The viewpoint of a counsellor when using existential therapy is to appreciate the way the client sees the world and help them make choices based on the new insight. Clients have limited awareness of themselves and the nature of their problems. We as counsellors should participate sincerely with what matters most to the client, to avoid our own judgements, and assist the client’s ability to live well and in their own way. Goals of the existential therapy are to expand self-awareness help clients accept the responsibility of choosing.
Let the client experience authentic existence and to recognise influences that block freedom. We are to challenge clients to recognise that they are doing something that they formerly thought was happening to them. Accept the freedom of accountability that goes along with the action. Not knowing how to acknowledge the problems they are having in their future and have not realised that it is holding them back in life.
The role of an Existential counsellor is focusing on exploring the challenges and inconsistencies of human existence rather than psychology. Existential Therapy is the “philosophical” form of therapy. Four concerns ultimately will be the core of any human problem, which are death, freedom and its attendant responsibility, existential isolation, and finally meaninglessness. Existential Therapy deals with a sense of loss from an individual. As individuals, many have lost their sense of existence, their freedom. They might feel isolated, and life just seems to lose meaning due to something that might have happened. History may not allow them to know how to survive and deal with the problems.
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After reading through the case study in the interest of Joel, Existential Therapy would be used under these circumstances. The ideas behind Existential Therapy allows us to work towards creating a good therapist-client relationship. Joel can then create a purpose for life through good thoughts which support a more meaningful and spiritual growth. He will ask himself questions such as Who am I, and What is the purpose of life. Joel exploring these questions will gain a better understanding of himself. Reflecting we anticipate he will find a new perspective and awareness about himself, which can relieve any distress his feeling.
The objective is to get Joel to share information about is current life and from past experiences as a child, looking at the causes. Any anxieties he comes across will be explored relating to fears of isolation and loneliness. Joel will learn to accept life for what it is and to take responsibility and control of his life by changing self – perceptions. The way he reacts to his environment and other peoples influence. We will discuss how he copes in stressful times. This technique of talk, exploration, discovery, analysis and reflection will work to get Joel to own his freedom. Without fear, and the responsibility to control his development through healthy thoughts and actions. This theory focusses on awareness and altering the distorted thought process, that is related to conflicts through responsive behaviours in one’s life.
The goals relating to this kind of therapy will enable Joel to start being more truthful with himself and gain a new perspective on how he views the world.
The objective is for Joel to better understand and reflect upon the lessons he discovered and how to use them as a guide. One of the counselling goals is to work together bringing awareness to Joel’s consciousness so he can find wholeness and spiritual balance.
Once both the unconsciousness and the consciousness thoughts, behaviours are brought together Joel can start feeling some relief from his suffering.
Finally, I will guide Joel to take acton on what he has learnt and now understands about himself and this past. He will devot more time to his wife and son. As well as this, finding a balance between his work life and home life. Enabling him a better father and partner that he has always wanted to but couldn’t due to past expriences. (Corey,G 2013 p 159) “ The existential approach can focus on clients on significant areas such as assuming personal reasonanability, making a commitment to deciding and acting and expanding their awareness of the current situtatio. Joel is suffering from a crisis and feeling his lost control over his life so applying Existential Psychotherapy would be relevant to his case. The Existential method has many strengths to this approach. First it be be applied to wide variety of settings, such as individual, group, family and couples therapy.
