Existential Therapy
Gardiner_Misty_Assignment 3.1_9/1/15
Existential Therapy is essentially an approach to counseling and therapy that stresses core human conditions. It is not, however, a firm theoretical model. Normally, personality development is based on the uniqueness of each individual. Sense of self develops from knowing who you are or your identity, while self-determination is governed by one's own fate or course of action without compulsion. In layman terms, Existential Therapy can be described as a philosophical approach that is not designed to cure people but instead helps the client reflect and search for value and meaning in life. Existential Therapy does not supply a cookbook of methods like other approaches but instead provides an adaptable framework that allows the therapist to view the individual and the world in which they participate. According to Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary, “client-centered therapy is a non-directive method of group or individual psychotherapy, originated by Carl Rogers, in which the role of the therapist is to listen to and reflect or restate without judgment or interpretation the words of the client.”
The objectives of Existential Therapy are quite unique. Existential Therapists are focused on helping the client achieve and expand their self-awareness. Many therapists assume once self-awareness is achieved the client can examine new ways of dealing with problems and accept the responsibility of choosing. The objective of client-centered therapy is to assist the client in experiencing self-exploration, so that they can identify problems that are hindering their growth process. Essentially, the main goal of client-centered therapy is to have the client achieve a sense of increased awareness and understanding his or her attitudes, feelings, and behavior. Existential and Client-Centered Therapy have been criticized for not being "scientific enough". They have been down played as not being...