The Struggle To Gain Meaning Is An Important Underpinning

The Struggle To Gain Meaning Is An Important Underpinning Of Both Exis

The struggle to gain meaning is an important underpinning of both existential and Gestalt psychotherapy. Identify other major components of these two approaches to psychotherapy. Compare and contrast each. After watching "The Human Dilemma," review the position interpersonal psychotherapy takes on the medical model. Would Dr. Rollo May agree or disagree with that position? Why or why not?

Paper For Above instruction

Existential and Gestalt psychotherapies are two influential approaches in the realm of psychological treatment, each with distinctive philosophies, methodologies, and aims. A comprehensive understanding of these modalities involves exploring their core components, comparing and contrasting their principles, and evaluating their perspectives in relation to other models such as interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). The analysis also considers Dr. Rollo May’s philosophical stance, especially regarding the medical model, as portrayed in the documentary "The Human Dilemma."

Major Components of Existential and Gestalt Psychotherapy

Existential psychotherapy, rooted in existential philosophy, emphasizes individual existence, freedom, responsibility, and the search for meaning. Its fundamental components include the exploration of life's inherent uncertainties, embracing anxiety as a natural aspect of human condition, and fostering authentic existence by confronting topics such as mortality, isolation, and meaninglessness. Therapists employing this approach aim to assist clients in achieving genuine self-awareness, accepting responsibility for their choices, and creating personal meaning amidst life's ambiguities (Yalom, 1980). Central to existential therapy is the belief that individuals are free but also burdened with existential dilemmas, and healing involves embracing these realities rather than avoiding them.

Gestalt psychotherapy, founded by Fritz Perls, centers on heightened awareness and present-focused experience. Its essential components include awareness, here-and-now experience, contact with the environment, and the integration of conflicting aspects of self. Gestalt therapy emphasizes experiential learning through techniques such as role-playing, dialogue, and sensory awareness exercises (Perls, 1969). The approach encourages clients to recognize what they are experiencing within the moment, facilitating self-acceptance and personal responsibility. The goal is to foster holistic awareness—integrating thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations—to promote psychological growth and self-empowerment.

Comparison and Contrast of Existential and Gestalt Approaches

While both existential and Gestalt therapies focus on authentic human experience and personal responsibility, their methodologies and philosophical emphases diverge. Existential therapy primarily deals with grappling with life's inherent dilemmas—death, freedom, isolation, and meaning—and encourages clients to find their unique purpose. It is more philosophical and reflective, often exploring existential themes through dialogue and thought-provoking discussion (Yalom, 1980). The focus lies on helping individuals derive meaning in the face of life's uncertainties, emphasizing acceptance and courage.

Gestalt therapy, by contrast, adopts a more phenomenological and experiential stance. It prescribes active engagement with the present, encouraging clients to become aware of their immediate sensations and thoughts. Techniques such as the "empty chair" and role-play aim to heighten awareness and integrate disowned parts of the self. Gestalt's emphasis on here-and-now awareness makes it action-oriented and pragmatic, often leading to immediate experiential insights (Perls, 1969).

In contrast to existential therapy’s broad philosophical scope, Gestalt emphasizes direct experience and concrete awareness. However, both endorse personal responsibility—existential through choice and meaning-making, Gestalt through awareness and integration of present experience. While existential therapy often addresses abstract existential anxieties, Gestalt therapy deals directly with current feelings and bodily sensations, fostering a holistic self-understanding.

The Medical Model and Interpersonal Psychotherapy

"The Human Dilemma" presents a critique of the medical model, which tends to conceptualize psychological issues primarily as biological or neurochemical problems amenable to medication or biological interventions. Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), although rooted in medical model principles, emphasizes social and relational factors, focusing on interpersonal issues as the root of psychological distress and functioning (Klerman et al., 1984). IPT promotes the idea that improving interpersonal relationships can significantly alleviate symptoms, thus integrating social context into mental health treatment rather than reducing psychological problems solely to neurobiology.

Dr. Rollo May’s Perspective on the Medical Model

Dr. Rollo May, a prominent existential psychologist, would likely critique the medical model's reductionist tendencies. His work emphasizes human existence, personal meaning, and authenticity—dimensions often underappreciated in purely biological frameworks. May believed that psychological suffering arises from existential dilemmas such as loneliness, death anxiety, and meaninglessness, which require existential and humanistic approaches rather than solely medical interventions (May, 1983). Therefore, he would probably disagree with the medical model’s dominance and the notion that mental health can be fully understood and treated through biological means alone. May’s perspective underscores that genuine psychological health involves addressing the individual's existential concerns, not just symptom alleviation.

Conclusion

In summary, existential and Gestalt psychotherapies provide distinct but occasionally overlapping frameworks for understanding human experience. Existential therapy philosophizes about confronting life's fundamental dilemmas and creating meaning, while Gestalt emphasizes experiential awareness and present-centered engagement. The critique of the medical model in "The Human Dilemma" aligns more with existential and humanistic views, challenging reductionist biomedical explanations. Dr. Rollo May’s existential stance suggests he would oppose exclusive reliance on the medical model, advocating instead for approaches that integrate existential concerns and personal meaning into psychological treatment.

References

• Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. W. W. Norton & Company.
• May, R. (1983). The meaning of anxiety. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Perls, F. (1969). Gestalt therapy verbatim. Real People Press.
• Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books.
• Klerman, G. L., Weissman, M. M., Rounsaville, B. J., & Chevron, E. (1984). Interpersonal therapy of depression. Basic Books.
• Corey, G. (2017). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Cengage Learning.
• May, R. (1950). Man’s search for himself. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Polster, E., & Polster, M. (1973). Gestalt therapy integrated: Contours of a new horizon. Jossey-Bass.
• Yalom, I. D. (2002). The gift of therapy: An open letter to a new generation of therapists. HarperOne.
• Wong, P. T. (2010). Meaning-centered counseling: An integrative approach. Routledge.