Notes on Therapy and Key Concepts

Extra Credit Submission

• Importance of submitting extra credit early (e.g., during the semester)
• Clarification from TAs on what counts as extra credit
• Common issues with crediting submissions (missing sentences)

Engagement Activity

• Utilize WUCLAP for interactive participation.
• Review cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) skills and tools from the previous week.
• Identification of key CBT tools through group interaction.
• Homework, rehearsal, self-monitoring identified as essential CBT tools.
• Techniques: Socratic questioning, behavioral experiments, exposure therapy, and systematic desensitization emphasized.

Humanistic and Existential Theories

• Overview of the transition from psychodynamic to cognitive-behavioral to humanistic-existential theories.
• Humanistic theories emerged in the 1960s, emphasizing the inherent goodness of people.
• Key Therapists and Their Contributions:
  • Carl Rogers: Person-Centered Therapy
  • Fritz Perls: Gestalt Therapy
  • Viktor Frankl: Logotherapy, emphasized finding meaning in life.

Core Concepts of Humanistic Therapy

• Person-Centered Therapy:

  • Focus on the therapist-client journey.
  • Emphasis on genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathy as essential elements in therapy.
  • Avoidance of diagnoses in favor of holistic understanding of the client.
  • Techniques include reflective listening and maintaining emotional openness.

• Gestalt Therapy:

  • Focus on holistic experience; emphasizes "here and now" interactions.
  • Confrontation and awareness of current feelings are central to practice.
  • Techniques may include the empty chair technique for cathartic expression.

Empathy in Person-Centered Therapy

• Distinction between empathy (understanding others' feelings) and sympathy (feeling for others).
• Reflection and acknowledgment without judgment are critical.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• Understanding Individual Motivation:
  • Basic needs (physiological, safety) must be met before higher-level needs (self-esteem, self-actualization).
  • Origin of Maslow's hierarchy linked to principles from the Blackfoot Nation, emphasizing community over individualism.

Existential Therapy

• Focuses on meaning-making amid the human condition.
• The "four givens" of existence: death, isolation, meaning, and freedom.
• Emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and authenticity.

Feminist Therapy

• Recognizes the intersection of personal and political, addressing societal issues affecting mental health.
• Emphasis on empowerment, diversity, and social change as therapeutic goals.
• Flexibility allows cross-pollination with other therapeutic methods.

Constructivist Approaches

• Rejects traditional therapy views in favor of individualized meaning-making.
• Therapeutic goals center around client strengths and collaborative efforts.