Passing your National Licensing Exam
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Passing your National Licensing Exam
Theory to Therapy: Logotherapy vs Gestalt Therapy
CounselingExam
Have you ever wondered what the famed psychotherapy pioneers Viktor Frankl and Fritz Perls would discuss if given a chance? Prepare to have your curiosity piqued as we host a lively conversation between these two legends of psychotherapy. We dive deep into their distinctive methodologies - Frankl's Logotherapy, which stresses finding purpose in life, and Perls' Gestalt Therapy, which emphasizes self-awareness and personal responsibility. As the episode unfolds, an intriguing consensus emerges: the fusion of existential meaning and gestalt awareness could be a potential route to healing.
In an enlightening second half, we explore the intriguing technique of exaggeration in therapy and how it can help uncover the more profound implications of a client's non-verbal behavior. As therapists, we share a common objective - enabling our clients to lead purposeful and responsible lives. This episode is not merely an exploration of therapeutic techniques but a reflective journey into our pursuits of meaning, purpose, and compassion in life. So kick back, tune in, and let this episode inspire you to live with greater awareness, purpose, and compassion.
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Hello and welcome to our special Halloween episode here at licensure exams. My name is Stacy Frost and, though I usually play the role of myself, today I'm donning the robes of Victor Frankel, an Austrian existential therapist and founder of Logotherapy, and my co-host, dr Linton Hutchinson, is imbuing the spirit of Fritz Perls, a German psychiatrist and co-founder of Gestalt Therapy, along with his wife Laura, and we're going to have what promises to be a lively discussion about our different approaches to psychotherapy, so that we have some disagreements. I think there is much we can learn from each other, right, fritz?
Linton:Certainly so there. I believe that there's value in both of our approaches. After all, there's more than one path to healing and wholeness. Where do you want to start, Victor?
Stacy:Wir willen von einen Wissenhaber-isch einen.
Linton:Wait a minute, Victor. Ich spreche nicht Deutsch.
Stacy:That's strange, aren't you from Germany?
Linton:Well, I moved to New York in the 1940s and lived in California later in the 60s. Even though I have German roots, I dream in English nowadays.
Stacy:Okay, well, I'll practice my American accent then and continue in English, shall I? Alright? As you know, my theory is an existential approach to therapy, and there were several of us existentialists in Europe in the 1940s and 50s. We tried to help clients who felt isolated, alienated and lacked interest in the world or an initiative to make positive changes in the world. Like many, I was a student of Sigmund Freud, but I disagreed with his obsession with the unconscious and the idea that we are not in control of our lives. No matter what happened in the past, I believe that we have the freedom to choose who we want to be.
Linton:Victor, at least we have something in common from the beginning. You know, I too met with Freud, but found his form of analysis to be really too intellectual and removed from seeing the whole person, and don't even get me started on his approach to the dream work, layton and manifest content, come on. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sigmund. I'm much more interested in the emotions attached to the drama of the dream.
Stacy:Very, very interesting.
Linton:Care to share an example, okay, let's say a client dreams of being chased by a growling wolf. I would have them play out both of those roles the dreamer and the threatening wolf. This helps to explore any suppressed emotions or inner conflicts that the dream may represent. I may ask what does a growling wolf mean to you, or what would the wolf say if it could speak? By dialoguing with dream elements, clients can integrate disowned parts of themselves and achieve greater self-awareness.
Stacy:Ah, I understand now, fritz. So in your Gestalt view, dreams aren't just abstract symbols to decode, like our friend Freud thought, but rather opportunities for meaningful experiential work.
Linton:Precisely. So tell me, Victor, what was the idea behind logotherapy that you developed?
Stacy:Well, logotherapy or I think of it as healing through meaning focuses on finding meaning and purpose in life. I've come to believe that even in the darkest of circumstances, human beings have the capacity to find meaning and move forward. My experiences in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II, where I witnessed profound suffering yet also incredible displays of courage and dignity, helped to confirm and solidify my view of life.
Linton:Hmm, I see where you're coming from, victor. As a Gestalt therapist, I focus on how we can become fully aware of the present moment by noticing what we're avoiding and taking responsibility for our choices. A client can integrate the fragmented parts of themselves and become whole.
Stacy:Hmm, you make a fair point, Fritz. You can't move forward without taking responsibility for your choices.
Linton:Exactly. What's your take on the reason behind psychological disturbance?
Stacy:Ah, yes, good question. So I see what contemporary therapists call mental illness as stemming from an existential vacuum, a lack of meaning and purpose. In these modern times, many clients see themselves as victims who are trapped and helpless. They lack the awareness of the extraordinary freedom that they have. My role as a therapist is to help clients see that they must take personal responsibility for their lives. Doing so is the only way they can grow and lead a meaningful life. So what about you, fritz? What's your view of human nature and the problems they manifest, like resentment, anxiety, guilt, depression?
Linton:Hmm, I believe that individuals with psychological disturbances become stuck because they deny and repress aspects of themselves. By becoming aware of what they are avoiding, they can accept all the parts of themselves and become fully integrated individuals. Mental illness results from a lack of self-awareness and a voidance of what is not confronted. It's a lack of owning all aspects of who you are.
Stacy:Well, you raise an interesting perspective, Fritz. While I believe meaning comes through using our gifts and talents, I can see how avoidance and this lack of awareness can hinder that process.
Linton:Exactly. I think our theories have more in common than we realize, Victor. While awareness is critical and gestalt, the goal is choice and integration. With awareness comes responsibility. I must choose whether I accept every part of myself or deny unpleasant aspects. Depression, anxiety and rage come from when we avoid and fixate on what we're missing, versus realizing we have everything already within us.
Stacy:You make an excellent point, my friend. Perhaps integrating existential meaning with gestalt awareness is the healthiest path. We must become fully aware in order to make authentic choices that fulfill our potential, and when we inevitably encounter unchangeable suffering, we remember that we always, always have the power to choose. Our response align with our values and find meaning, regardless of circumstances.
Linton:Right. So when a client avoids pain, they also numb joy With radical self-awareness. A client is open to all of life, the agony and the ecstasy. They discover their inner wholeness and from that centered place a client can discern their gifts and callings without avoidance or illusion and they can fully live their purpose.
Stacy:You know, fritz, though we come from different orientations, I'm really struck by how much overlap we have in wanting to help clients. While we may use different language and techniques, our overall shared goal is really alleviating suffering by empowering clients to find truth, meaning and their highest selves.
Linton:You took the words right out of my mouth, Victor. Here we've been debating, yet we both only want clients to experience the freedom that comes through self-realization and living passionately from their essence. When we fully inhabit each moment, we can break free of the past and face the future with courage. My method utilizes certain techniques to help clients become more self-aware and integrated. How do you help clients uncover meaning and purpose?
Stacy:Well, that's an important question. In Logo Therapy, I implore several core concepts. First, there is freedom of will. We always have some freedom to respond to life circumstances, even in great adversity. Then there is will to meaning, the search for purpose, which I believe is the primary motivational force. Finally, there's meaning in life, values we can fulfill and purposes we can serve outside of ourselves, and my therapeutic work Helps clients to reflect on these three areas, to discern their uniqueness and their purpose.
Linton:Interesting. You know, gestalt also empowers clients to guide their own lives, Using the framework that many of our troubles stem from disowning aspects of ourselves. For instance, one technique I often use is the internal dialogue experience, where a client dialogues between two opposing parts of themselves to increase their awareness and integration. The overall point of this exercise is to help the client learn to Accept these polarity and live with them. How might you work with the client experiencing inner conflict?
Stacy:Well, first, what a great exercise for its. In Logo Therapy, I would explore with the client areas where they may be lacking self transcendence, in other words, lacking pursuits outside of themselves. Inner conflicts often arise when we become self-focused and detached from meaningful values and purposes. My aim in using Logo Therapy is to guide them back to more altruistic goals and actions. After all, we only have meaning in relation to something or someone outside of ourselves. A purpose to fulfill, a person to love, work of value to do, arbiten, unlieben. What do you see as the benefits and limits of focusing primarily on this self in Gestalt therapy?
Linton:Gestalt therapy isn't solely focused on the self in a narrow sense. The goal is full integration with one's environment and relationships. However, I believe that the emphasis in therapy should be on self-awareness and responsibility first. We can't show up fully for others if we still are in conflict with aspects of our self. When the cabin pressure drops during an air flight, it's best to put on your oxygen mask first. The experiential, active involvement of the client used in Gestalt therapy creates the new ah ha Insight that talk therapy alone cannot. But then again, victor, you make a fair point that connecting to a larger purpose beyond oneself is vital. How do you work with clients who lack self-awareness?
Stacy:This is a challenge I face all the time. Clients who lack self-awareness may benefit from Logo Therapy techniques like Socratic dialogue, where through questioning they gain more objective clarity about their lives. I also suggest meaningful Experiments to help them discover sources of their purpose, perhaps volunteering, creating art or expressing gratitude. To discover one's true meaning, one must interact with others. You mentioned some experiential techniques used in Gestalt. Can you elaborate?
Linton:Mm-hmm. Well, I know you probably heard of the empty chair, so I won't bore you with details of that one, but perhaps you haven't heard of a more paradoxical technique I use from time to time. Ah, such as Staying with the feeling, that's one that's when the client has the urge to flee from an unpleasant feeling. I encourage them to not only confront this feeling, but experience it to the fullness.
Stacy:This sounds rather counterintuitive.
Linton:Well, yeah, on the surface perhaps, but Enduring the uncomfortable feeling breaks the control that the feeling has over the client. For example, let's say someone says something about you that annoys or makes you angry. Rather than react into what they've said, mentally, count down from five to one and then agree with what they said Regarding their perception of what is occurring. The feeling is instantaneously released and its hold over you is broken. Another technique is exaggeration. I asked the client to exaggerate a nonverbal behavior that I observed them engaging in. Perhaps they're clenching their fists or bouncing their leg up and down. I Draw attention to this behavior and have them purposely intensify the movement, which then helps the client to discover the meaning behind their behavior.
Stacy:Very interesting. Well, fritz, this has been such an enlightening dialogue. Although we approach therapy from different perspectives, I'm struck by how our core aims are similar to help clients live more fully, purposefully and responsibly.
Linton:Yes, victor, this has been a pleasure.
Stacy:And thank you, listeners, for joining us on this special episode today. May it spark insightful reflections on how to live with meaning, purpose and compassion this season. Good luck to all of you as you prepare for your exam and remember.
Linton:It's in there.
