Existential Therapy
Existentialism is a concept that derives from theories about humans that their journey through life is based on their ability to make their own decisions and take responsibility for the things that happens to them. Corey (2009) writes, “a basic existential premise is that we are not victims of circumstance because, to a large extent, we are what we choose to be” (p. 133). This concept is strikingly different than the ideas of Freud, who believed that a person’s personality and character are a result of their childhood and adolescence, often environments and situations out of their control. An existentialist believes that no matter what happens to the person in the past, they have the ability to make decisions to change their lives in the present that affect their future. One of the central existential figures, Soren Kierkegaard, believed that “becoming human is a project, and our task is not so much to discover who we are as to create ourselves” (Corey, 2009, p. 135).
This idea of creating is not only optimistic and limitless way to approach life, but it also provides meaning to life. In fact, existentialists like Yalom and Frankl believe that a person can find meaning in life through “engagement, which is a commitment to creating, loving, working, and building” (Corey, 2009, p. 146). This may explain why parents feel meaning in life when they have a new baby, or a teacher finds meaning in life through his/her work, or a person who has nothing or is terminally ill may find meaning in life through loving or creating something greater, like establishing cancer foundations or creating music on the streets. Someone who embodies the ideas of existentialism is Victor Frankl, a survivor of the Holocaust and significant figure to the existential approach. Frankl spent three years in concentrations camps and lost his parents, brother, wife and all of his children. To live in such conditions and lose all the family he had would more than likely defeat anyone. Instead, Frankl found meaning in life through controlling his reactions and choosing his attitude about the conditions he was in (Corey, 2009). He believed that finding meaning and purpose in life meant experiencing love, work, and suffering.
Similarly, existentialists believe that one must acknowledge death and accept its inevitability in order to truly take advantage of life. Moreover, accepting anxiety as a stimulus for growth of a human being is a crucial part of existential therapy. When a client deals with the feelings that go along with anxiety and face it head on, they will gain self-confidence and take a “journey from dependence to autonomy” (Corey, 2009, p. 147). Corey (2009) explains that existential therapy is a way for clients to become the best person they can be through making their own choices and not blaming others or environments that are not in their control. They also must take responsibility for their choices, face anxiety, and commit to engaging in a social context greater than themselves (Corey, 2009).
Lastly, existentialists believe that everyone must not be afraid to acknowledge their limitations and weaknesses in order to discover the potential journey of their lives (Corey, 2009). In order to have effective therapy, the client must not only take responsibility for the choices they make in the present, but they must also continue to commit to making changes. There is a collaborative relationship between the therapist and the client that moves from identifying the client’s assumptions of the world to exploring their value systems and finally taking action after finding out more about themselves (Corey, 2009). Existential therapy can also work well from a multicultural perspective because it helps any client identify his or her own sets of values and take action for himself or herself based on his or her own values (Corey, 2009).
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy is another form of existential therapy, only it also includes phenomenology “because it focuses on the client’s perceptions of reality” (Corey, 2009, p. 198). Instead of focusing on the content of the client’s past or the content of their current problems they perceive, Gestalt therapy focuses more on the process of the present situation. This includes the immediate environment in the session between the client and the therapist. Fritz Perls, a vital contributor to Gestalt therapy, used a more confrontational and frustrating approach to purposely force the client to face themselves and not rely on their comfortable environmental behaviors; however, contemporary Gestalt therapists are kind and supportive in therapy (Corey, 2009).
Gestalt therapy is a method that therapists use in order to allow the client to find their own insight and answers rather than waiting for the therapist to provide the insight or answers for them. Clients are forced to become aware of who they really are rather than who they should be (Corey, 2009). When they allow themselves to identify and become aware of all personality characteristics, good and bad, then theoretically, they will be able to make “authentic changes” (Corey, 2009, p. 201). Some of the main principles of Gestalt theory are holism, field theory, the figure-formation process, and organismic self-regulation (Corey, 2009).
In therapy, clients are encouraged to focus on their senses in the moment. They must describe what they see, hear, feel, taste and smell. A therapist must pay attention to the client’s non-verbal communication and body language. These cues are important because the client is usually not aware that they are doing these things. For example, a client could have a nervous habit of pinching their skin while talking to the therapist. The Gestalt therapist would comment on the pinching and ask the client to explain why they pinch through “speaking for and becom[ing] their body parts” (Corey, 2009, p. 207). An example would be to ask, “If your hands could speak now, what would they say?” Also, Gestalt therapy includes paying close attention to language. Some Gestalt methods would be to substitute the impersonal “you”, like “You know how it hurts when you get your heart broken” and changing it to the personal “I”, like “I hurt when I get my heart broken” (Corey, 2009). This forces the client to stop hiding behind their irresponsibility and become aware of their true feelings.
Gestalt therapy differs from simple existential therapy in that it only focuses on the here-and-now and becoming aware of hidden emotions and reactions rather than existentialism’s focus on the here-and-now affecting one’s future decisions. It seems that Gestalt therapy has many aspects of existentialism; only it is more pinpointed on the present and ways to identify and expose one’s reactions to the environment around them. It is a way to relate to the therapist in a controlled environment so that they become more aware of how they relate to others outside of the controlled environment (Corey, 2009). Also, there are many more tools, exercises, and interventions that Corey (2009) details for the Gestalt theory: (1) the internal dialogue exercise, (2) the reversal exercise, (3) the rehearsal exercise, (4) the exaggeration exercise, (5) staying with the feeling, and (6) dreamwork.
Reference
Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole