Case Analysis
Currently Donald is experiencing various stressors in his life .He is having marital and financial problems as well as a lack of direction in his professional life. His first marriage ended and his second marriage is having difficulties as he and his wife no longer live in the same home. He fears isolation. A somewhat imposing personality, he seems to be self-aware and recognizes himself as a superficial person who is unable to share his feelings with his wife resulting in the inability to sustain relationships. Love being a natural response to feelings of isolation, he desires to be reunited with his wife and to have companionship. Earlier in his life his father was violent and imprisoned for some time, leaving Donald and his …show more content…
I would suggest him taking a job, even if it's not his dream job, to assist financially while continue to find meaning in therapy and a more clear direction to which path he would like to go. It is up to Donald if he would like to take my suggestion.
Demographic and sociocultural
Existential therapy can be used for all cultures. Logo therapy “addresses the spiritual core at the center of every human being” (Seligman, 2014 Ch.9, pg. 190) in some cultures opening about feelings may be abnormal. Although Donald is not very comfortable expressing his emotions, he is Caucasian and it is more a personality trait than a cultural one. There are no other demographic or sociocultural issues that are in need to consider.
Goals:
The “fundamental goal of existential therapy is to help people find meaning and purpose in their lives” (Seligman, 2014 Chapter 9) throughout many sessions, we will work on “realizing his potential. Find what he's good at, what are his positive traits, and what he enjoys. However there are no clear steps or transitions for this …show more content…
The inevitable challenges of “death, isolation and meaningless” we all struggle with in life. I would dive deeper into his close familial relationships as well as with his wife. With this information we may move towards using this new found awareness towards building meaning in his life.
Faith in our own existence in the present can ameliorate fears of death.
Dasein(Pg.182-183)
Limitations
Existential therapy does have its limitations. As mentioned previously, this approach takes a stance on responsibility, choice, and self-determination but does not have specific steps and has few strategies for intervention. It relies heavily on developing a strong client clinician relationship and on face-to-face verbal communication. Donald for example appears agitated and lacks eye contact. He seems to have difficulty opening up and expressing his feelings.
With existential therapy treatment is slow paced and takes time. It has little direction so it may not work for clients who require more of a structure or plan. It is not “crisis focused” so this approach would not fit for issues that need to be resolved quickly, for example alcohol dependence or mania (Seligman, 2015, Pg. 192). In Donald's case he may personally feel any or all of is issued are in need of immediate intervention.
Currently Donald is experiencing various stressors in his life .He is having marital and financial problems as well as a lack of direction in his professional life. His first marriage ended and his second marriage is having difficulties as he and his wife no longer live in the same home. He fears isolation. A somewhat imposing personality, he seems to be self-aware and recognizes himself as a superficial person who is unable to share his feelings with his wife resulting in the inability to sustain relationships. Love being a natural response to feelings of isolation, he desires to be reunited with his wife and to have companionship. Earlier in his life his father was violent and imprisoned for some time, leaving Donald and his …show more content…
I would suggest him taking a job, even if it's not his dream job, to assist financially while continue to find meaning in therapy and a more clear direction to which path he would like to go. It is up to Donald if he would like to take my suggestion.
Demographic and sociocultural
Existential therapy can be used for all cultures. Logo therapy “addresses the spiritual core at the center of every human being” (Seligman, 2014 Ch.9, pg. 190) in some cultures opening about feelings may be abnormal. Although Donald is not very comfortable expressing his emotions, he is Caucasian and it is more a personality trait than a cultural one. There are no other demographic or sociocultural issues that are in need to consider.
Goals:
The “fundamental goal of existential therapy is to help people find meaning and purpose in their lives” (Seligman, 2014 Chapter 9) throughout many sessions, we will work on “realizing his potential. Find what he's good at, what are his positive traits, and what he enjoys. However there are no clear steps or transitions for this …show more content…
The inevitable challenges of “death, isolation and meaningless” we all struggle with in life. I would dive deeper into his close familial relationships as well as with his wife. With this information we may move towards using this new found awareness towards building meaning in his life.
Faith in our own existence in the present can ameliorate fears of death.
Dasein(Pg.182-183)
Limitations
Existential therapy does have its limitations. As mentioned previously, this approach takes a stance on responsibility, choice, and self-determination but does not have specific steps and has few strategies for intervention. It relies heavily on developing a strong client clinician relationship and on face-to-face verbal communication. Donald for example appears agitated and lacks eye contact. He seems to have difficulty opening up and expressing his feelings.
With existential therapy treatment is slow paced and takes time. It has little direction so it may not work for clients who require more of a structure or plan. It is not “crisis focused” so this approach would not fit for issues that need to be resolved quickly, for example alcohol dependence or mania (Seligman, 2015, Pg. 192). In Donald's case he may personally feel any or all of is issued are in need of immediate intervention.