Existential Therapy in London
- What is Existential Therapy?
- Existential Theory in London
- How Does Therapy Work?
- How Therapy can help
- Existential Therapy and GOD
- Techniques used in Existential Therapy London
- Scientific Evidence of Effectiveness of Therapy
- Difference of Therapy from other Therapies in London
- Psychodynamic therapies vs Existential therapy
- Cognitive and Behavioral therapy vs Existential therapy
- Who benefits from Existential Therapy?
- Who Should Avoid Existential Therapy
- How Therapists are trained
- Book Recommendation
- Summary
- FAQ’s
- Related Articles
What is Existential Therapy?
Existential Therapy asks a person to build a meaningful life for himself. The Existential Theory it rests on states life has no meaning, man is lonely, and death can’t be avoided. People can change their lives by their own free will. That is the theory. The therapy does something else. It helps people believe in themselves, and it holds them responsible for their lives, their choices and their relationships.
It is one of the types of Humanistic Therapy. Authority and cure, it believes, aren’t in the hands of a therapist, and it gives much emphasis to the human potential of creating a difference. Humanistic therapists focus on the present condition of the person and his goals in his life, and the therapist acts as a collaborator in the whole experience.
Existential Theory in London
Existential Theory is a base of Existential therapy that is based on the concept that human life is meaningless and lonely and death cannot be avoided. The theory also states that human beings can bring meaning to their life, and they have free will to do so.
There are four Existential givens according to this theory, and these cause Inner Anguish. These four Givens were labelled in 1980 by a famous Psychotherapist, Irvin D. Yalom. They’re named Freedom, Isolation, Meaningless, and Death. These four givens describe that human beings carry a responsibility to create a meaningful life for themselves, and they’re meant to be alone ultimately. Sometimes life is meaningless. Death is inevitable.
How Does Therapy Work?
As a collaborative process, existential therapy is one in which the therapist works with the person as a companion in creating a better and meaningful life, and this process isn’t labelled as Treatment.
In Existential Therapy, the following are included:
- Experiences of present life are discussed in detail, which eventually helps to reveal the existential ideas behind them.
- Mindfulness and living in the present moment are practiced.
- Relationships are explored with the perspective of the larger world, such as norms and culture
- Instead of focusing on Goals and their outcomes, the purpose of life is explored.
- Transformation in behavior is worked upon, which leads to minimizing and eliminating inner conflicts.
- Creativity and responsibility are emphasized in order to build a purposeful life. Negative thoughts (anxieties, hopes, and fears) are openly discussed during sessions.
How Therapy can help
Therapy can help in
- Recovering the aftermath of unforgettable and shocking events in one’s life
- Therapy reduces the hopelessness which is caused by the uncontrollable circumstances in one’s life.
- It promotes Self-empowerment
- Helps to fear Anxiety ( Death Anxiety)
- Addresses the low self-esteem of an individual
Existential Therapy and GOD
This therapy supports the idea of human free will, and it believes that humans can act according to their free will without GOD. Not every religion agrees. There is a clash here with some religions, where God is believed to be the supreme authority.
Techniques used in Existential Therapy London
Some common techniques used in Existential Therapy are
- Open Dialogue and conversations are encouraged during the sessions. Therapists are flexible, supportive, and nonjudgemental
- Mindfulness is a technique in which the present is focussed, and effort to build a better future is considered and is employed in this therapy
- Patients are encouraged to remain active and ask questions about their presence. Existential therapy helps to experience life authentically and fully.
- Ranking of experiences is not practiced in therapy, as Existential therapy treats all experiences equally.
- Negative feelings and inner conflicts are considered good reactions and are not cured immediately in order to explore them.
- Interactions with society and common people are discussed as they enable the patient to find their existing place in society.
Scientific Evidence of Effectiveness of Therapy
A wide range of scientific studies in a well-controlled environment have indicated that clients have benefited from Existential Therapy sessions, and their well-being has increased (Vos, Craig & Cooper, 2014). More evidence has proved that therapy is as effective and result-oriented as other psychotherapies used for mental health issues (e.g., Rayner & Vitali, in press). A decade of scientific research points the same way: nearly all psychotherapies are beneficial and produce positive results (Seligman, 1995; Wampold & Imel, 2015).
How effective the therapy is depends on the characteristics and personal requirements of the patient. Other factors, such as the warm and empathic behaviour of the therapist and cooperative client, are also important determinants of the success of therapy (Norcross & Lambert, 2011). In the effectiveness of treatment, the emphasis Existential therapy places on a meaningful life is also a contributing factor (Wampold & Imel, 2015).
Difference of Therapy from other Therapies in London
As it focuses on free will and determination to change life, the therapy is unique. Other therapies target the patient’s needs in different manners.
Psychodynamic therapies vs Existential therapy
Psychodynamic therapies work on transforming the behaviour, feelings, and thoughts of the patients. Revealing the unconscious and hidden motives in their minds is the aim. Psychoanalytic therapies function by working close, similar to partnership, and they provide an opportunity to explore the interactions during the sessions.
Working differently, Existential Therapy does not depend on the past. In order to make decisions, it relates to the past, and it promotes freedom and assertiveness.
Cognitive and Behavioral therapy vs Existential therapy
Developing healthy behaviour and promoting dysfunctional thought processes is the main focus of CBT and it cures through positive thinking, bringing a change in irrational and dysfunctional thoughts.
In existential therapy, the focus is on the free will of an individual, and he is held responsible for the betterment of their life.
Who benefits from Existential Therapy?
Existential therapy could benefit people from all age groups. People from different backgrounds who are dealing with adjustment issues can be helped; the theory helps them identify their place in society and how it affects their lives. In addition to medicines, it helps to cure Depression and Anxiety in people, and this therapy also heals victims of Trauma.
Who Should Avoid Existential Therapy
People who are in need of immediate medical help along with their psychiatric needs might not benefit from Existential therapy, and those who prefer to analyse past experiences fall into the same group.
How Therapists are trained
Training in training programs is given to Existential Therapists, and that training is of post-graduate level, involving skills, theoretical learning, and practical work.
Book Recommendation
Author : Sarah Bakewell
Published in 2016.
Author has written the book for everyone interested in reading about existentialism. Her storytelling style is brilliant, and in her book she has outlined the famous existentialist personalities
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Summary
Life is meaningless, Existential Therapy believes, and it could be made better and meaningful by the person himself through his free will, and therapy helps people to talk about their hopelessness during the sessions. Mindfulness is emphasised, and through open dialogue, negative emotions are explored. Existential therapy isn’t effective for some patients sometimes. At that point, other therapies available for the same issue can be used. Therapists must be selected after an interview. In order to choose the right therapists, according to your personal needs, an interview with a therapist would be beneficial. We here at SeekaPsych can help you in choosing the most suitable therapist for you.
FAQ’s
Why is existentialism not popular?
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