begin your ENLIGHTENMENT journey.
Why do counseling?
“Research suggests that there may actually be neurological changes in the brain resulting from psychotherapy (Etkin, Pittenger, Polam, & Kandel, 2005). These findings suggest that memories that are raised and reexperienced in a new way get laid down differently back into brain, supporting the cognitive psychologists’ theories about schema (i.e. clusters of related thoughts, feelings, actions, and images) change.” (Hill, 259)
So interpretative work can help you change your schemas (ways of thinking), and then action (changing your behavior) to help reinforce or consolidate the schematic changes (connections).
Through interpretations…
-- “the conscious is made conscious and more under ego control
--discrepancies between perspectives propel clients to change in the direction of resolving the discrepancy
-- interpretations cause changes in schematic connections
-- reprocessing memories helps change brain structures
--we rewrite the narratives in more adaptive ways.” (Hill, 259)
How do we explore your life narratives?
In the Assessment phase (includes both the subjective and objective interview), I will help you tell your life story. While listening, I will extract patterns in your life and develop hypotheses about what works for you. I would end the subjective interview with the question, “How would your life be different, and what would you be doing differently, if you did not have this symptom or problem?” The objective interview seeks to discover information about how problems in your life began, major events, medical history, and your coping with life tasks.
In the exploration stage, you will further tell your story. You may decide to vent about physical aches and pains, of aging, of not being able to do what you used to do, of not knowing what to do with your time, of wanting to leave a legacy, about the death of a family member, or of wondering about spirituality. All of these topics and others will be explored further to help you deal with existential crisis.
“Interestingly, Yalom suggested that clients often feel more rather than less anxious after talking about existential issues because they realize they cannot control many things in life. But ideally, by talking about existential issues rather than defending against them, they gain in terms of living more meaningful lives.” (Hill, 262)
How do you develop interpretations?
In the insight stage, we will use several sources of data to develop interpretations: verbal content of your speech, past experiences, interpersonal patterns, defenses, developmental stages, existential concerns and spiritual issues, and unconscious activities (for the unconscious runs 95% of our thoughts).
Interpretations can also be developed from clues about unconscious activities, most typically observable through dreams, fantasies, and slips of the tongue.
How do we implement change in your life?
The action stage, based on behavioral theory, centers on helping clients make desired changes in their lives and inner lives. This model emphasizes a number of themes, including empathy, collaboration with the client throughout therapy, cultural considerations, and a focus on what the individual client needs. Your needs are my number one priority, even if your needs conflict with my own cultural perspective, values, and philosophy on life.
Change is a process of identifiable stages through which people pass: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The key is to match the therapeutic interventions to the person’s stage of change; therefore, I will meet you at whatever stage you’re in and not encourage you to act when you are not ready. Genuine, determined action is then taken and, over time, attempts to maintain the new behavior or lifestyle change occur.
learn about my main theoretical therapy approaches
What is Adlerian Therapy?
The goal of Adlerian therapy is based on 5 Adlerian Life Tasks: Relating to others (building friendships), making a contribution (through work or service), achieving intimacy (romantic relationships as well as through friends), a good relationship with the self (transitioning feelings of inferiority to superiority), and developing our spiritual dimension (religion, etc.). Adlerians, like Person-Centered counselors, do not decide for their clients what they should change or what their goals should be. However, Adlerian therapy possesses some locus of control, for this life task framework has a purpose: all tasks must be completed for someone to lead a fulfilling life where their personal goals are consistent with social interest. According to Adler, failure to do so results in neurosis or in individuals with disorders, increased isolation, and dysfunction in the life tasks. Maladjustment occurs when the person strives for personal superiority without regard for the wellbeing of others.
What is Cognitive Emotive Therapy?
Since Adlerian therapy does not focus on techniques thoroughly yet has a lot to do with reframing one’s state of mind, REBT (based on Adler’s ideas) would be helpful to employ alongside Adlerian therapy. Cognitive Emotive Behavioral Therapy interventions usefully integrate into Adlerian therapy: such as A (activating event) assessing clients irrational or maladaptive thoughts and inner dialogue, B (beliefs about activating event) helping clients learn more rational and adaptive ways of thinking and behaviors, and C (emotional and behavioral consequences). REBT and Adlerian therapy adopt an active-directive approach to helping clients solve their own problems.
What is Existential Therapy?
Existential therapy, like Adlerian therapy, is a way of thinking that assumes we are free to choose. Since humans are aware of their own mortality, they have responsibility to decide what to do with their lives. Existential therapy believes that all problems can be reduced to the same four essential issues: death, meaningless, isolation, and loss of freedom. These essential issues have a chain reaction where they influence common issues Adlerian therapy focuses on such as belonging, social relevance, and purpose. For instance, an existential fear e.g. fear of death, rather than the acceptance of death, could paralyze someone to the point where they self-soothe with trivial indulgences instead of finding a purpose to make life fruitful.
I address client existential anxieties such as aging/running out of time/fear of approaching death because these anxieties can hold one back from becoming who they want to become. Once an Adlerian counselor uses an Existential approach to uncover and heal such existential anxieties, they create an open space for the client to explore poignant Adlerian questions such as “What kind of impact do I want to make on the world?”
Existential therapy guides clients towards finding meaning in their life (even if that meaning is just to seek pleasure and not add to society or just raise children who don’t contribute to society) while Adlerian therapy asserts all human behavior has a purpose and strives toward a specific non-self-absorbed goal that aids society in some way. Adlerian therapy works under the assumption that people can only be fulfilled if they have a purpose in life. Adlerian therapy may be limiting to people who see seeking pleasure in life as purpose or do not find one of the life tasks, such as loving romantic relationships, as necessary for self-growth and fulfillment.
Therefore, I utilize Existential therapy with Adlerian therapy to add greater acceptance of my client’s paths. If I strictly applied Adlerian therapy, I would be following equality—applying the 5 Adlerian Life Tasks to each client so they may lead full, healthy lives, whereas if I view clients as a case by case basis, I would be following equity—striving to understand and give clients what they individually need to enjoy full, healthy lives.