. The essence of interpersonal empathy is grasping a client’s internal frame of reference and communicating a sense of the hidden meanings (Cook & Monk, 2020). The client needs an external frame of reference to experience objective empathy. The therapist’s ability to empathize with the client’s feelings while maintaining emotional detachment is crucial to genuine empathy.
If the therapeutic conditions are maintained consistently over an extended period, the patient’s personality will undergo positive and constructive changes. The client and therapist are on equal footing in this relationship. Clients gradually come to see themselves as listeners as they watch their therapist pay close attention to them (Corey, 2021). The clients learn to appreciate themselves more. Clients who can grasp the therapist’s reality are more likely to be open and honest with the therapist and themselves. During the process, the client and the therapist are encouraged to open up and express their humanity.
Existential Therapy
In a multicultural approach, a therapist works with the client to understand the difficulties the client is experiencing from the unique perspective of the client’s culture. The therapist considers the mediating role of cultural factors in helping you address mental health problems or challenging life events.
Multicultural Perspective
Existential therapy has positively impacted the field of human relations, particularly in diverse cultural contexts, and has helped reduce racial and political tensions. The core viewpoint of existential therapy, when dealing with diverse cultures, is that different minority groups view the world through distinct lenses. Existential therapy is particularly helpful when working with culturally diverse clients, as it emphasizes the universality of human experience and the common ground shared by all people. The therapist must be aware of their own assumptions and biases that may pose challenges to certain individuals and cultural groups, and ensure they develop strategies that can be applied in diverse contexts and settings (Corey, 2021). Therapists should focus on universal commonalities, address secondary areas of difference, and demonstrate cultural sensitivity.
The therapy adheres to cultural competence, which encompasses self-awareness of one’s own beliefs and attitudes towards culture, knowledge of other cultures, and skills in working with cross-cultural settings. Cultural differences between the client and the therapist may sometimes contribute to anxiety during psychotherapy sessions (Hocoy, 2019). Additionally, cultural experiences such as discrimination, prejudice, and microaggressions may result in this form of anxiety. The concepts of the existential approach, informed by cultural competence, may be effective in working with this form of anxiety issues in psychotherapy with people of diverse communities.
Contributions and Limitations
The existential approach evaluates the extent to which behavior is influenced by cultural and social factors. The client may increase a sense of freedom once they recognize the social limits they face. If people struggle to find balance and purpose in their lives, they are expected to examine their actions from a cultural and societal perspective. In some parts of the world, discussing one’s problems and feelings openly is considered normal, whereas in other places, people value privacy.
The existential approach has been criticized for being overly individualistic and overlooking social factors as causes of an individual’s challenges. The approach consequently focuses highly on the philosophical assumption of self-determination, which may not take into account the complex factors possessed by oppressed individuals (Corey, 2021). Societal factors contribute to human difficulties, but no specific procedures have been created to account for them. However, philosophical concerns must be addressed when using existential therapy, which may upset some clients.
Ethical Framework
As a counselor, I frequently encounter situations that require sound ethical decision-making skills. Sometimes, determining the most appropriate course of action can be a challenging ethical dilemma. My ethical framework will enable me to be responsive to the differences in the client’s needs, culture, and abilities, considering the variations in settings regarding values, principles, and personal moral qualities.
The fundamental values of counseling and psychotherapy include respecting human dignity and rights, protecting the client’s safety, enhancing quality, and ensuring the integrity between the client and the practitioner. The ethical principles will equip me with directives on important ethical responsibilities for providing high standards of practice (Frunza et al., 2019). To make ethical decisions and become a competent multicultural counselor, I have developed the following framework of ethical practices to guide my career.
Decision-Making Guidelines
Before making any major decisions, I will:
- Identify the problems and gather as much information as possible to help illuminate the situation. In this process, it is essential to be as specific and objective as possible, outlining the facts and clearly separating assumptions, innuendos, suspicions, or hypotheses.
- Apply the ACA code of ethics after clarification of the problem. Referring to the code of ethics is essential to see if the issue is addressed. In case of applicable standards that are clear and specific, follow the course of action that is indicated, which helps in the resolution of the problem.
- Determine the dimensions and nature of ethical dilemmas. Ambiguity can be resolved by applying the moral principles of non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, beneficence, and fidelity (Maximo, 2019). Engage in reviewing professional literature and consult with experienced professional colleagues or supervisors who may be able to identify aspects of the dilemma that have been overlooked.
- Generate the appropriate course of action, which will be achieved by brainstorming as many courses of action as possible. Become creative and consider all the available options. When possible, enlist the assistance of at least one of my colleagues to assist me in generating the options.
- Always consider the potential consequences of all options and determine the most efficient course of action. In this step, consider the information gathered on the set priorities and evaluate each option by assessing the consequences to all parties involved. After considering the implications of each action, eliminate the options that do not yield the desired results or pose more problems and retain the best-fit options.
- Evaluate the selected course of action and apply the test for justice, publicity, and universality. Assess whether one could recommend the same option to another counselor in a similar situation.
- Finally, implement the course of action and be aware that this step is the most difficult in solving ethical dilemmas. Strengthen my ego and allow myself to carry out my plan. After the implementation, follow up on the situation to determine whether the cause of action was successful.
Multicultural Counseling Guidelines
For the effectiveness of becoming a multicultural counselor and avoiding bias when dealing with people of different cultures, I plan the following:
- Do not neglect social factors and cultural factors to focus solely on individualism.
- Not only are they involved in practices of Western counseling without taking into account the appropriateness of the recommended approach based on the client’s cultural background and upbringing.
- Avoid giving judgment to my clients based on the stereotypes that surround their cultural practices and beliefs.
References
Cook, D., & Monk, L. (2020). ‘Being able to take that mask off’: adolescent clients’ experiences of power in person-centered therapy relationships. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 19(2), 95-111.
Corey, G. (2021). Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy: A South African Perspective. Cengage Learning (3rd ed.).
Daei Jafari, M. R., Aghaei, A., & Rashidi Rad, M. (2020). Existential humanistic therapy with couples and its effect on meaning of life and love attitudes. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 48(5), 530-545.
Felder, A. J., & Robbins, B. D. (2021). Approaching mindful multicultural case formulation: Rogers, Yalom, and existential phenomenology. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 20(1), 1-20.
Frunza, S., Medveschi, I., Frunza, M., & Grad, N. O. (2019). Aspects regarding ethical counseling in organizations. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 18(54), 3-17.
Hocoy, D. (2019). The challenge of multiculturalism to humanistic psychology. In Humanistic Approaches to Multiculturalism and Diversity (pp. 18-28). Routledge.
Maximo, S. I. (2019). A scoping review of ethical considerations in spiritual/religious counseling and psychotherapy. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 73(2), 124-133.
Sousa, D., Pestana, A., & Tavares, A. (2019). Self-awareness, verbalization and new meanings as the heart and soul of significant events in existential psychotherapy. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 49(3), 161-167.
Woo, S. E., Jebb, A. T., Tay, L., & Parrigon, S. (2018). Putting the “person” in the center: Review and synthesis of person-centered approaches and methods in organizational science. Organizational Research Methods, 21(4), 814-845.