Comparison/Contrast Paper on the Psychoanalytical, Existential, and Person Centered Therapies
BSHS 312
February 6, 2012
Paula Krasselt

Comparison and Contrast of the Psychoanalytical, Existential, and Person Centered Therapies Throughout the centuries, different methods and techniques have been developed to help enhance the quality of therapy for people who suffer from different types of behaviors. Many theories about how and what therapy is and most effective techniques have also been sought out and applied. These include psychoanalytical, existential, and person-centered therapies. All have different techniques with yet the same goal is to find a cure and treat the individual’s issue. Through the years clinicians have found one to be more effective than another, and some of the therapies have been modified or enhanced to better treat a client. Psychoanalytical therapy allows patients to cope and understand experiences, whether traumatic or sad. It allows for their experiences to be coped with and to treat the effect of current behavior and feelings due to the experience that the patient has endured. Psychoanalytical therapy looks in-depth at the conscious and unconscious feelings of the patient. Existential therapy is more of a philosophical method of treatment. It allows for the patient to face and accept the inevitable. These patients can be experiencing a difficult way of accepting death or difficult life events. Existential therapy has been studied and evaluated by different philosophers each with their own beliefs and thoughts on human existence. This type of therapy looks into the treatment of overcoming such things as anxiety. Person-centered therapy is another type of therapy that seems to perhaps be more popular and effective. Its goal is to promote confidence and understanding of oneself. This form of therapy gives the patient a comfortable setting with the opportunity to share and express feelings and thoughts. It allows for a patient to empower him or herself and turn negativity into a positive change. This allows for the patient to find solutions to his or her problems. Each method of therapy has its different way of treating the problem, all with the ability to find a solution. Humans are all different, and do not think alike. What one form of therapy may be beneficial to one may not have the same effect on another. However, each of these methods has some similarities and differences with some outweighing and being more effective than others. One of the most well known treatments yet the most misunderstood is the psychoanalytical therapy. This therapy is based on the work of Sigmund Freud and he began developing this therapeutic technique in the late 1800s. Psychoanalytical therapy analyzes how an individual’s mind influences thoughts and behaviors. This therapy analyzes and focuses on individual’s experiences from his or her childhood and how those events may contribute to current actions a person life. The therapist spends a large amount of time listening to the client, giving the psychoanalytical therapy the name “talk therapy.” Therapists look for specific patterns or events that could be contributing in their current struggles. It is believed that childhood events, unconscious feelings, thoughts, and motivations play a role in maladaptive behavior and mental illness by psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytical therapy uses free association, role play and dream interpretation as well as providing an environment free of judgment. With this environment clients feel safe in disclosing their feelings or actions that has led to the stress or tension in their lives. The downside to this therapy is that it can be costly and time consuming. According to “Psychology Today” (1991-2012), “Existential therapy is based on the philosophical belief that human beings are alone in the world, and that this aloneness can only be overcome by creating one’s own meaning, and exercising one’s own freedom to choose” (Existential). Existential therapy often helps clients deal with the awareness of death so to allow for the client to experience life and love more completely. In existential psychology and philosophy a central premise is for clients to obtain a healthy living environment is to aid the client in balancing his or her awareness of death without being overwhelmed by it. These therapies starts with the belief that although humans are essentially alone in the world, individuals long to be connected and want to have meaning in others people lives, but they also have to come to the realization that they cannot depend on others for validation and also have to acknowledge that we all are fundamentally alone. The past is not the primary focus in existential therapy. Existential therapy focuses on the present and future choices of the client. This focus is said to help the client view life as moments which he or she are fundamentally free. Person Centered therapy, also known as Rogerian psychotherapy, client centered therapy, person centered psychotherapy, and person centered counseling is a style of talk psychotherapy developed in the 1940s by psychologist Carl Rogers. The person centered therapy goal is to provide a client an opportunity to establish a sense of self-awareness. When the client develops their self-awareness, they can realize the negative effects that have manifested in his or her feelings, attitude, and behaviors. Through the clients realization of these negative effects the client can make progress in finding his or her positive potential. The existential therapist creates an inviting and nonjudgmental environment by demonstrating empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard toward the clients while using a nondirective approach, this allows clients to find their own solutions to their predicaments. Psychoanalytical, existential, and person centered therapies may strive to reach a common result, such as assisting people with some sort of problem but these therapy approaches have a few differences. These differences include the therapy approach, goals, and the therapist’s relationship with the patient/client. As described above these different therapy types can be beneficial for people but being aware of the differences can aid one in choosing the right therapy path for them. The approach is psychoanalytical therapy can be referred to as ‘talk therapy.’ In psychoanalytical therapy the focus is very much about the patient’s experiences and how those experiences affect the patient’s current life and problems. The patient of psychoanalytical therapy is often going to see his or her therapist often and divulge experiences seeking the therapists input and analysis for understanding. The psychoanalytical therapist focuses on the unconscious mind because he or she believes that influences the patient’s thoughts and behaviors. The approach in existential therapy is a focus on the present and future. In existential therapy, the therapist believes that the patient is in charge of his or her own destiny and that the use of an unconscious mind is an excuse to avoid responsibility. Existential therapy focuses on insight and the patient’s inner potential to move forward and take responsibility for one’s own actions. The approach in person centered therapy is different because the therapist believes the client should be in charge of the sessions and control the direction of the therapy. The therapist in person centered therapy views him or herself as an equal and does not give analysis of the client’s ideas or feelings but mirrors the client’s thoughts. In person centered therapy the client is responsible for his or her own improvements. The specific goals of these therapies differ as well. In psychoanalytical therapy the goal is to bring the patient to a place of self-awareness and cause a better understanding of influences of the patients past and that impact on present behaviors. In doing this, psychoanalytical therapy causes the patient to be diagnosed and treated by the therapist. The goal in existential therapy is to give the patient purpose and meaning in life. Existential therapy does not waste time on the patient’s smaller issues. Lastly, the goal in person centered therapy is to increase the client’s self worth, increase the client’s level of self actualization, and ultimately make the client more fully functioning. Person centered therapy is increasing ones positive attitude and letting the client decided what is right for him or her. Lastly, the therapist patient/client relationship differs in these therapy types. In psychoanalytical therapy the therapist is the expert and is guiding, analyzing, and teaching the patient to achieve the goal. The patient fully depends on the therapist and cannot come to any conclusions without the therapist’s input. With existential therapy, the therapist’s relationship with the patient includes advocacy, reflection, and environmental modification. The therapist feels that in order for the patient to take charge of his or her own destiny, the patient must lead the therapist through the therapeutic process. In person centered therapy, the therapist client relationship is similar to that of a friend. This is because the therapist is nonjudgmental, in agreement with the client, empathetic, and brings a positive outlook to the sessions. The therapist does not lead the session and relies on the client to move the sessions forward and ultimately come to his or her own conclusions. Existential approach is the exploration of meaning and value and for the client to learn to live authentically. The authentic living means that the client must be true to him or herself about his or her limitations and possibilities. Along with being true to oneself the existential approach’s authentic living truly means living deliberately rather than by default. The existential counseling maintains that everyone experiences disturbances, but it is important for people to face these disturbances openly and willingly. The uniqueness of this theory is that it is used as a tool for the client to focus on his or her present and future. Person Centered therapy is the belief that people are innately trustworthy and have potential to understand and resolve his or her own problems without therapy. Person centered therapy and the existential approach have the same basic assumption that individuals are capable of finding meaning within him or herself and are capable of knowing the best approach for resolving issues. The person centered theory and the existential theory aids clients in understanding and working through his or her past to achieve a positive future. Clients are assisted by the person centered and the existential theory to develop and use his or her own sense of self-worth so that they are empowered to independently make improvements. The psychoanalytical theory is much more in-depth than the person centered or the existential theory. The psychoanalytical theory has many stages of growth for an individual, which starts in the womb. Freud concluded that the varied stages of growth physically and mentally held an impact on the unconscious and conscious mind of all individuals. With the psychoanalytical theory, individuals talk openly and freely about their feelings while the psychoanalysts asks questions designed to draw out more thought and feeling from the clients unconscious mind and the psychoanalysts does not offer advice or extend sympathy to the client. Through these sessions the client is enlightened by his or herself and can become empowered to find his or her self-worth and move toward independently making improvements similarly to the existential and person centered practices. The ego aspect of the psychoanalytical theory is said to regulate and control ones personality and remains in touch with reality and all the while formulating a plan of action to satisfy ones needs. The psychoanalytical theory like the existential and person centered theories are not about changing ones personality, rather encouraging the client to respond maturely to and open mindedly to all of life’s demands. The existential and the personal centered theories have more in common in the way that an individual is perceived. The psychoanalytical theory is much more in-depth at the way that an individual is perceived. Though all theories have their differences and approaches on helping clients they all have one common goal, to help people become more enlightened about themselves, the world they live in, and the demands of life brought their way. In Conclusion, the similarities and differences of these three therapies are important deciding factors for when a patient is seeking out help. Although the similarities between psychoanalytical, existential, and person-centered therapies are important, the patient is particularly interested in the differences so he or she can choose the option that best fits him or her. Every patient is different, so every option in therapy is geared toward meeting their needs. Psychoanalytical therapy is focused on the unconscious mind of the patient, so something in the past might be causing the problems in the present. Existential therapy focuses on helping the patient overcome the inevitable. Anxiety over events that have or will happen will be brought up in this form of therapy. Person-centered therapy allows the patient to take control of the situation and the clinician/therapist acts as more of a buffer. This type of therapy allows the patient to face and decide how he or she will overcome his or her own problems instead of the therapist being the one to decide. All three approaches to therapy are beneficial to the patient in his or her recovery process, but each specializes toward what the patient is going through. Every patient is unique and different, which is why these humanistic therapies offer an experience that is nonjudgmental and understanding for each one of them.
REFERENCES
Psychology Today. (1991-2012). Retrieved from http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/content/therapy_methods.html