4. The capacity for self-awareness
The tension between freedom & responsibility
The creation of an identity & establishing meaningful relationships
The search for meaning, purpose, and values of life
Accepting anxiety as a condition of living
The awareness of death and nonbeing
5. We can reflect and make choices because we are capable of self-
awareness.
Expanding our awareness in realizing that:
We are finite - time is limited
We have the potential, the choice, to act or not to act
Meaning is not automatic - we must seek it
We are subject to loneliness, meaninglessness, emptiness, guilt, and
isolation
6. We are free to choose among alternatives
We are responsible for our lives, for our action, and for our
failure to take action.
Blaming others for their problems---
Recognize how they allowed others to decide for them and the price they
pay
Encourage them to consider the alternative options
7. Identity is “the courage to be”
We must trust ourselves to search within and find our own answers
Our great fear is that we will discover that there is no core, no self
Struggling with our identity:
Challenging clients---in what ways that they have lost touch with
they identity and letting others to design their life.
8. Aloneness
We are alone---So, we must give a sense of meaning to life, decide
how we will live, have a relationship with ourselves, and learn to
listen to ourselves.
Relatedness
We need to create a close relationship with others
Challenging clients----What they get from they relationship? How
they avoid close relationship?
9. Therapists trust is important in teaching clients to trust their own
capacity to find their way of being.
Meaninglessness in life leads to emptiness and hollowness
(existential vacuum)
Finding meaning in life is a by-product of engagement, which is
a commitment to creating, loving, working, and building.
10. Anxiety arises from one’s strivings to survive.
Existential anxiety is normal
an outcome of being confronted with the four given of existence:
death, freedom, existential isolation, and meaninglessness.
Recognize existential anxiety and find ways to deal with it
constructively.
Anxiety can be a stimulus for growth as we become aware of and
accept our freedom
If we have the courage to face ourselves and life we may be
frightened, but we will be able to change
11. Death provides the motivation for us to live our lives
fully and take advantage of each opportunity to do
something meaningful.
12. To expand self-awareness
To increase potential choices
To help client accept the responsibility for their choice
To help the client experience authentic existence
13. Understand the client’s subjective world
Encourage clients to accept personal responsibility
When clients blame others, therapist is likely to ask them how
they contributed to their situation.
14. They are challenged to take responsibility for how they now
choose to be, decide how they want to be different, and take
actions.
Major themes in therapy sessions are anxiety, freedom and
responsibility, isolation, death, and the search for meaning.
Assist client in facing life with courage, hope, and a willingness
to find meaning in life.
15. Therapy is a journey taken by therapist and client
The person-to-person relationship is key
The relationship demands that therapists be in contact with their
own world
The core of the therapeutic relationship
Respect and faith in the clients’ potential to cope and discover
alternative ways of being
Therapists share their reactions to clients with genuine concern and
empathy as one way of deepening the therapeutic relationship.
16. It is not technique-oriented
The interventions are based on philosophical views about the
nature of human existence.
Free for draw techniques from other orientations
The use of therapist self is the core of therapy
17. Grief work, facing a significant decision,
developmental crisis, coping with failures in marriage
and work, dealing with physical limitations due to
age……
18. Contributions
Applicable to diverse clients to search for meaning for life
Be able to examine the behavior is influenced by social and cultural
factors.
Help clients to weigh the alternatives and consequences.
Change external environment and recognize how they contribute
19. Limitations
Excessively individualistic
Ignore social factors that cause human problems
Even if clients change internally, they see little hope the external realities
of racism or discrimination will change
For many cultures, it is not possible to talk about self and self-
determination apart from the context of the social network
Many clients expect a structured and problem-oriented approach instead
of discussion of philosophical questions.
20. Contributions
Stress self-determination accepting the personal responsibility along with
freedom
View oneself as the author of one’s life
Understand the value of anxiety and guilty, the positive meaning of
death, the positive aspects of being alone and choosing for oneself
Enable clients to examine how their behavior is being influenced by
social and cultural conditioning.
21. Limitations
Lacks of a systemic principles and practice for therapy
No empirical research validation yet
Limited to apply to lower-functioning clients, clients who need
directions, are concerned about meeting basic needs, and lack of verbal
skills
22.
23. KONSELI: “Saya dilanda perasaan takut ketika sedang sendirian.
Saya membutuhkan orang lain untuk selalu enemani saya, atau
setidaknya berada di sekitar saya. Jika keadaan memaksa saya harus
atau terpaksa sendirian, maka saya akan menonton TV untuk
mengatasi perasaan takut saya. Ini sungguh membuat hidup saya
enjadi tidak nyaman. Saya ingin menghilangkan rasa takut saya dan
bisa merasa nyaman ketika sendirian, namun tidak tahu bagaimana
caranya.”
BAHAN DISKUSI
Apa masalah yang sesungguhnya dialami oleh konseli?
Sebagai konselor, apa yang dapat Anda lakukan untuk membantu konseli?
24. KONSELI: “Saya merasa bahwa keberadaan saya tidak dianggap
penting oleh siapa pun. Jika saya mati hari ini, saya yakin tidak
alan ada orang yang merasa kehilangan dan terpengaruh oleh
kematian saya.”
BAHAN DISKUSI
Apa sesungguhnya masalah konseli?
Apa yang dapat Anda lakukan untuk membantu konseli?
25. KONSELI: “Saya tak banyak memiliki teman dan merasa tak
begitu dekat siapapun. Sesungguhnya saya membutuhkan
banyak teman dan ingin mendekati beberapa orang yang saya
inginkan untuk menjadi teman saya, namun saya takut ditolak.
Bahkan, alih-alih membiarkan siapa pun mendekati saya, saya
malah menjaga jarak dan menghindari mereka. Apa yang dapat
saya lakukan untuk mengurangi rasa takut saya ditolak?
BAHAN DISKUSI:
Apa sesungguhnya masalah konseli?
Apa yang dapat Anda lakukan untuk membantu konseli?
26. Konsep kunci apa saja yang telah Anda pelajari dalam
Konseling Eksistensial (KE)?
Apa yang dimaksud dengan kebermaknaan hidup dalam
konsep KE
Dalam perspektif KE, bagaimana perasaan tak bermakna
atau kesepian dapat direduksikan?
Apa yang membuat manusia cenderung menyalahkan
dirinya sendiri ketika ia mengalami suatu masalah?
Apa yang menjadi motivasi positif ketika seseorag
mengalami perasaan cemas?
Jika Anda diberitahu dokter bahwa hidup Anda tinggal 30
lagi, apa yang Anda lakukan?