Existentialism and Rebt Essay

During a life-time. most persons question the significance of their being at one point or another. Experiential therapy aims to assist persons happen intent. have better defined ends. and unrecorded life to the fullest. Experiential therapy takes into history cultural. societal and political values of the client. It attempts to assist the client live more intentionally. while accepting life’s unpredictable challenges and contradictions. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy ( REBT ) is complementary to experiential therapy by supplying techniques to assist clients do alterations one time their consciousness is increased through experiential find.

Experiential therapy and REBT integrated attack to reding can supply successful consequences by uniting single significance with sensible thought. This empowers clients to take control of their lives. The first measure in the therapy procedure is to assist the client become cognizant of what alterations need to be made in order to populate a more fulfilling and hearty life. This is achieved by analyzing one or more experiential subjects. In his book Existential Psychotherapy. Irwin Yalom describes four major subjects that permeate experiential psychotherapeutics: decease. freedom. isolation. and nonsense.

In the first subject. decease. here are two major thoughts that play cardinal factors in therapy ( Yalom. 1980 ) . First of all. decease and life coexist. Even though physically they are clearly separated. psychologically they exist at the same time. Death is a natural portion of the rhythm of life. and as one dies. another is given an chance to see life ( Kaufmann. 1975 ) . Death is a realistic menace and a portion of our day-to-day lives. Every twenty-four hours we are alive. we are closer to decease. Frankl ( 2006 ) believes that “if there is a significance in life at all. so there must be a significance in agony.

Suffering is an ineradicable portion of life. even as destiny and decease. Without enduring and decease human life can non be complete” ( p. 67 ) . Nothing in this universe lasts everlastingly. It is merely natural for worlds to see decease as a portion of life that is ineluctable. The consciousness of decease has a important impact on life and “Although the animalism of decease destroys adult male. the thought of decease saves him” ( Yalom. 1980. p. 30 ) . Awareness of decease allows persons to populate life more to the full. genuinely. and appreciate how genuinely cherished life is.

Authenticity is one of the chief constructs of existential philosophy and is defined as being echt. true to one’s feelings and beliefs. aware of ego and milieus. and ability to successfully cover with issues related to being ( Sharf. 2008 ) . People come to appreciate life more. be heedfully and purposefully. Nietzsche wrote: “He that consummates his life dies his decease victoriously” ( Kaufmann. 1975. p. 129 ) . Those who live a complete and happy life are less likely to be afraid of decease because they have experienced life to the fullest.

A possible menace of life be taken off makes it more likely for people to appreciate and bask life. Without enduring how does one cognize pleasance? For illustration. person with malignant neoplastic disease who antecedently has taken life for granted may hold a greater grasp for life after crushing the unwellness. In such instances. people feel the urgency to take pleasance in life’s every alone minute and enjoy the simple joys while they still can. Very frequently people do non value things until they are taken off or are threatened to be taken off.

The 2nd thought is that decease anxiousness invariably affects the manner people experience their life. In add-on. most anxiousness comes from issues related to decease and diminishing anxiousness is one the major ends of psychotherapeutics. Anxiety can stem from many issues. such as control or fright. Fear of decease is one of the important incentives in our society. We invariably come up with new ways to avoid decease by constructing safer vehicles. have oning protective cogwheel. contriving new medical interventions and processs.

Self saving is a natural inherent aptitude and anxiousness related to the terminal of our life is an ineluctable world. There are many grounds why persons are afraid of decease: inability to take attention of dependants. hurting and unhappiness that loved 1s will experience. or fright of the hereafter. But one of the most common grounds is the fright of void and loss of ego ( Yalom. 1980 ) . Death anxiousness can attest itself in many different ways ( Yalom. 1980 ) . One’s feeling of losing exciting events or the desire to command the encompassing universe. show this manifestation.

These unhealthy ideas aid persons ease fright of decease by covering non with the existent and terrorizing beginning of anxiousness. but indirectly. through more socially acceptable actions. Many people protect themselves from decease anxiousness by denying it. Yalom ( 1980 ) discussed two ways that accomplish this end: the ultimate savior and personal peculiarity. Both ideas lead people to experience that they will non be affected by bad lucks like others might be. The ultimate savior is a type of defence mechanism taking people to believe that person will come into their life and salvage them from their jobs.

An illustration of this would be a individual with terrible fiscal jobs necessitating money to take attention of wellness jobs believing that person or something will convey the needful money and the state of affairs will work itself out. Personal peculiarity involves the belief that one is in a manner different from others and hence immune from the adversities of life. Personal peculiarity can be seen all around us: a healthy adult female believing malignant neoplastic disease will ne’er go on to her. twosomes believing there is no manner they can hold an autistic kid. or a adolescent driving recklessly believing that there is no manner he will acquire in an accident and dice.

The consciousness of finiteness enables people to appreciate the encompassing universe at a much deeper degree and happen what it is they are meant to lend to the universe. The 2nd subject of experiential psychotherapeutics is freedom. Freedom and duty go manus in manus. Persons who are responsible are witting of the fact that the universe is non working against them. They come to recognize that their experiences are the results of their ain determinations. Some people may experience that their environment. their unconscious head. or familial brand up is working against them.

Experiential theory takes into consideration that these sometimes unmanageable factors have an consequence on events. but do non wholly find them. Frankl ( 2006 ) wrote sing his experiences in a concentration cantonment: Every twenty-four hours. every hr. offered the chance to do a determination. a determination which determined whether you would or would non subject to those powers which threatened to rob you of your really self. your interior freedom ; which determined whether or non you would go the toy of fortunes. abdicating freedom and self-respect to go shaped into the signifier of the typical inmate ( P.

66 ) . In utmost state of affairss as this. freedom represents psychological separation from a hard state of affairs. In this instance. a individual has inner freedom to take how he feels and what he thinks. His physical freedom and material ownerships can be taken off. but his ideas. feelings. his ego. can non. Peoples have the freedom to do any determination they choose. are responsible for these determinations and have to be able to confront the results.

Yalom ( 1980 ) wrote that “To be cognizant of duty is to be cognizant of making one’s ain ego. fate. life quandary. feelings. and if such be the instance. one’s ain suffering” ( p. 218 ) . Having the freedom to command one’s ain fate and “own the penetration that you and merely you construct your ain life design” can be a heavy load to bear. but one time persons become cognizant of their power and accept the challenge. they can do important betterments and live more genuinely ( Yalom. 1989. p. 38 ) . Simple consciousness may non be adequate for alteration to take topographic point.

One must be willing and committed to turn to the negative facets of life and go responsible for following new behaviours. Peoples must accept duty for their lives and determinations they have made ; otherwise. growing and positive alteration can non take topographic point. The 3rd subject of experiential therapy is isolation. Yalom ( 1980 ) discusses three types of isolation: interpersonal. intrapersonal. and experiential. Interpersonal isolation involves separation of ego from others. Many factors can lend to such isolation. such as personality. civilization. or physical location.

In this instance the individual does non hold a societal support web. is non involved in healthy relationships and may experience cut off from other people. Intrapersonal isolation takes topographic point when a individual represses certain events. offprints part/parts of the mind or no thirster has pronounced personal sentiments and beliefs. Yalom ( 1980 ) sums up intrapersonal isolation by stating that it “results whenever one stifles one’s ain feelings or desires. accepts “oughts” or “shoulds” as one’s ain wants. misgivings one’s ain judgement. or buries one’s ain potential” .

Last. experiential isolation refers to the feeling of being entirely in the universe. Regardless of how many friends or household members one has and how closely they are involved together. the individual is still isolated and has typical experiences of the encompassing universe. This may be considered a pessimistic position of life. but it is difficult to deny that each individual is one of a sort. whose true feeling and experience merely they can cognize. Isolation can be seen as a representation of individuals’ singularity. Even though isolation is a portion of life. intimate relationships are critical to a fulfilling life.

Frankl ( 2006 ) wrote “…love is the ultimate and the highest end to which adult male can aspire…The redemption of adult male is through love and in love. I understood how a adult male who has nil left in this universe still may happen bliss…in the contemplation of his beloved” ( p. 37 ) . Genuine and loving relationships. where both persons are actively involved. supply means to cover with experiential isolation and aid people find a sense of ego. The concluding subject of experiential therapy is meaninglessness. Many people struggle with the thought of what the significance of their life is.

Peoples need a ground to wake up every twenty-four hours. travel to work. make their jobs. and reiterate the rhythm over and over once more. Lack of ends. hope and intent. can take to emphasize. depression. and even suicide. It is a natural human desire to seek for order. forms. and accounts in the universe. This demand for organisation raises the ultimate inquiry of why and for what one lives. The quest for the significance of life is divided into two groups of idea: adult male creates intending and adult male is in hunt of significance. The first thought is non religious and is based on the fact that there is no prearranged significance and people create their ain ground to populate.

The 2nd manner of idea sing significance of life is religious. It states that significance is predetermined by a higher power and is something that a individual needs to happen. Frankl ( 2006 ) wrote “Everyone has his ain specific career or mission in life to transport out a concrete assignment which demands fulfilment. Therein he can non be replaced. nor can his life be repeated. Therefore. everyone’s undertaking is every bit alone as his specific chance to implement it” ( p. 109 ) . Regardless of the beginning of significance. it helps people genuinely unrecorded and maintain traveling.

As discussed earlier. the subjects of decease. freedom. isolation and nonsense are used to construct self-awareness in clients. Following the point when the client is committed to modify behaviour. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy ( REBT ) constructs and techniques are incorporated to do permanent alterations in the client’s life. REBT therapists’ end is to “help clients to give up their demands for flawlessness and to endeavor to develop constructive self-acceptance every bit good as credence of others” ( Walen. DiGiuseppe. & A ; Dryden. 1992. p. 14 ) by get the better ofing their irrational beliefs.

Irrational beliefs are unreasonable. make non stand for existent events. normally involve “black and white” thought. lead to anxiousness and prevent people from accomplishing their ends ( Walen et al. . 1992 ) . Within an experiential subject of decease. a client who has severe decease anxiousness and invariably avoids take parting in assorted activities in order to avoid possible dangers. would foremost be guided to analyze the grounds for decease anxiousness. and the irrational belief of decease menace would be challenged by the healer. There are six rules of REBT ( Walen et al. . 1992 ) .

The nucleus thought of the theory is that “we experience what we think” ( Walen et al. . 1992. p. 15 ) . External factors do non do people to experience a certain manner. but instead people’s internal perceptual experiences and readings contribute to the destructive emotional and behavioural reactions.

The following rule is that irrational thought causes the bulk of emotional hurt. Irrational thought forms such as “musts” . “shoulds” and hyperboles can make utmost anxiousness in persons and do them experience out of control. The 3rd rule provinces that by altering believing forms. the individual can get the better of anxiousness doing feelings. Another rule discusses assorted factors that affect ways of thought.

Harmonizing to Sharf ( 2008 ) . Albert Ellis took into history biological and societal factors that affect human development and susceptibleness to develop irrational beliefs. Ellis believed that people have inborn thrusts to believe irrationally and respond to the environment in certain manner. Peoples are besides strongly affected by their interpersonal relationships. Ellis found that if others perceive the individual as worthy. the individual is more likely to comprehend himself as worthy. excessively. Our society as a whole contributes to this manner of thought by stating us that we “must” and “have to” do things a certain manner.

For illustration. parents stating childs to eat everything on their home base. This promotes the belief in kids that if they do non complete a repast. they have failed. In maturity. this can take to fleshiness and other wellness jobs. every bit good as irrational forms of idea related to nutrient. The 5th rule encourages clients to concentrate on the present. Peoples may go “stuck” in the past and antecedently used thought and get bying forms. By making so. they are non able to go forth behind destructive wonts and travel towards healthier ways of covering with issues.

Finally. REBT has an optimistic position and promotes that people can alter. With difficult work and finding. irrational and self-defeating ideas can be reduced and lead to a more hearty life. REBT uses a three portion theoretical account to assist clients get the better of their issues: ‘A’ as triping event or hardships. ‘B’ as belief and ‘C’ as effects. ‘A’ is the sensed unfortunate event in the person’s life which spurs self-defeating reactions. ‘B’ chiefly includes believing. thought. and besides emoting and acting in relation to ‘A’ .

C is characterized as the destructive effects of ‘B’ . Harmonizing to Ellis ( 2002 ) . many clients find it hard to understand the ABC theoretical account as they wrongfully believe that ‘A’ straight causes ‘C’ . It is of import for clients to understand that their beliefs contribute significantly to the emotionally destructive effects. It is of import for persons to concentrate on the inauspicious event and see the full scope of emotions that occur as a consequence. Clients are encouraged to concentrate on specific ideas that caused negative emotions. such as sensed ‘musts’ and ‘shoulds’ .

Then. they are instructed to replace damaging ideas with healthier 1s and work to nail which ideas contribute to positive versus negative emotions. This technique allows the client to better command their ideas. taking to more functional emotions and behaviours. It is of import to assist clients understand that thought. emoting and acting often happens at the same time instead than separately. If a client is upset with a loved 1. he might be experiencing hurt. believing that he is being ignored. and acting angrily by raising his voice all at the same clip ( Ellis. 2002 ) .

Clients are encouraged to candidly and openly experience feelings. accept their being and how they influence clients’ lives ( Ellis. 1997 ) . Sharf ( 2008 ) discusses Ellis’ belief in the importance of concentrating on the long-run ends. which he calls responsible hedonism. REBT believes that enjoyment is a important portion of life. but that many persons focus on short-run pleasance. such as substance maltreatment. instead than concentrating on the long-run enjoyment of populating a healthy life. Humanism is another nucleus construct of REBT. Each individual is viewed as a whole and goal-oriented being.

Clients are encouraged to hold Unconditional Self Acceptance. which includes assets and defects. They are taught to value themselves because they are alive. regardless of the errors they have made. their socioeconomic position. rational abilities or the type of feelings they experience. Existentialism and REBT constructs have several common features. which can do the usage of these two therapies together more effectual than single usage. This incorporate attack provides an “existential model that balances the entreaty to ground with the alone human inclination to detect single meaning” ( Hutchinson & A ; Chapman. 2005. P.

146 ) . Harmonizing to Ellis ( 2002 ) . there are seven chief ways in which experiential therapy and REBT patterns are similar and hence complement each other in accomplishing alteration in clients. First of all. both theories accept the fact that anxiousness is a normal portion of life. Moderate experiential anxiousness is what keeps people alive. The job occurs when worlds become excessively concerned with certain life events and go neurotic. Second. experiential theory believes that people are able to lift above potency and bing unfortunate state of affairss.

REBT besides believes that people can take to believe about hard events in such ways that do non do hurt. The 3rd similarity is that both theories agree that it is critical to “directly and steadfastly show…clients the mistake in their ways” ( Ellis. 2002. p. 253 ) . Clients need to be taught accomplishments in order to do alterations to destructive ideas and behaviours. Clients are ‘free’ to alter. but might be unable to make so without concrete techniques. Another similarity is that both theories incorporate the thought that persons have the freedom and power to be in control of their fate.

Ellis ( 1997 ) wrote: “ [ pick ] …is one of the chief advantages of being human: you can take. normally. to believe one thing or another” ( p. 38 ) . Peoples have the ability to make up one’s mind and command how they think. and accordingly how they feel or behave in assorted. sometimes highly hard state of affairss. They can take to experience down. helpless and hopeless or take charge of a state of affairs and concentrate on what they can command. The end of purposeful populating lending to a more meaningful and fulfilling life can be seen in experiential therapy and REBT. A meaningful life helps persons go more self-actualized and increase personal consciousness.

With increased consciousness and significance. people can break command self-defeating ideas and overcome experiential struggles. The following thought that experiential therapy and REBT portion is that there is no absolute truth. Each person’s experiences are subjective and alone happenings. Every person knows what is true for him merely and it is hard for people to come to an understanding sing what is true ( Kaufmann. 1975 ) . Additionally. both theories focus on the present. It is of import to work on debatable behaviours that are go oning today. Past and future affect the individual. but do non find the world.

REBT techniques of remaining composure and rational can assist clients work logically on the issues of nonsense. isolation a nd decease. The concluding similarity relates to the therapist client relationship. Existential and REBT healers aim to be to the full present with the client. They strive to sympathize. associate and see the universe through the client’s eyes. Psychological wellness is subjective and depends on the person’s life manner. civilization and many other factors. However. there are a figure of features that can be used to specify psychological wellness.

In respect to experiential theory. Sharf ( 2008 ) considers that “to be genuinely human. persons must be cognizant of their ain being-in-the-world” . which involves realisation of one’s personal value. fate. and duty ( p. 151 ) . Sing experiential theory and REBT. a psychologically healthy individual lives rationally. genuinely. purposefully and accepts the unmanageable life events. Authenticity is one of the chief features of a psychologically healthy individual. Authenticity includes meaningful being which allows persons to experience alive. genuine. cognizant and to the full present in the minute.

Healthy persons are honorable with themselves and are able to accept their freedom to do positive picks. accept the results of their determinations. and successfully get by with unreciprocated inquiries of their being. Genuine and meaningful relationships with others are a important portion of the person’s life and one is able to keep a healthy relationship without losing a sense of ego. Avoidance of feelings that one ‘has to’ or ‘must’ do certain things is besides critical. Psychologically healthy persons do non overreact. overgeneralise and otherwise examine state of affairss logically and rationally.

These persons are tolerant of hard or unwanted state of affairss. exhibit low defeat degrees. concentrate on long-run ends. unrecorded purposeful and meaningful lives. The increased province of psychological wellness can take a long clip and requires committedness and forbearance from the healer and the client. Harmonizing to Yalom ( 1989 ) . the first measure to increased psychological wellness is premise of duty. In order for the client to alter behavior spiels. he must foremost accept that his current place is due to his ain actions.

For the client to alter. healer and client must happen specific issues and tensenesss that play into the client’s life. A important portion of the curative procedure is to ease the client to accept the contradictions and challenges of human being. Therapist assists the client to put ends and happen intent in life. while accepting and rationally covering with the obstructions that the client might hold to confront in the procedure. The chief end is to authorise the client to recognize his full potency. accept personal freedom. and be more cognizant of thought. emoting. and acting forms.

Clients increase personal consciousness and get down populating genuinely. with an ability to pass on efficaciously with others and understand the true ego. In add-on. clients research what is of import to them and how they can accomplish what they want in life. In the procedure of working through life’s mundane challenges and experiences. clients explore deeper issues holding to make with humanity in general. such as decease. isolation. and intending. Clients learn to better command self-defeating emotions. ideas and behaviours.

They start believing more limpidly and rationally. which gives them the ability to see life to the fullest. There are a figure of methods and techniques to assist clients better psychological wellness. genuineness. and life satisfaction. Experiential therapy and REBT agree that each individual has a alone perceptual experience of world. In experiential therapy. an of import scheme is to accept the universe through the client’s eyes and let the client to steer the class of therapy. Once the way of oppugning is determined. the therapist utilizations Socratic duologue to assist the client semen to his ain decisions and determinations.

This technique is a constituent of both experiential therapy and REBT. It involves inquiries that help the client semen to an apprehension of a job or state of affairs or do a determination. Socratic duologue is used “to motivate the find of life intent and significance at a religious level… [ every bit good as ] challenge the inflexible shoulds and musts. absolutistic demands. self-downing. and ruinous beliefs” ( Hutchinson & A ; Chapman. 2005. p. 151 ) . Such ways of oppugning besides contribute to a ‘buy-in’ from the client and improves self-discovery information keeping ( Walen et al. . 1992 ) .

Experiential therapy and REBT take into consideration the past and future. but curative alteration takes topographic point in the present. By concentrating on the present. the client is helped to continually self-actualize. see his personal being. and work through the issues forestalling reliable being. The chief end of REBT is to challenge the client’s irrational beliefs. The ABC theoretical account discussed earlier is the tool used to alter the client’s dysfunctional thought. but in the existent curative procedure two more elements are added: ‘D’ as Disputation and ‘E’ as new consequence.

Once the energizing event is clearly outlined. the healer points out to the client his irrational beliefs which led to the unwanted effect. Challenging involves observing. discriminating and debating irrational beliefs. The healer lineations and inquiries the client’s irrational beliefs. assisting the client understand the destructive thought forms. Now the client is ready to follow a more functional manner of thought. by replacing irrational beliefs with appropriate ideas. hence cut downing unpleasant feelings about ego and others and get down populating a more fulfilling life.

Experiential treatments can assist clients detect personal freedom to alter their province of being and happen more pleasance in life. Such self-awareness can do the disputing procedure easier by supplying the client with the power and freedom to get the better of self-defeating ideas ( Hutchinson & A ; Chapman. 1992 ) . A echt curative relationship is a critical factor in experiential therapy. The healer strives to be genuinely caring and formalize the client’s feelings. ideas and experiences. The client must experience comfy showing himself and leting the healer into his innermost ideas and feelings.

In order for this to go on. the healer must pass on to the client that the client and his feeling and ideas are to the full accepted. A strong relationship besides makes the client more likely to follow the therapist’s advice and swear the REBT disputing procedure. Although experiential therapy and REBT are complementary in many ways. the integrating has a figure of restrictions. The procedure counts on the client to be reasonably insightful and self aware. Person. whose rational abilities are non as strong. may non profit as much from therapy.

Past experiences of the client are taken into consideration. but are non actively explored. This may restrict the penetration achieved by the healer and client. therefore decelerating down betterment. Additionally. this incorporate attack is more targeted towards single therapy. so household systems techniques would necessitate to be incorporated in order to suit households and twosomes. Experiential therapy and REBT have many common aims and portion a figure of implicit in constructs. Although this incorporate attack to guidance is slightly directing. the client’s concerns and personal ends are in the centre of the curative procedure.

Therapy is based on taking the client to self-discovery. reliable and rational being. By uniting subjects and techniques of experiential theory and REBT. clients gain the benefit of analyzing multifaceted experiential subjects with the add-on of through empirical observation supported REBT techniques. My involvement in the integrating of experiential therapy and REBT originally came from personal beliefs and experiences. Congruent with experiential theory. I have frequently questioned the intent of my life and whether human existences are interconnected or isolated.

I relate to the spiritually oriented existential philosophy and have ever believed that every individual has a certain naming ; the trouble merely lies in happening what it is. Consistent with the thoughts of REBT. I many times find myself and people around me overreacting. overgeneralising. and otherwise doing inappropriate statements and holding irrational ideas. By going more cognizant of my ain being. ideas. beliefs and actions. I will be able to assist my clients come to similar apprehensions and take more fulfilling. purposeful. and reliable lives.

My philosophical disposition. my strive to understand other people’s points of position and my focal point on the present will supply a healthy and successful environment for clients to accomplish their curative ends. Mentions Ellis. A. . Harper. R. ( 1997 ) . A Guide to Rational Living. Chatsworth: Melvin Powers Wilshire Book Company. Ellis. A. ( 2002 ) . Get the better ofing Resistance: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Integrated Apporach. New York: Springer Publishing Company Inc. Frankl. V. ( 2006 ) . Man’s Search For Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press. Hutchinson. G. T. & A ; Chapman. B. P.

Logotherapy-Enhanced REBT: An Integration of Discovery and Reason. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. Vol. 35. No. 2. 145-155 Kierkegaard: Apprehension and Freedom. In Kaufmann. Walter ( Eds ) ( 1975 ) . Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sarte ( pp83-120 ) . New York: The New American Library Inc. Kierkegaard: Authority. In Kaufmann. Walter ( Eds ) ( 1975 ) . Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sarte ( pp83-120 ) . New York: The New American Library Inc. Kierkegaard: Truth is Subjectivity. In Kaufmann. Walter ( Eds ) ( 1975 ) . Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sarte ( pp83-120 ) . New York: The New American Library Inc.

Nietzsche: The Portable Neitzche. In Kaufmann. Walter ( Eds ) ( 1975 ) . Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sarte ( pp121-133 ) . New York: The New American Library Inc. Sharf. R. S. ( 2008 ) . Theories of Psychotherapy and Counseling: Concepts and Cases. Belmont: University of Delaware. Thomson Brooks/Cole. Walen. S. . DiGiuseppe. R. . Dryden. W. ( 1992 ) . A Practitioner’s Guide to Rational- Emotive Therapy. New York: Oxford University Press. Yalom. I. ( 1980 ) . Experiential Psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books. Yalom. I. ( 1989 ) . Love’s Executioner: & A ; Other Tails of Psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.