Briefly describe humanistic-existential psychotherapy and the second approach you selected.
Explain at least three differences between these therapies. Include how these differences might impact your practice as a PMHNP.
Focusing on one video you viewed, explain why humanistic-existential psychotherapy was utilized with the patient in the video and why it was the treatment of choice. Describe the expected potential outcome if the second approach had been used with the patient.
Support your response with specific examples from this week’s media and at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources. Explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.
Review the humanistic-existential psychotherapy videos in this week’s Learning Resources.
Reflect on humanistic-existential psychotherapeutic approaches.
Then, select another psychotherapeutic approach to compare with humanistic-existential psychotherapy. The approach you choose may be one you previously explored in the course or one you are familiar with and especially interested in.
Learning Resources
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Links to an external site. (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
o “Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosis”
Nichols, M., & Davis, S. D. (2020). The essentials of family therapy (7th ed.). Pearson.
o Chapter 7, “Experiential Family Therapy”
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing.
o Chapter 6, “Humanistic-Existential and Solution-Focused Approaches to Psychotherapy”
Grande, T. (2019, January 9). Theories of counseling – Existential therapy Links to an external site.[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvAvc2aWup0
PsychotherapyNet. (2009, June 29). James Bugental live case consultation psychotherapy video Links to an external site.[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl8tVTjdocI
ThinkingallowedTV. (2010, September 20). James Bugental: Humanistic psychotherapy (excerpt) – A thinking allowed DVD w/ Jeffrey Mishlove Links to an external site.[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjDNKGIvWPQ
Biophily2. (2016, October 4). Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, Carl Rogers – Existential psychology II (1962) Links to an external site.[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTTqKNI7wDo
Bugental, J. (2008). Existential-humanistic psychotherapy Links to an external site. [Video]. https://waldenu.kanopy.com/video/existential-humanistic-psychothe
The Psychology Podcast. (2021, Aug 30). Irvin Yalom- Existential psychotherapy. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2vef8W1a0k
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Humanistic-existential psychotherapy is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes the unique subjective experience of the individual and their quest for meaning and purpose in life. It is rooted in the philosophical and psychological principles of humanism and existentialism, which hold that individuals have the capacity for self-actualization and self-awareness, and that they are responsible for creating their own meaning and purpose in life. This approach is often used to help individuals facing existential concerns, such as death, freedom, and isolation.
One approach that can be compared to humanistic-existential psychotherapy is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing maladaptive thoughts and behaviors in order to improve mood and functioning. It is based on the idea that our thoughts and behaviors are interconnected, and that changing one can change the other. Unlike humanistic-existential psychotherapy, CBT is more directive and goal-oriented, and it focuses on the present rather than the past or future.
Three key differences between humanistic-existential psychotherapy and CBT include:
Humanistic-existential psychotherapy focuses on the individual’s subjective experience and quest for meaning, while CBT focuses on changing maladaptive thoughts and behaviors.
Humanistic-existential psychotherapy is more open-ended and less directive, while CBT is more structured and goal-oriented.
Humanistic-existential psychotherapy focuses on the past and the future, while CBT focuses on the present.
As a PMHNP, these differences might impact your practice by affecting the way you interact with your patients and the types of interventions you use. For example, if you are using humanistic-existential psychotherapy, you may spend more time listening to your patients and helping them to explore their feelings and beliefs, while if you are using CBT, you may spend more time teaching them specific coping strategies and helping them to change their thoughts and behaviors.
In the video “James Bugental live case consultation psychotherapy video,” James Bugental uses humanistic-existential psychotherapy to work with a patient who is struggling with feelings of emptiness and isolation. Bugental helps the patient to explore his feelings and beliefs and to connect with his own sense of purpose and meaning. If CBT had been used with this patient, the focus would likely have been on identifying and changing specific maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, rather than exploring the patient’s subjective experience and quest for meaning.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Nichols, M., & Davis, S. D. (2020). The essentials of family therapy (7th ed.). Pearson.
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing.
