Existential Theory and Therapy Essay

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According to Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy, as described by Das (1998), how can a client create meaning in his/her life?

Frankl adopted existential therapy as a new mode of approach to counseling. He brought out the essence of patients assessing their past about their future. He transformed it into paradoxical intention incorporating humor to question the patient’s inauthentic way of life experience. This mode of counseling concentrates majorly on the suffering one undergoes at present or from a recent past and tries to instill a sense of the importance of this suffering to the patient. This therapy outlines the values and meaning of life one is living. It applies best to those who are optimistic in life. One who undergoes this therapy is viable to increase self-awareness and comprehend one’s death. The therapy expounds thoroughly on the three aspects of being in the world: inner self, interpersonal, biological, and physical aspects of the experience. This brings out a holistic way of approach to life by the patient. The therapy sorts to bring out the unique ability of the patient and assist him or her to use this uniqueness to better his or her life. Existential therapy draws both internal and external determinants in an individual’s urge for the meaning of life (Das 205).

The therapist highlights the subjective experience of being in the world. The therapist’s interest is an individual at the current status and the decision he or she makes at that point. Tension reduction is well achieved through this therapy since the client explores the feeling of loneliness, isolation, and guilt. The therapist brings in a new aspect of viewing clients’ experiences from the client’s eyes. The result of this therapy enhances a healthy personality in an individual. It advocates for responsibility in life and the courage to make a choice and always remain open towards nature. The counselor has the mandate to listen sympathize and mutually help the client understand his or her life through authenticity and a strong sense of responsibility.

Boundary disturbances in therapy

Therapy is a process of learning about one’s self personally. Once a client visits the counselor, he redefines his action and behavior by creating a personal reality that represents their model of the world. Gestalt therapy comes in handy to bring out actualization and stresses the ability of the client’s existence. This type of therapy works to improve the clients’ awareness while handling psychological distress. With the several manifestations, of this distress interruption to contact is a key aspect of the manifest. One part of the boundary disturbances is unaware of projection. This disturbance makes the client plan, anticipate, and empathize negatively. A client experiencing an unaware projection is neurotic to others. The client will anticipate certain outcomes in the therapy session which might have a negative influence on his or her counseling. Anxiety builds up, and the level of concentration lowers drastically.

When dealing with a hypothetical client, one ought to be extremely careful not to give the client room to deviate from the therapy session. Gestalt should enable the therapist to integrate self-awareness and that the client overcomes the barriers to re-enact past experiences. The therapist should be mindful of the high emotional state the client is in at the moment, and safeguard the boundary and integrity of the client. Applying gestalt therapy approves for experimental learning in the sense that you help the client to gain awareness slowly by slowly. My main focus when dealing with hypothetical clients is the intensification of experience and feelings. The client takes up role-playing responsibility. Applying the Chair technique might also assist, which brings off the aspect of interviews. This enables the client to get in touch with his inner self without any compromise of the breach (Feldman 89).

What are some of the possible cross-cultural limitations of the person-centered approach to counseling?

Provided by external features, Person-centered counseling has had a great impact on the human being since its invention. The therapy invention was a reaction to the traditional psychoanalysis methods. There are quite several cross-cultural limitations. The therapy portrays guilt for not reaching one’s potentiality. The openness in client counseling makes it difficult to predict customer behavior. The counselor is not interested in the past brought up by the client during the therapy session. The therapist concentrates on the client’s activity of ‘here and now.’ Lack of proper condition during therapy, the client is unable to solve their problems. This type of therapy allows the customer to decide their path of self-actualization through deciding on his or her environment. There is no intellect from other functions, but rather thoughts and emotions incorporated in one’s perception. Self-actualization requires external stimulation. The client needs the motivation to enhance themself. The client-driven by irrational impulses leads to conflict with society. This solves better by providing a conclusive social/familial environment. Values and experiences vary immensely according to the different conditions of worth.

Determining the behavior is quite a task since most of the behavioral incidents are controlled by the determinants. Individual perception as a private unique experience cuts out on essential facts and features of the client. It limits the client from opening up to the therapist. The client holds back and hence the therapist is unable to assist the client in solving his problem (Das 200).

Works cited

Das, Ajit.Frankl and the realm of meaning”. Journal of Humanistic Counseling. Education and Development, 36.4 (1998) 199-212.

Feldman, Ofer, and Valenty, Linda. Cross-Cultural Studies of Personality & Behavior. Kansas: Greenwood Press, 2001. Print.

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