One of the approaches to psychotherapy is the Humanistic-existential therapeutic style, where the focus is on the individual’s condition as a whole. One’s capacity, goals, and limitations are considered simultaneously under this approach (Farooqi, 2021). A psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) benefits from applying the humanistic-existential therapeutic style in their practice when working with psychiatric patients because this approach helps these patients understand their uniqueness and gain an awareness of themselves and their environment. This paper will discuss the application of the humanistic-existential psychotherapy style in detail.
There is a substantial difference between the humanistic-existential approach and other therapeutic methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT’s main principles include orientation of goals, setting specific time limits, and focusing on the present. CBT helps individuals modify their thinking patterns and behaviors considering the environment that they are in (Blom et al., 2017). There are three elements in CBT: behavioral, cognitive, and mindfulness-based therapies.
When comparing the humanistic approach to CBT, one can spot several key differences. The first differentiation point is the approach to seeing human nature. The humanistic-existential therapy emphasizes the impact of one’s choices on the person’s course of life. Therefore, the patient can choose the meaning of life and their values on their own (Farooqi, 2021). These assumptions imply that a human’s nature is dynamic and can change over time as the person can change their preferred meaning of life and values in the present. As a PMHNP using a humanistic-existential approach, one would view the recovery process as something tied to the patient’s nature.
CBT approaches the values, meaning of life, and patient recovery differently, emphasizing one’s conditions and experiences (Tanoue et al., 2018). More specifically, under the CBT approach, there is a link between thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, and therefore, a patient’s thoughts affect their mental well-being. Thus, a PMHNP using the CBT method would focus on identifying the negative thoughts of a patient as well as their unrealistic ideas about themselves and others and help adopt a more positive way of thinking. As a result, such an individual would learn to respond to these thoughts in a timely and effective manner.
The next substantial difference between these two approaches is the end goal of the therapy. With the humanistic-existential approach, patient has to learn to take responsibility for their lives (Pacciolla, 2019). Hence, an individual can mitigate their self-restrictions and focus on the life values and achievements that are important to them and not others. Moreover, they gain an in-depth understanding of their ideal life. The nurse helps the individual with attaining empathy, an unconditional positive view of themselves, and congruence. In this way, a PMHNP can help initiate the healing process and get rid of the conditions that do not allow an individual to live a fulfilled life. Therefore, the humanistic-existential style helps a person build a positive self-regard and focus their actions on achieving the life milestones that are important to them.
CBT, on the other hand, is more concerned with automatic thinking patterns and negative thoughts (Blom et al., 2017). The improvement of one’s quality of life is achieved through the change in thoughts and behaviors. In this way, the patient does not affect the conditions that make them feel miserable; instead, they modify their thinking (Yılmaz et al., 2019). One example applicable to a PMHNP is an individual with an anxiety disorder. The first step under CBT would be to determine the negative thoughts that impact one’s perceptions and cause the feeling of anxiety. Next, the nurse would assist the patient in challenging their thoughts, followed by replacing the negative patterns with positive and more realistic ones.
The third distinction between the humanistic-existential approach and CBT is in the role of the psychiatrist within the therapy process. With the humanistic approach, there are no strict rules and protocols that a professional has to follow (Yılmaz et al., 2019). This is because each patient is considered to be unique, with experiences and values that are not comparable to others; hence therapy is based on sharing personal experiences. However, even though the steps of the therapy are not clearly defined, the goals of a humanistic-existential are essential for this therapeutic style, such as growth and self-actualization (Heidenreich et al., 2021). In contrast to this, CBT requires the therapist to assist their patients when identifying the negative thinking patterns and the influence of their environments, thoughts, and behaviors on their well-being. Thus, a nurse using CBT when working with a patient who has depression would help the latter adopt positive thinking and break down their problems into smaller pieces.
In the video by James Bugental, the therapist helps a family member who seeks a consultation regarding a patient named Joe. Joe experiences depression, anger, an inability to express his feelings freely, and a lack of activities. The humanistic-existential approach would be helpful in this case because this approach would help Joe redefine his understanding of life and values (Pacciolla, 2019). Moreover, Joe would focus on self-actualization and overcoming his fears.
References
Blom, K., Jernelöv, S., Rück, C., Lindefors, N., & Kaldo, V. (2017). Three-year follow-up comparing cognitive behavioral therapy for depression to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia for patients with both diagnoses. Sleep, 40(8).
Farooqi, S. R. (2021). Unit-11 Humanistic-Existential Psychology (The Third-Force Movement). Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.
Heidenreich, T., Noyon, A., Worrell, M., & Menzies, R. (2021). Existential approaches and cognitive behavior therapy: Challenges and potential. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 14(1), 209-234.
Pacciolla, A. (2019). Humanistic and existential psychology in the practice of psychotherapy. Studia Philosophica et Theologica, 19(1), 1-19.
Tanoue, H., Yoshinaga, N., Kato, S., Naono-Nagatomo, K., Ishida, Y., & Shiraishi, Y. (2018). Nurse-led group cognitive behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder among adults in Japan: A preliminary single-group study. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 5(3), 218-222.
Yılmaz, O., Mırçık, A. B., Kunduz, M., Çombaş, M., Öztürk, A., Deveci, E., & Kırpınar, İ. (2019). Effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy, existential psychotherapy and supportive counselling on facial emotion recognition among patients with mild or moderate depression. Psychiatry Investigation, 16(7), 491.