Alexis Fry
Dr. Nesbit
Psych 422
November 28, 2017
Existential Psychology and Irvin Yalom Existential therapy focuses on free will, self determination, and the search for meaning. It often centers on the person as a whole rather than on the person’s symptoms. It emphasizes the capacity for self-awareness, striving for identity, relationships to others, anxiety as a condition of living, and awareness of death. While it is similar to Gestalt therapy and has multiple contributors sharing similar perspectives, Irvin Yalom was a major figure in group psychotherapy and his research and contributions to Existential psychology and it’s applications in therapy was was highly signifiant and is still used in today’s practices. Irvin D. Yalom was born …show more content…
Adrian has became increasing worried about her ability to concentrate and remember things at work. Adrian is regretful about a choice she made back in her college years and blames her current problems as a result of it. Adrian is struggling with has low self-esteem, doubts her choices and frequently ruminates on them. Adrian is in a state of worry and anxiety a good majority of her day. Adrian is concerned a great deal about her job performance, her children’s well-being, and her relationships with men. Adrian does not feel as if she is control of her life and her symptoms have interfered a great deal with her life. Additionally, Adrian reports discomfort in social situations. Adrian’s symptoms emerged in her teenage years and followed her into her adult life. In high school Adrian feared failure and dating gave her anxiety. I feel a lot of her problems could be fixed with group therapy and an existential approach. The first is because of anxiety. Adrian will learn that anxiety is a condition of living and that it is normal. If she is in a group setting where others are sharing their stories of their struggles with anxiety she will see that she is not alone. Adrian would learn to differentiate her normal anxiety from her neurotic anxiety and learn to channel it as a driving force to get tasks done and perform better under it. Adrian struggles with relationships. Group therapy and existential therapy on their own …show more content…
Not only have I applied existential therapy to my personal life but there is tons of research that supports its claims and success. Washington and Moxley (2003) conducted a study in which 78 women who had been previously struggling with drug problems or were below the poverty level participated in group therapy. In the group therapy they were given activities, tasks, and questionnaires to complete to determine their self-efficacy and facilitate empowerment. A cognitive intervention was used in which the activities focuses on enhancing ego functions such as exploring consequences of actions, using guided inquiry and active thinking to encourage success, developing employability enhancement scrapbooks, practicing assertive communication skills, and sharing powerful stories. An experiential intervention was used to help group members in establishing the direction for work on self-awareness, personal issues, and changing attitudes. Examples of activities in this intervention included gestalt sentence completion exercises, self-appraisal supported by group members, and use of visual artwork to enhance self-reflection and emotional expression. The results of this study concluded that a majority of its participants identified a number of significant benefits and changes that they attributed to their group participation. Some of these
Dr. Nesbit
Psych 422
November 28, 2017
Existential Psychology and Irvin Yalom Existential therapy focuses on free will, self determination, and the search for meaning. It often centers on the person as a whole rather than on the person’s symptoms. It emphasizes the capacity for self-awareness, striving for identity, relationships to others, anxiety as a condition of living, and awareness of death. While it is similar to Gestalt therapy and has multiple contributors sharing similar perspectives, Irvin Yalom was a major figure in group psychotherapy and his research and contributions to Existential psychology and it’s applications in therapy was was highly signifiant and is still used in today’s practices. Irvin D. Yalom was born …show more content…
Adrian has became increasing worried about her ability to concentrate and remember things at work. Adrian is regretful about a choice she made back in her college years and blames her current problems as a result of it. Adrian is struggling with has low self-esteem, doubts her choices and frequently ruminates on them. Adrian is in a state of worry and anxiety a good majority of her day. Adrian is concerned a great deal about her job performance, her children’s well-being, and her relationships with men. Adrian does not feel as if she is control of her life and her symptoms have interfered a great deal with her life. Additionally, Adrian reports discomfort in social situations. Adrian’s symptoms emerged in her teenage years and followed her into her adult life. In high school Adrian feared failure and dating gave her anxiety. I feel a lot of her problems could be fixed with group therapy and an existential approach. The first is because of anxiety. Adrian will learn that anxiety is a condition of living and that it is normal. If she is in a group setting where others are sharing their stories of their struggles with anxiety she will see that she is not alone. Adrian would learn to differentiate her normal anxiety from her neurotic anxiety and learn to channel it as a driving force to get tasks done and perform better under it. Adrian struggles with relationships. Group therapy and existential therapy on their own …show more content…
Not only have I applied existential therapy to my personal life but there is tons of research that supports its claims and success. Washington and Moxley (2003) conducted a study in which 78 women who had been previously struggling with drug problems or were below the poverty level participated in group therapy. In the group therapy they were given activities, tasks, and questionnaires to complete to determine their self-efficacy and facilitate empowerment. A cognitive intervention was used in which the activities focuses on enhancing ego functions such as exploring consequences of actions, using guided inquiry and active thinking to encourage success, developing employability enhancement scrapbooks, practicing assertive communication skills, and sharing powerful stories. An experiential intervention was used to help group members in establishing the direction for work on self-awareness, personal issues, and changing attitudes. Examples of activities in this intervention included gestalt sentence completion exercises, self-appraisal supported by group members, and use of visual artwork to enhance self-reflection and emotional expression. The results of this study concluded that a majority of its participants identified a number of significant benefits and changes that they attributed to their group participation. Some of these