Family therapists that utilize the experiential therapy approach believe that psychological problems started within the family. The experiential therapy approach shifted the focus and the responsibility for the problems of the individual to the entire family. This approach is a family therapeutic model that has been widely utilized by many family therapist who focused on a humanistic approach to therapy. This paper will exam the following the following regarding experiential therapy approach: leading figures, historical and current events, assumptions, development of the theory, concepts, and techniques, as well as discuss the similarities or differences between other leading approaches.
Family Counseling Approach: Experiential Therapy …show more content…
Whitaker was a 20th century family therapist who founded the field of experiential family therapy approach, in which the role of the family is recognized as having an effect on the patient. While studying at the Syracuse Psychopathic Hospital with schizophrenic patients, he noticed that once these patients were sent home they returned to the hospital having relapsed and experiencing symptoms. Whitaker started to explore a family therapy approach rather than treating just the schizophrenic patient. In 1955 Whitaker founded the Atlanta Psychiatric Clinic where he continued to improve upon his family therapy techniques. Rather than blaming one family member or even a specific family problem, experiential family therapy looks at the entire family system. “Whitaker’s utilized a humanistic approach by focusing on getting at the heart of the feelings experienced by all members of a family. Several other approaches to family therapy have drawn heavily from Whitaker 's theories (Family Therapy, …show more content…
(Mahrer, 2001)” Mahrer also noted that the field of experiential therapies had grown with the word “experiential” being interchanged with the words “feeling” and “emotion” so that any therapies that highlight the role of feeling and emotions are
Family Counseling Approach: Experiential Therapy …show more content…
Whitaker was a 20th century family therapist who founded the field of experiential family therapy approach, in which the role of the family is recognized as having an effect on the patient. While studying at the Syracuse Psychopathic Hospital with schizophrenic patients, he noticed that once these patients were sent home they returned to the hospital having relapsed and experiencing symptoms. Whitaker started to explore a family therapy approach rather than treating just the schizophrenic patient. In 1955 Whitaker founded the Atlanta Psychiatric Clinic where he continued to improve upon his family therapy techniques. Rather than blaming one family member or even a specific family problem, experiential family therapy looks at the entire family system. “Whitaker’s utilized a humanistic approach by focusing on getting at the heart of the feelings experienced by all members of a family. Several other approaches to family therapy have drawn heavily from Whitaker 's theories (Family Therapy, …show more content…
(Mahrer, 2001)” Mahrer also noted that the field of experiential therapies had grown with the word “experiential” being interchanged with the words “feeling” and “emotion” so that any therapies that highlight the role of feeling and emotions are