My Philosophical Approach To Counseling Essay Research

My Philosophical Approach To Counseling Essay, Research Paper

My Philosophical Approach to Counseling

Definition of Existential Therapy

One survey taken by Corey suggests a definition of Existential Therapy

include two key elements:

Existential Therapy is essentially an approach to counseling and therapy

rather than a firm theoretical model, it stresses core human conditions.

Normally, personality development is based on the uniqueness of each

individual. Sense of self develops from infancy. Self determination and a

tendency toward growth are control ideas. Focus is on the present and on what

one is becoming; that is the approach has a future orientation. It stresses

self-awareness before action. (1996, p.465)

In layman terms, Existential therapy can be described as a philosophical

approach that is not designed to cure people but instead help the client reflect

and search for value and meaning in life. Existential Therapy does not supply a

cookbook of methods like other approaches but instead it provides a framework

that is adaptable to the therapist, in which to view the individual and the

world in which they participate.

Definition of Person-Centered (Client-Centered) Therapy

According to Mosby’s Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary,

client-centered therapy is a non directive method of group or individual

psychotherapy, originated by Carl Rogers, in which the role of the therapist is

to listen to and reflect or restate without judgment or interpretation the words

of the client.

Objectives of Existential Therapy

The objectives of Existential Therapy are quite unique. Existential

counselors are focused on helping the client achieve and expand their self-

awareness. Many Therapist assume once self awareness is achieved, the client

can examine new ways of dealing with problems and except the responsibility of

choosing.

Objectives of Client-centered Therapy

The objective of client-centered therapy is to assist the client to

experience self exploration, so that they can identify problems that are

hindering their growth process. Essentially, the main goal of client-centered

therapy is to have the client achieve a sense of increased awareness and

understanding of his attitudes, feelings, and behaviors.

Professional Opinions

Existential and client-centered therapy have been criticized for not

being ?scientific enough?. They have been down played as not being empirical

and not having a therapeutic model that is firmly set in stone with a set of

methods and interventions. A large number of therapist feel that Existential

and client-centered therapy are not sound therapeutic approaches for treating

and diagnosing adolescents. One main reason for this argument is the

existential view toward adolescence. Existentialist view adolescence as a time

when a young person begins to gain a sense of awareness on a surface level.

After achieving this level, the adolescent gradually starts to focus on self

meaning, which takes place through the development of their identity(Hacker,

1994). Existentialist also believe that how the individual conceptilizes death

plays a part in the whole being of the person. A survey of 82 students revealed

people viewed death as cold and denied. This information indicates death is

very influencial in creating anxiety in people (Westman, 1992, p. 1064).

Existential and client-centered therapy have not labeled themselves with

a distinct clinical procedure, instead these techniques and concepts have been

effective in helping patients to recognize and accomplish their goals.

For this reason, I believe existential thought coupled with client-centered

therapy are appropriate in treating clients who confront some type of obstacle

or major event in their life (confronting death, sudden isolation, changing from

childhood to adolescence). David Cain(1993), a person-centered therapist,

believes client-centered therapy is not a wise decision for treating clients in

some cases, he sites that due to the lack of evolution of Client-centered

therapy and the client-centered community’s unwillingness to change with the

advancements of counseling and psychotherapy has limited the therapeutic

approach.

On the otherhand, therapist Philip Kendall and Michael A. Southam-Gerow,

seem to recognize the importance of client-centered therapy. Kendall and

Southam-Gerow conducted a study which examined the long-term effects of

psychosocial treatment for anxiety disordered youth, which they evaluated the

long term effects and the effective components of the treatment.

The results from the study revealed that children and adolescent clients

treated two to five years earlier with psychotherapy retained their gains over

anxiety related disorders(p 728).

Kendall noted the lack of anxiety related problems could have

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