NRNP 6645 WEEK 7 Comparing Humanistic-Existential Psychotherapy with Other Approaches
Comparing Humanistic-Existential Psychotherapy with Other Approaches
Psychiatric conditions are a source of burden to the affected and their significant others. Psychiatric mental health practitioners implement evidence-based interventions that manage symptoms of psychiatric disorders and improve functioning and quality of life. Psychotherapy is one of the treatment modalities that are utilized for managing psychiatric conditions. Psychotherapies influence the thoughts and behaviors that contribute to mental health problems. The therapies exist in different types, including humanistic-existential psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapy among others. Therefore, this paper examines humanistic-existential psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. It describes them, their differences, and why humanistic-existential psychotherapy was used in a selected video.
Description of Humanistic Existential Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Humanistic-existential psychotherapy is a non-pharmacological treatment used for psychiatric problems. Humanistic-existential therapy operates on the assumption that people have choice and self-awareness capacities. The humanistic perspective considers that humans are naturally good and can maintain positive relationships and make choices that contribute to their health and well-being. The existential perspective avers that human beings have the capacity for self-direction. When combined, both perspectives aim to help patients discover and avoid disabling attitudes and assumptions about themselves. Healthcare providers work with patients to help them identify the philosophical meaning of their lives in the face of adversities, think, and act responsibly. The therapist does not diagnose mental health problems in humanistic-existential therapy (Sulistyani et al., 2023). Instead, their role is to guide patients in their self-searching and understanding of their unique abilities to have a meaningful existence in their lives.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is another psychotherapeutic approach to treating mental health problems. Cognitive behavioral therapy targets how people think since thoughts influence behaviors. The therapist works with patients to diagnose their maladaptive thoughts and behaviors and change them with positive alternatives to facilitate recovery from mental health problems. Strategies such as cognitive restructuring, behavior modification, and skills training are incorporated into the treatment plans (Gautam et al., 2020; Nakao et al., 2021). Both humanistic-existential psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are effective when used individually or in combination with pharmacotherapies for mental health problems.
Differences
Humanistic-existential psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy differ. Humanistic-existential therapy focuses on helping patients achieve personal growth and identify meaning in their lives. Mental health practitioners collaborate with patients to help them make choices that would facilitate their self-fulfillment and actualization. This is different in cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy operates on the premise that people achieve their mental health and well-being if only they transform their negative thoughts and behaviors. Psychiatric mental health practitioners assist their patients in identifying negative thoughts that influence their behaviors and contribute to the development of mental health problems (Gautam et al., 2020; Sulistyani et al., 2023). They then replace these maladaptive thoughts and behaviors with positive ones for better mental health.
Humanistic-existential therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy also differ based on the treatment strategies used. Humanistic existential therapy largely utilizes treatment strategies such as existential questioning and reflection to help patients identify and understand their emotions, needs, and beliefs. Cognitive behavioral therapy adopts different strategies such as exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and skills training to help patients cope with their mental health problems and recover from them (Atwood & Friedman, 2020). The philosophical underpinnings of the two treatments also differ. For example, humanistic-existential psychotherapy considers mental health problems to arise from anxiety over despair, isolation, and even death. Avenues such as love, authenticity, and free will can be used to create the desired transformation and recovery from mental health problems. The philosophy of cognitive behavioral therapy is that altered thought processes and behaviors contribute to mental health problems (Sulistyani et al., 2023). By diagnosing them, psychiatric practitioners can help patients identify positive thoughts and behaviors, which lead to recovery from mental health problems.
Why Humanistic Existential Psychotherapy Was Utilized
Humanistic-existential psychotherapy was used in James Bugental’s Live Case Consultation Psychotherapy Video. Talk therapy was utilized at the beginning of the video. The therapy helped the patient explore her issues and identify any constricting beliefs or attitudes affecting her health. The therapist employed active listening and rephrasing to help the patient explore her issues in detail and unearth any conflicts in her life (PsychotherapyNet, 2009). The second part of the video also employed humanistic-existential psychotherapy techniques. The therapist used the analogy of the crack to help the participants understand the value of identifying the causes of their discomfort, despair, or mental health problems. By doing this, the therapist guided the participants to identify their philosophical meaning in life and encouraged them to act responsibly and authentically. The therapist also encouraged them to free themselves from their disabling attitudes and beliefs so that they could enjoy fuller lives (Nasiri Hanis et al., 2020). In the end, it can be inferred from the video that the therapist challenged the participants to exercise choice and judgment in forging meaning and making meaning out of it. The outcomes that could have been achieved if cognitive behavioral therapy had been used include a change in the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of the participants in the video. This is because cognitive behavioral therapy transforms thoughts that influence behaviors in mental health.
Conclusion
Overall, humanistic-existential therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are psychotherapies used for mental health problems. The therapies differ in terms of their approach to treating mental health problems, philosophies, and treatment strategies. The therapist in the video utilized humanistic-existential therapy to help the participants understand their true meaning of life and make sound decisions on how to live fuller lives. Resources such as the selected video are scholarly since an expert in psychotherapy administered treatment to the participants.
References
Atwood, M. E., & Friedman, A. (2020). A systematic review of enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-E) for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(3), 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23206
Gautam, M., Tripathi, A., Deshmukh, D., & Gaur, M. (2020). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 62(Suppl 2), S223. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_772_19
Nakao, M., Shirotsuki, K., & Sugaya, N. (2021). Cognitive–behavioral therapy for management of mental health and stress-related disorders: Recent advances in techniques and technologies. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 15(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-021-00219-w
Nasiri Hanis, G., Sadeghi, M., & Gholamrezae, S. (2020). Comparison of the effectiveness of existential, cognitive-existential, and humanistic-existential group psychotherapy on behavioral self-regulation for effective relationships in women. Family Counseling and Psychotherapy, 9(2), 145–172. https://doi.org/10.22034/fcp.2020.61444
PsychotherapyNet (Director). (2009, June 30). James Bugental Live Case Consultation Psychotherapy Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl8tVTjdocI
Sulistyani, Lubis, S., Khalifaur, M. I., & Lesmana, G. (2023). Application of a Humanistic Existential Counseling Approach to Reducing Adolescents’ Anxiety for the Spiritual Future. Indonesian Journal of Advanced Research, 2(8), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijar.v2i8.5484
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Comparing Humanistic-Existential Psychotherapy with Other Approaches
Understanding the strengths of each type of therapy and which type of therapy is most appropriate for each patient is an essential skill of the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. In this Assignment, you will compare humanistic-existential therapy to another psychotherapeutic approach. You will identify the strengths and challenges of each approach and describe expected potential outcomes.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
Learning Resources
Required Readings
- 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
- “Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosis”
- Goldenberg, I., Stanton, M., & Goldenberg, H. (2017). Family therapy: An overview (9th ed.) Cengage Learning.
- Chapter 9, “Experiential Models”
- Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing.
- Chapter 6, “Humanistic-Existential and Solution-Focused Approaches to Psychotherapy”
Required Media
- 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
Optional Resources
- 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-psychotherapy
Optional Media
- The Psychology Podcast. (2021, Aug 30). Irvin Yalom- Existential psychotherapy. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2vef8W1a0k
To prepare:
- 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.
The Assignment
In a 2- to 3-page paper, address the following:
- 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.
Note: The School of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates ). All papers submitted must use this formatting.
By Day 7
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submission information
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- To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK7Assgn_LastName_Firstinitial
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Rubric
NRNP_6645_Week7_Assignment_Rubric
Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||||
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Develop a 2- to 3-page paper comparing humanistic-existential therapy to another psychotherapeutic approach of your choice. Be sure to address the following: · Briefly describe humanistic-existential psychotherapy and the second approach you selected. |
|
25 pts | ||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome · Explain at least three differences between humanistic-existential psychotherapy and the approach you selected. · Include how these differences might impact your practice as a PMHNP. |
|
25 pts | ||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome · Explain why humanistic-existential psychotherapy was utilized with the client 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 client. · Support your response with at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources from the literature. PDFs are attached. |
|
35 pts | ||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph Development and Organization: Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused—neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction is provided which delineates all required criteria. |
|
5 pts | ||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting – English writing standards: Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation |
|
5 pts | ||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list. |
|
5 pts | ||||
Total Points: 100 |