EXISTENTIALISM AND EXISTENTIAL PSYCHOTHERAPY

The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2010

The purpose of the present study is to inference some principles of psychotherapy based on the investigation and comparative analysis of the ideas of existence philosophers regarding human being and his psyche. The research method used is comparative analysis as well as practical syllogism from the philosophical research methods. As the results indicate, although there are many variations in the ideas of the existence philosophers, all of them focus on similar points in explaining the human essence. With regard to such ground, the psychotherapy principles including self-awareness, freedom and responsibility; search for mean; personality; and authenticity were deduced. The methods for applying and practicing each of the principles by the therapists and the counselors in treating the human psyche are also proposed.

2022

This study tackles one of the contributions and applications of existentialism in the domain of existential therapy and counseling which is a human orientation that looks for the meaning of the human existence in a philosophical way. It is one the main important modern orientations in psycho-therapy and counseling and counseling psychology in the human phenomenal orientation that was shaped by Rolo May, Paul Tillich, Irvin D. Yalom, and Victor Emil Frankl. The meaning of life for these existential therapists exceeds self-esteem, achievement, and understanding into moving up above and getting the self higher. In this paper, we shall give a scientific reading of the nature of existentialism and the domains of its application in the psycho-therapy and counseling, mainly in the existential psycho-therapy. This is to be done through giving a historical background on the phases of its development, its pioneers, definition, bases, applications, and therapeutic and counseling techniques Keywords: Existentialism; theory in counseling psychology; existential psychotherapy.

The subject of this paper emerged from conclusions obtained during the training programme, the personal development and supervision ones in integrative psychotherapy, with a three years duration, when anxieties of psychologists, psychotherapists and colleagues were observed and identified, even after obtaining the free practice certificate and once compulsory supervision hours were finalized. Thus, the identification of a list of anxieties of a future psychotherapist because a significant objective, even if this paper underlines only a few items from this list: 1. When starting my professional career, I won't be able to meet the clients' expectations and mine. 2. I am worried of going mad. 3. Being a therapist, I will end up being alone.

2008

While existential psychotherapy is in its ascendancy, there is a lack of philosophical critiques of existential psychotherapeutic thinking. This thesis is an attempt to examine whether there is conceptual confusion embedded within this thinking and, if so, to tease out what it is. My examination has shown that contemporary existential psychotherapists are confused about what existential psychotherapy is, while on the surfac. e, they seem to be clear about what it is. While existential psychotherapy has increasingly been, integrated with other forms of ...

Phenomenology and Psychological Science, 2006

It has always been a special wisdom to convince a person to know himself, to find his inherent strength and weakness, to determine from which side the threat comes, and which of the vices are the easiest to overcome! Any thought affects the body, and bodily forms, in turn, affect the moral side and character. Thus, studying these forms in accordance with intuition, it is possible to know the human character, and in the future, with the problems that await in this life.

Current Psychotherapies, 2008

“How should we live?” someone asked me in a letter. I had meant to ask him the same question. Again, and as ever, as may be seen above, the most pressing questions are naïve ones. Wislawa Szymborska The Century’s Decline