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A Paper On Existential And Behavioral Therapy

Decent Essays

Throughout the fall semester, I have been exposed to a multitude of therapeutic modalities and felt overwhelmed with the idea of choosing one of these approaches to utilize during encounters with future clients. Also, I harbored anxiety over envisioning myself as an art therapist and picking a specific population to work with. However, I feel that I have come along way since my first class at Adler and feel more confident about my decision to enter the field of art therapy. Although I expect my approach to art therapy to grow and develop though out my career as a student and practioner, I have started to define certain aspects that I hope to implement once I start providing therapy in the outside world. While writing a paper on existential and behavioral therapy, I found myself agreeing with concepts represented in both methods. Existential therapy is appealing because of its focus on encouraging the client to take responsibility for their actions. Viktor Frankl, a psychologist who made a considerable contribution to existential therapy, once said, “Freedom is only part of the story and half the truth … That is why I recommend that the Statute of Liberty on the East Coast be supplanted by a Statute of Responsibility on the West Coast.” I think that it is dangerous to consider yourself a “victim” and that you aren’t accountable for your actions. I agree with the importance of understanding environmental factors and how it affects how a person processes information. Viktor

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