Existential psychotherapy: An introductory overview (*)

Ernesto Spinelli (**)

 

ABSTRACT

This paper provides an introductory overview of the key ideas that underpin existential psychotherapy from the primary focus of inter-relation. Further, it introduces various applications regarding the investigation of the inter-relational variables that accentuate the client’s experience of being-in-the world and considers these in relation to the analysis of the client’s presenting problems and issues. Finally, the paper argues that in the existential psychotherapeutic relationship the therapist can be likened to a particular and unique “other” in the client’s world relations.

Key words: Worldview, phenomenological inquiry, four realms of descriptive inquiry, being-with and being-for, schismogenesis.

 

 

RESUMO

Este texto proporciona uma visão global introdutória das ideias chave que consubstanciam a psicoterapia existencial a partir da noção central de inter-relação. Além disso, apresenta várias aplicações relativamente à investigação das variáveis inter-relacionais que acentuam a experiência de ser-no-mundo e considera estas em relação com a análise dos problemas e assuntos apresentados pelo cliente. Finalmente, o artigo argumenta que na relação psicoterapêutica existencial, o terapeuta pode ser comparado com um particular e único “outro” nas relações do mundo do cliente.

Palavras-chave: Mundo da vida, inquérito fenomenológico, quatro esferas do inquérito descritivo, ser-com e ser-para, cismogénese.

 

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Full text only available in PDF format.

 

 

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(*) The following paper is extracted from Chapter 8 of The Interpreted World: an introduction to phenomenological psychology, 2nd edition, 2005, London: SAGE.

(**) School of Psychotherapy and Counselling, Regent's College, London, United Kingdom.