Existentialism Theoretical Orientation
Existentialism: A Theoretical Orientation
Jared Smith
Nevada State College
In the mental health profession, there are many theoretical approaches available to therapists to help them in understanding their clients. These theoretical approaches, “provide a frame work for conceptualizing client problems and determining a course of action in counseling” (Erford, 2010). Existentialism is one of many theoretical orientations of the mental health profession within the human services industry available to people who seek counseling or therapy. Existentialism is part of a humanistic approach to therapy where the focus is on understanding the client through human experience instead of whatever symptoms they exhibit (Substance Abuse and …show more content…
Mental Health Services Administration, 1999). Since existentialism is part of the humanistic approach, it creates a psychodynamic paradigm known as the humanistic/existential paradigm. Unlike other theoretical orientations, the focus of humanistic and existential is current and future issues of the client instead of past issues and conflicts (Erford, 2010). With emphasis being on the client, this particular paradigm is an example of person centered therapy. Person-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers and is a major theoretical approach in the humanistic/existential paradigm. Erford (2010) stated; “According to Rogers, the primary motivating force of humans is self-actualization, the tendency to move in the direction of growth, adjustment, socialization, independence, and self-realization”. Existential approach allows individuals to achieve self-actualization because existentialism focuses on “enhancing self-knowledge in the client and allowing them to be the author of their own lives” (Szasz, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to discuss existentialism and how it is used to as a therapeutic approach to enhance the clients’ life. Existentialism was first developed in the 19th century by Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher whose focus was the pursuit of becoming an individual (Erford, 2010). Since then, there have been many contributors to the existentialism theoretical approach, but the most recent figures in existentialism include Rollo May, Victor Frankl, and Irvine Yalom (Erford, 2010). Also, James Bugental made an impact in modern existentialism (Corey, 2005). Victor Frankl and Rollo May were both psychotherapists with backgrounds in both existential and humanistic psychology (Corey, 2005). Even though they contributed in bringing existentialism to the United States, each had their own existential philosophy. Frankl’s philosophy focused on what it meant to be alive. His therapeutic process was about “challenging individuals to find meaning and purpose through, among other things, suffering, work, and love” (Corey, 2005). May’s philosophical idea was that there is a constant struggle within ourselves as we make decisions because it is the choices we make that determine what kind of person we become (Corey, 2005). Irvin Yalom’s approach to existential therapy developed from his clinical experience as well as from his empirical research, philosophy and literature (Corey, 2005). His approach focused on concerns individuals struggle with while being in existence or in other words being-in-the-world: death, freedom and responsibility, existential isolation, and meaninglessness. Bugental viewed therapy “as a journey taken by the therapist and the client that delves deeply into the client’s subjective world” (Corey, 2005). Based on this view, he developed an approach that focused on how to live life authentically. The core behind existentialism is the belief that humans have the capacity for self-awareness and also the ability for freedom with the responsibility that allows them to make choices that brings meaning in their lives.
With this freedom and responsibility comes with the reality of having to live with the consequences of whatever choice was made (Erford, 2010). Existential therapy is about understanding the human experience as it encounters such things as loneliness, isolation, despair and eventually death. The psychological problems such as anxiety that stem from the human experience are viewed as the result from the inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self-directed choices about how to live (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999). Battling the challenges of the human experience can cause unhappiness and when that happens, individuals begin asking questions regarding their existence (Jacobsen, 2007). Many clients are concerned with problems related to happiness or unhappiness and it was Carl Rogers who formulated the goal of therapy to being centered on happiness (Jacobsen, 2007). His goal is what is referred to as ‘the fully functioning person’. According to Rogers, “the fully functioning person is characterised by being in a process of change, not by have achieved a certain stable, lasting condition” (Jacobsen, 2007). For the fully functioning person to be accomplished, Jacobsen (2007) …show more content…
states:
“The goal of therapy is first of all that the client becomes less defensive and more open and receptive in the experience of inner and outer life. Secondly, the client achieves an increased ability to live in the now. What one does in the future grows out of the experience of what one does here and now. Thirdly, one develops an increased confidence in one’s own organism, so that one can increasingly base one’s decisions and actions on what feels immediately right” (Jacobsen, 2007). In existential therapy, clients come to an understanding of what it means to be human. With that understanding, come the realization that humans are constantly in a state of transition, always adjusting to the environment around them. Through existentialism, we are being conditioned as humans through the discoveries make discoveries about our existence (Corey, 2005). According to the existential approach, the dimensions of the human condition include; 1) the capacity for self-awareness; 2) freedom and responsibility; 3) creating one’s identity and establishing meaningful relationships with others; 4) the search for meaning purpose, values and goals; 5) anxiety as a condition of living; and 6) awareness of death and nonbeing (Corey, 2005). The capacity of Self-Awareness allows humans to make choices because we are capable of self-awareness. It must be understood, “Because self-awareness is at the root of most other human capacities, the decision to expand it is fundamental to human growth” (Corey, 2005). Expanding self-awareness include such things as; understanding how actions and choices partially control destiny, time is not unlimited so life needs to be meaningful and worthwhile, and the ability to act or not to act is a decision. The capacity to live life fully is achieved through awareness and through increased awareness comes greater possibilities for freedom (Corey, 2005). With existential therapy, a client working to achieve self-awareness may experience an understanding that they do not need to feel perfect to for feel worthy but to accept their limitations and shortcomings. Also, a client realizes that they are so preoccupied with the past, planning for the future or doing too many things at once that they do not embrace life and live in the moment. Clients also discover how to learn from their past and use their past to reshape their future (Corey, 2005). Freedom and responsibility focuses on the freedom to choice and the responsibility individuals have to direct their lives. Individuals are challenged to accept responsibility for directing their lives as a result of the freedom they are given. Not choosing to take responsibility is what Jean-Paul Sartre refers to as inauthenticity (Corey, 2005). In reference to inauthenticity, “An inauthentic mode of existence consists of lacking awareness of personal responsibility for our lives and passively assuming that our existence is largely controlled by external forces” (Corey, 2005). Not accepting responsibility restricts an individual’s freedom and limits their self-awareness. For those struggling with freedom and responsibility, the therapist assists the client in recognizing how they have allowed other people to make decisions for them. Also, the therapist encourages the client to discover how they can choose for themselves. Finally, the therapist will teach the client how to take risks using their freedom instead of avoid it (Corey, 2005). Striving for identity and relationship to others takes courage. As a result, many individuals get scared. Instead of trusting personal values and beliefs, individuals become dependent on others expectations and become strangers to themselves (Corey, 2005). Everybody has the desire to discover and create their own personal identity. As individuals strive to discover themselves they fear that “they will discover there is no core, no self, no substance, and that they are merely reflections of everyone’s expectations of them” (Corey, 2005).
Striving for identity requires the recognition that one cannot depend on another’s approval. That they must decide how to live there life and understand that before they can have a relationship with another person, they must first have a relationship with themselves (Corey, 2005). Clients struggling in striving for identity are challenged by the therapist to listen to themselves. Also, the therapist challenges the client to discover how they lost touch with themselves to the point that they let others govern their life for them. Through the challenges and discoveries, the client realizes that they have given their freedom to others and that the therapy process is how they will regain their freedom again (Corey, 2005). A human characteristic is the struggle with understanding the purpose and meaning in life. Feeling that life is meaningless can lead to feelings of emptiness and hollowness, a condition that Viktor Frankl calls the existential vacuum. Those who experience the existential vacuum do not keep themselves busy with a routine or work and have the task of creating their own meaning (Corey, 2005). To discover the meaning in life, clients of existential therapy need to embrace
logotherapy. Logotherapy was developed by Viktor Frankl and means “therapy through meaning”. The idea behind logotherapy is to help clients find the meaning of life through understanding and discovering the meaning through suffering. Frankl’s view on logotherapy was “that human suffering can be turned into human achievement” (Corey, 2005). When discovering the meaning in life it is important to remember, “meaning is created out of an individual’s engagement with what is valued, and this commitment provides the purpose that makes life worthwhile” (Corey, 2005). Anxiety comes from striving to survive and the feelings associated with anxiety are a form of the human condition. Irvin Yalom developed the “givens of existence”, the four concerns every human thinks about: death, freedom and responsibility, existential isolation, and meaninglessness (Corey, 2005). These four concerns cause existential anxiety. Existential anxiety is experienced as “we become increasingly aware of our freedom and the consequences of accepting or rejecting that freedom” (Corey, 2005). When confronted with existential anxiety, the role of existential therapy then becomes encouraging “clients to recognize and deal with the sources of their insecurity and anxiety” (Corey, 2005). The last dimension of the human condition is the awareness of death and nonbeing. An individual cannot think about life without thinking about death. Viewing the awareness of death from the perspective of Viktor Frankl means “death provides the motivation for us to live our lives fully and take advantage of each opportunity to do something meaningful” (Corey, 2005). When an individual realizes that they are mortal and that life is limited, they understand how important and crucial the present is. For an individual struggling with the awareness of death, existential therapy is used to measure the intensity of how much the client is engaged in what they value. Through this approach, the client will not have an unhealthy preoccupation with death. Instead, they will be able to develop a healthy awareness of death and be able to come to terms with the threat of non-being. They will be able to better evaluate how well they are living their life and what changes they would like to make (Corey, 2005). French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre stated, “Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. Such is the first principle of existentialism” (Rowan, 2003). Existentialism assists man in making something of himself by providing a plan that challenges the meaning in life. Since existentialism focuses on human experiences while living in the world, there are many approaches and interventions, aside from those previously discussed, that help clients exist within the world. The interventions used in existentialism explore the nature of the human existence. The interventions focus on the description, understanding and the exploration of the clients’ perceived reality and not on the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of symptoms related to the issues. Through interventions, clients’ development in personality will form as they understand and find the meaning in their own life. Corey (2005), explains several benefits clients gain through existential therapy and the associated interventions. Through existential therapy, clients are encouraged and challenged to take responsibility for how they will live in the world. With what was learned, clients return into the world with the strength needed to decide for themselves how they will live differently. An awareness of who they were and where they currently are becomes stronger. And with that awareness, be able to decide what kind of future they want (Corey, 2005). It is through existential therapy and interventions that “clients typically discover their strengths and find ways to put them to the service of living a purposeful existence” (Corey, 2005). With the way existential therapy was developed and what it focuses on, it continues to be a popular form of therapy. Erford (2010), explains, “The existential focus on love, suffering, anxiety, and death, all of which are the universal elements of human life, makes this theory applicable cross-culturally”. In conclusion, when it comes to therapy, many options for therapy are available to clients and no treatment method should be discarded. Regardless of the treatment technique, the client must feel like they are in control. With existential therapy, the client learns that they are in control and that life does have meaning. The inauthentic becomes the authentic. It is through existential therapy that the client learns that they are the masters of their own destiny and that they need to strive to get the most they can out of life.
References
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Brief Interventions and Brief Therapies for Substance Abuse. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 1999. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 34.) Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64947/
Corey, G. (2005). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy 8th edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education
Erford, B. T. (2010). Orientation to the Counseling Profession: Advocacy, Ethics, and Essential Professional Foundations, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education
Jacobsen, B. (2007). What is Happiness? Existential Analysis: Journal Of The Society For Existential Analysis, 18(1), 39-50. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
Rowan, J. (2003). Two Views of Existentialism. Existential Analysis: Journal Of The Society For Analysis, 14(2), 307. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
Szasz, T. (2005). What is Existential Therapy Not? Existential Analysis: Journal Of The Society For Analysis, 16(1), 127-130
Jared Smith
Nevada State College
In the mental health profession, there are many theoretical approaches available to therapists to help them in understanding their clients. These theoretical approaches, “provide a frame work for conceptualizing client problems and determining a course of action in counseling” (Erford, 2010). Existentialism is one of many theoretical orientations of the mental health profession within the human services industry available to people who seek counseling or therapy. Existentialism is part of a humanistic approach to therapy where the focus is on understanding the client through human experience instead of whatever symptoms they exhibit (Substance Abuse and …show more content…
Mental Health Services Administration, 1999). Since existentialism is part of the humanistic approach, it creates a psychodynamic paradigm known as the humanistic/existential paradigm. Unlike other theoretical orientations, the focus of humanistic and existential is current and future issues of the client instead of past issues and conflicts (Erford, 2010). With emphasis being on the client, this particular paradigm is an example of person centered therapy. Person-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers and is a major theoretical approach in the humanistic/existential paradigm. Erford (2010) stated; “According to Rogers, the primary motivating force of humans is self-actualization, the tendency to move in the direction of growth, adjustment, socialization, independence, and self-realization”. Existential approach allows individuals to achieve self-actualization because existentialism focuses on “enhancing self-knowledge in the client and allowing them to be the author of their own lives” (Szasz, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to discuss existentialism and how it is used to as a therapeutic approach to enhance the clients’ life. Existentialism was first developed in the 19th century by Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher whose focus was the pursuit of becoming an individual (Erford, 2010). Since then, there have been many contributors to the existentialism theoretical approach, but the most recent figures in existentialism include Rollo May, Victor Frankl, and Irvine Yalom (Erford, 2010). Also, James Bugental made an impact in modern existentialism (Corey, 2005). Victor Frankl and Rollo May were both psychotherapists with backgrounds in both existential and humanistic psychology (Corey, 2005). Even though they contributed in bringing existentialism to the United States, each had their own existential philosophy. Frankl’s philosophy focused on what it meant to be alive. His therapeutic process was about “challenging individuals to find meaning and purpose through, among other things, suffering, work, and love” (Corey, 2005). May’s philosophical idea was that there is a constant struggle within ourselves as we make decisions because it is the choices we make that determine what kind of person we become (Corey, 2005). Irvin Yalom’s approach to existential therapy developed from his clinical experience as well as from his empirical research, philosophy and literature (Corey, 2005). His approach focused on concerns individuals struggle with while being in existence or in other words being-in-the-world: death, freedom and responsibility, existential isolation, and meaninglessness. Bugental viewed therapy “as a journey taken by the therapist and the client that delves deeply into the client’s subjective world” (Corey, 2005). Based on this view, he developed an approach that focused on how to live life authentically. The core behind existentialism is the belief that humans have the capacity for self-awareness and also the ability for freedom with the responsibility that allows them to make choices that brings meaning in their lives.
With this freedom and responsibility comes with the reality of having to live with the consequences of whatever choice was made (Erford, 2010). Existential therapy is about understanding the human experience as it encounters such things as loneliness, isolation, despair and eventually death. The psychological problems such as anxiety that stem from the human experience are viewed as the result from the inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self-directed choices about how to live (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999). Battling the challenges of the human experience can cause unhappiness and when that happens, individuals begin asking questions regarding their existence (Jacobsen, 2007). Many clients are concerned with problems related to happiness or unhappiness and it was Carl Rogers who formulated the goal of therapy to being centered on happiness (Jacobsen, 2007). His goal is what is referred to as ‘the fully functioning person’. According to Rogers, “the fully functioning person is characterised by being in a process of change, not by have achieved a certain stable, lasting condition” (Jacobsen, 2007). For the fully functioning person to be accomplished, Jacobsen (2007) …show more content…
states:
“The goal of therapy is first of all that the client becomes less defensive and more open and receptive in the experience of inner and outer life. Secondly, the client achieves an increased ability to live in the now. What one does in the future grows out of the experience of what one does here and now. Thirdly, one develops an increased confidence in one’s own organism, so that one can increasingly base one’s decisions and actions on what feels immediately right” (Jacobsen, 2007). In existential therapy, clients come to an understanding of what it means to be human. With that understanding, come the realization that humans are constantly in a state of transition, always adjusting to the environment around them. Through existentialism, we are being conditioned as humans through the discoveries make discoveries about our existence (Corey, 2005). According to the existential approach, the dimensions of the human condition include; 1) the capacity for self-awareness; 2) freedom and responsibility; 3) creating one’s identity and establishing meaningful relationships with others; 4) the search for meaning purpose, values and goals; 5) anxiety as a condition of living; and 6) awareness of death and nonbeing (Corey, 2005). The capacity of Self-Awareness allows humans to make choices because we are capable of self-awareness. It must be understood, “Because self-awareness is at the root of most other human capacities, the decision to expand it is fundamental to human growth” (Corey, 2005). Expanding self-awareness include such things as; understanding how actions and choices partially control destiny, time is not unlimited so life needs to be meaningful and worthwhile, and the ability to act or not to act is a decision. The capacity to live life fully is achieved through awareness and through increased awareness comes greater possibilities for freedom (Corey, 2005). With existential therapy, a client working to achieve self-awareness may experience an understanding that they do not need to feel perfect to for feel worthy but to accept their limitations and shortcomings. Also, a client realizes that they are so preoccupied with the past, planning for the future or doing too many things at once that they do not embrace life and live in the moment. Clients also discover how to learn from their past and use their past to reshape their future (Corey, 2005). Freedom and responsibility focuses on the freedom to choice and the responsibility individuals have to direct their lives. Individuals are challenged to accept responsibility for directing their lives as a result of the freedom they are given. Not choosing to take responsibility is what Jean-Paul Sartre refers to as inauthenticity (Corey, 2005). In reference to inauthenticity, “An inauthentic mode of existence consists of lacking awareness of personal responsibility for our lives and passively assuming that our existence is largely controlled by external forces” (Corey, 2005). Not accepting responsibility restricts an individual’s freedom and limits their self-awareness. For those struggling with freedom and responsibility, the therapist assists the client in recognizing how they have allowed other people to make decisions for them. Also, the therapist encourages the client to discover how they can choose for themselves. Finally, the therapist will teach the client how to take risks using their freedom instead of avoid it (Corey, 2005). Striving for identity and relationship to others takes courage. As a result, many individuals get scared. Instead of trusting personal values and beliefs, individuals become dependent on others expectations and become strangers to themselves (Corey, 2005). Everybody has the desire to discover and create their own personal identity. As individuals strive to discover themselves they fear that “they will discover there is no core, no self, no substance, and that they are merely reflections of everyone’s expectations of them” (Corey, 2005).
Striving for identity requires the recognition that one cannot depend on another’s approval. That they must decide how to live there life and understand that before they can have a relationship with another person, they must first have a relationship with themselves (Corey, 2005). Clients struggling in striving for identity are challenged by the therapist to listen to themselves. Also, the therapist challenges the client to discover how they lost touch with themselves to the point that they let others govern their life for them. Through the challenges and discoveries, the client realizes that they have given their freedom to others and that the therapy process is how they will regain their freedom again (Corey, 2005). A human characteristic is the struggle with understanding the purpose and meaning in life. Feeling that life is meaningless can lead to feelings of emptiness and hollowness, a condition that Viktor Frankl calls the existential vacuum. Those who experience the existential vacuum do not keep themselves busy with a routine or work and have the task of creating their own meaning (Corey, 2005). To discover the meaning in life, clients of existential therapy need to embrace
logotherapy. Logotherapy was developed by Viktor Frankl and means “therapy through meaning”. The idea behind logotherapy is to help clients find the meaning of life through understanding and discovering the meaning through suffering. Frankl’s view on logotherapy was “that human suffering can be turned into human achievement” (Corey, 2005). When discovering the meaning in life it is important to remember, “meaning is created out of an individual’s engagement with what is valued, and this commitment provides the purpose that makes life worthwhile” (Corey, 2005). Anxiety comes from striving to survive and the feelings associated with anxiety are a form of the human condition. Irvin Yalom developed the “givens of existence”, the four concerns every human thinks about: death, freedom and responsibility, existential isolation, and meaninglessness (Corey, 2005). These four concerns cause existential anxiety. Existential anxiety is experienced as “we become increasingly aware of our freedom and the consequences of accepting or rejecting that freedom” (Corey, 2005). When confronted with existential anxiety, the role of existential therapy then becomes encouraging “clients to recognize and deal with the sources of their insecurity and anxiety” (Corey, 2005). The last dimension of the human condition is the awareness of death and nonbeing. An individual cannot think about life without thinking about death. Viewing the awareness of death from the perspective of Viktor Frankl means “death provides the motivation for us to live our lives fully and take advantage of each opportunity to do something meaningful” (Corey, 2005). When an individual realizes that they are mortal and that life is limited, they understand how important and crucial the present is. For an individual struggling with the awareness of death, existential therapy is used to measure the intensity of how much the client is engaged in what they value. Through this approach, the client will not have an unhealthy preoccupation with death. Instead, they will be able to develop a healthy awareness of death and be able to come to terms with the threat of non-being. They will be able to better evaluate how well they are living their life and what changes they would like to make (Corey, 2005). French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre stated, “Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. Such is the first principle of existentialism” (Rowan, 2003). Existentialism assists man in making something of himself by providing a plan that challenges the meaning in life. Since existentialism focuses on human experiences while living in the world, there are many approaches and interventions, aside from those previously discussed, that help clients exist within the world. The interventions used in existentialism explore the nature of the human existence. The interventions focus on the description, understanding and the exploration of the clients’ perceived reality and not on the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of symptoms related to the issues. Through interventions, clients’ development in personality will form as they understand and find the meaning in their own life. Corey (2005), explains several benefits clients gain through existential therapy and the associated interventions. Through existential therapy, clients are encouraged and challenged to take responsibility for how they will live in the world. With what was learned, clients return into the world with the strength needed to decide for themselves how they will live differently. An awareness of who they were and where they currently are becomes stronger. And with that awareness, be able to decide what kind of future they want (Corey, 2005). It is through existential therapy and interventions that “clients typically discover their strengths and find ways to put them to the service of living a purposeful existence” (Corey, 2005). With the way existential therapy was developed and what it focuses on, it continues to be a popular form of therapy. Erford (2010), explains, “The existential focus on love, suffering, anxiety, and death, all of which are the universal elements of human life, makes this theory applicable cross-culturally”. In conclusion, when it comes to therapy, many options for therapy are available to clients and no treatment method should be discarded. Regardless of the treatment technique, the client must feel like they are in control. With existential therapy, the client learns that they are in control and that life does have meaning. The inauthentic becomes the authentic. It is through existential therapy that the client learns that they are the masters of their own destiny and that they need to strive to get the most they can out of life.
References
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Brief Interventions and Brief Therapies for Substance Abuse. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 1999. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 34.) Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64947/
Corey, G. (2005). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy 8th edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education
Erford, B. T. (2010). Orientation to the Counseling Profession: Advocacy, Ethics, and Essential Professional Foundations, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education
Jacobsen, B. (2007). What is Happiness? Existential Analysis: Journal Of The Society For Existential Analysis, 18(1), 39-50. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
Rowan, J. (2003). Two Views of Existentialism. Existential Analysis: Journal Of The Society For Analysis, 14(2), 307. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier
Szasz, T. (2005). What is Existential Therapy Not? Existential Analysis: Journal Of The Society For Analysis, 16(1), 127-130