Existential Counseling Reflection Paper

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Counselors can talk about counseling as change or growth. Or they can talk about counseling as a process or product. If counselors go very deeply into an examination of these alternatives, it also becomes apparent that they are beginning to talk about philosophical, cultural, and spiritual issues as well as psychological or interpersonal concerns. How counselors view these issues and concerns will determine what they do in the counseling interview. If I happen to hold an optimistic view of human beings and how they adapt to life’s ups and downs, my view of what should happen in counseling will be quite different from that of the person who holds a cautious, or even pessimistic, view of human beings and how they adapt. If I have experienced life only in a sheltered or encapsulated culture, then I may view counseling as not involving cultural dimensions.If I solve my problems by careful examination and analysis of issues, decisions to be made, appropriateness of outcomes, and so on, then I might naturally assume that others should approach life problems in a similar fashion. Or if I see life as a multifaceted gestalt, then I might feel less urgency to identify, prescribe, and, thus, control the outcomes of counseling. These are just part of the counselor’s context when she or …show more content…

That Psychopathology is defined by existentialists as neglecting to make meaningful choices and accentuating one’s potential the anxiety is seen as the motivational force that helps the clients to reach their potential. Conversely, anxiety is also seen as the paralyzing force that prevents clients from reaching their full potential. Therefore, through awareness, this anxiety can be helpful in living more fully. Frankl shares that each person searches for meaning in life, and that while this meaning may change, the meaning never ceases to

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