Existentialist philosophy offers to counseling and psychotherapy a unique understanding of what it means to be human, to exist and to "be," and to experience freedom (Corey, 1986, 1991). Further, as both Coleman (1989) and Davison and Neale (1990) pointed out, existentialism helps the individual who is in counseling understand his or her potential, his or hre actual state of being in the world, and the reality that the client knows or perceives. Having understood the nature of this reality, one is theoretically able to work through any problems that might exist and to reconceptualize existence in a more positive manner.
Corey (1986) stated that existential therapy per se can best be understood as an intellectual approach to therapeutic practice or as a philosophy within which the counselor functions and treats. For all counselors, existentialism involves a rejection of a deterministic or reductionist view of human nature; it calls instead for a recognition that people are free to act and to choose, and that they are therefore able to master their own lives and to assume control over their environments to a large degree. Existentialism calls for the "courage to be" and to confront one's problems directly. It is a growth model that focuses on health rather than sickness (Corey, 1986).
The specific goals of existential counseling are:
. to enable people to become more truthful with themselves
. to widen their perspective on themselves and the world around them
. to find clarity on how to proceed in the future while taking lessons from the past and creating something valuable to live for in the present (LeBon, 2001).
Within this set of primary counseling goals, existential counseling employs a wide range and variety of specific techniques. LeBon (2001) identified the following general categories of counseling techniques that are integral to this approach:
.Cultivating a nanve attitude - and hence making e...