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Experiential Therapy Analysis

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Experiential therapy sprang from the humanistic-existentialist movement that began in the 1960’s, with roots in Gestalt therapy, psychodrama, and encounter groups (Nichols, 2013). The two key figures in experiential therapy were Carl Whitaker and Virginia Satir. Whittaker was a pioneer in family psychotherapy, his approach advocated families to be themselves, and is/was based on intuition (Robinson, Tigner, & Porta, 2015). Virginia Satir focused on individual self-expression and communication, and believed that family problems were directly related to emotional suppression and the denial of impulses (Robinson, Tigner, & Porta, 2015).
Experiential therapy is a departure from traditional talk therapy, in that it relies heavily on physical action …show more content…
Techniques employed in experiential therapy include family sculpting(families members strike poses representative of family dynamics);family puppet interviews(member makes up a family story using puppets); animal attribution( a family story using representative animals); family art therapy(using art and creativity to improve self-knowledge);conjoint family drawings( a drawn picture including all members doing something);play therapy(expression through toys, usually ages 3-11); role playing(acting out past or future scenarios); and use of the gestalt techniques like addressing emotional content towards and empty chair(Robinson, Tigner, & Porta, 2015). These activities are meant to reveal conflicts, alliances, and current family …show more content…
Like humanistic beliefs, honest emotion is key, and if individuals are allowed to follow their own instincts, they thrive and grow. A central belief associated with the therapy is that parent’s moderate child behavior through controlling their children’s feelings, that is, children learn to avoid criticism by dampening their emotions (Robinson, Tigner, & Porta, 2015). Understanding this, sets the stage for positive change if the family members can access their hidden feelings. Per experiential therapy, directly expressing personal vulnerability unlocks compassion from others. Personal fulfillment, in this regard, can be achieved when one finds a role for themselves that is less concerned with the family, and more concerned with the individual (Robinson, Tigner, & Porta, 2015). What results is gains in change, emotional development, and personal

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