Deck 5: Existential Therapy

Question 1

The ideas pertaining to existentialism emerged from

A) the Tibetan mountains.
B) the United States in the 1960s.
C) 20th century Europe.
D) Canada.
E) Germany in the 1800s.

Answer 1

20th century Europe.

Question 2

The therapeutic intent of existential counseling and psychotherapy is to

A) help the client uncover unconscious awareness.
B) understand and help individuals who are troubled by being-in-the-world.
C) address issues of unresolved grief.
D) uncover repressed memories of child abuse and neglect.
E) guide the client through cognitive distortion to more functional thinking.

Answer 2

understand and help individuals who are troubled by being-in-the-world.

Question 3

Why is it so difficult to clearly articulate a definition of existentialism?

A) The theory functions outside of the realm of human existence.
B) Existentialism is not grounded in any philosophical or spiritual tradition.
C) Existentialism is considered a trend or attitude, not a dogma or system.
D) There are not enough professionals studying the theory.
E) Existential terms are outside of human comprehension.

Answer 3

Existentialism is considered a trend or attitude, not a dogma or system.

Question 4

The philosopher ______________________ felt that humans can be understood best when the spontaneous and emotional side of their existence is examined.

A) Maurice Merleau-Ponty
B) Martin Heidegger
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
D) Soren Kierkegaard
E) Albert Camus

Question 5

The philosopher ______________________ maintained that an individual's life can only be understood through the description of the individual's dasein, or basic mode of being in the world.

A) Maurice Merleau-Ponty
B) Martin Heidegger
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
D) Soren Kierkegaard
E) Albert Camus

Question 6

______________________ was one of the most celebrated French philosophers and his novels and essays extolled freedom and individualism.

A) Maurice Merleau-Ponty
B) Martin Heidegger
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
D) Soren Kierkegaard
E) Albert Camus

Question 7

The philosopher ______________________ pointed out that there can be no knowledge of things in themselves, but only of things as they are perceived by each human being.

A) Maurice Merleau-Ponty
B) Martin Heidegger
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
D) Soren Kierkegaard
E) Albert Camus

Question 8

The philosopher ______________________ fascinated readers with his writings that depicted the individual's alienation from the group.

A) Maurice Merleau-Ponty
B) Martin Heidegger
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
D) Soren Kierkegaard
E) Albert Camus

Question 9

Essentially, there were two types of existentialist philosophers in the 20th century: the ______________________ and the _____________________.

A) individualists; collectivists
B) intellects; experientialists
C) historians; futurists
D) Christians; atheists
E) partialists; wholists

Question 10

Who conceptualized logotherapy?

A) Rollo May
B) Viktor Frankl
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Anna Freud
E) Carl Rogers

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of paradoxical intention?

A) Asking the client to substitute positive thoughts for things that he or she doesn't want to do; for instance, when eating carrots instead of ice cream, "I choose to eat these carrots because they are so good for me."
B) Rewording what a client says in a more positive way
C) Identifying unconscious reasons that a client is engaging in self-destructive behavior
D) Teaching the client to reinforce good behavior by rewarding him or herself
E) Asking the client to exaggerate a symptom rather than suppress it

Question 12

Which of the following describes the intervention called dereflection?

A) Asking the client to substitute positive thoughts for things that he or she doesn't want to do. For instance, when eating carrots instead of ice cream, "I choose to eat these carrots because they are so good for me."
B) Identifying unconscious reasons that a client is engaging in self-destructive behavior
C) Suggesting that the client engage in a specific distraction from self reflection (for example, doing volunteer work)
D) Teaching the client to reinforce good behavior by rewarding him or herself
E) Asking the client to exaggerate a symptom rather than suppress it

Question 13

____________________ refers to the therapist's close feeling for the client.

A) Dereflection
B) Authenticity
C) Psychotherapeutic eros
D) Love
E) Existential regard

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the I-Thou counselor-client relationship?

A) a caring, intimate, and authentic relationship that is friendly and spiritual
B) a formal, respectful involvement
C) an intimate, fused relationship designed to help the client discover who they are in relationship
D) the counselor relating to the client as if he or she were a thing
E) the counselor essentially assumes a stance of spiritual father to the client

Question 15

Which name is most associated with the use of existential concepts in psychotherapy?

A) Rollo May
B) Alfred Adler
C) Carl Rogers
D) Sigmund Freud
E) Anna Freud

Question 16

Existentialism is kin to __________________, the traditional African view that a single universal spirit or soul unifies all of nature, including human beings.

A) universalism
B) collectivism
C) reductionism
D) taoism
E) animism

Question 17

The _____________ is the mode of being-in-the-world that relates to the physical environment, including the human being's relationship to nature.

A) Eigenwelt
B) Umwelt
C) Zeitwelt
D) Mitwelt
E) Uberwelt

Question 18

The _____________ is the mode of being-in-the-world that describes human fellowship.

A) Eigenwelt
B) Umwelt
C) Zeitwelt
D) Mitwelt
E) Uberwelt

Question 19

According to the concept of Mitwelt, human beings are _____________ and _____________ at the same time.

A) one; all
B) subject; object
C) partial; whole
D) unconscious; conscious
E) human; animal

Question 20

Which of the following is most true of the Mitwelt?

A) It changes little during the course of one's life.
B) The Mitwelt is the least impactful of the modes.
C) The Mitwelt is not really an influence for an individual until adolescence.
D) A strong Mitwelt is necessary for an individual to enter into a relationship with another without losing his or her uniqueness and autonomy.
E) It can be the cause of anxiety and pleasure simultaneously.

Question 21

According to Chessick, what is the most reliable measure of mental health?

A) the ability to love and be loved
B) a strong sense of social interest and social justice
C) the ability to function in a global economy
D) healthy separation from "the group"
E) a mutually beneficial relationship with a recognized world religion

Question 22

The _____________ is the personal world that a person never shares with others.

A) Eigenwelt
B) Umwelt
C) Zeitwelt
D) Mitwelt
E) Uberwelt

Question 23

__________________ refers to a person's definition of his or her existence.

A) Self identity
B) Personal anchor
C) Existentialism
D) Essence
E) Self-knowledge

Question 24

According to Socrates, _____________________ is basic to human existence.

A) conflict
B) responsibility
C) self-knowledge
D) interdependence
E) liberation

Question 25

_______________ requires empathy and presupposes a person's self-awareness.

A) Independence
B) Love
C) Mitwelt
D) Responsibility
E) Eigenwelt

Question 26

Which of the following was NOT identified by de Beauvoir as a characteristic of genuine love?

A) objectification
B) reciprocity
C) equality
D) spontaneity
E) mutuality

Question 27

Which of the following best describes the relationship between individuals and the environments of the Umwelt, the Mitwelt, and the Eigenwelt?

A) The environments are exactly what individuals make of them.
B) When individuals focus on all three of the environments at one time, they become psychologically overwhelmed.
C) The environments are there solely to serve individuals and help them grow.
D) The relationship between each individual and each environment is unilateral.
E) Individuals have a responsibility to protect and care for the environments that care for them.

Question 28

In existential terms, __________________ is the honesty and courage to be who one really is.

A) gullibility
B) angst
C) authenticity
D) freedom
E) becoming

Question 29

Why is anxiety a product of living an inauthentic life?

A) Significant others pressure the inauthentic individual to become more authentic.
B) Most individuals who are living an inauthentic life don't really know who they truly are.
C) Individuals realize that the way they have been living has become reality
D) Anxiety results from the individual's failure to recognize and exercise his or her freedom of choice.
E) Inauthentic people need others to make choices for them.

Question 30

Existentialists view anxiety as

A) a signal that the ego is faltering in its efforts to control the id's and superego's urges.
B) a response to perceived threats to existence.
C) something to avoid through various means including finding a loving partner and having children.
D) unavoidable and results from the fact that we are going to die.
E) the result of overdeveloped compensating mechanisms, such as denial or projection.

Question 31

Death, freedom, and _______________ emerge as the main contributing factors to a generalized fear endemic to living.

A) isolation
B) conflict
C) despair
D) dread
E) choice

Question 32

What would an existential psychotherapist say about death anxiety?

A) It is normal to focus on safety, survival, and relief from pain.
B) Awareness of death holds us back in progress toward meaningful existence.
C) Pursuit of a meaningful goal without encountering risks can be accomplished with the help of a psychotherapist.
D) We can lessen our anxiety about death by leading meaningful lives.
E) We don't worry about death until we reach adulthood.

Question 33

What would an existential therapist say about the concept of freedom?

A) Although a positive thing, freedom can also be a burden and cause a great deal of anxiety.
B) Freedom tends to cause so much anxiety, that it is best to try to curb it for some clients.
C) Most individuals will not effectively experience freedom until young adulthood.
D) Individual freedom is good, but one achieves the greatest degree of mental health from bringing freedom to the Mitwelt.
E) Our uniqueness as individuals actually mitigates freedom as we try to function in society.

Question 34

_________________ is the capacity to keep moving ahead in spite of the misery and despair that may be associated with the movement.

A) Naiveté
B) Authenticity
C) Courage
D) Determinism
E) Insolence

Question 35

Another term for the existential concept of unfolding is

A) opening.
B) becoming.
C) transforming.
D) budding.
E) blooming.

Question 36

The existential concept of stuckness is related to

A) essence.
B) courage.
C) unfolding.
D) existential anxiety.
E) meaning.

Question 37

Frankl defines _________ as a consuming interest in something or somebody other than oneself that encourages and promotes self-development.

A) love
B) meaning
C) altruism
D) responsibility
E) congruence

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT identified in the textbook as a source of meaning-making?

A) inner spiritual experiences
B) job satisfaction
C) acceptance of meanings offered by others
D) recreational activities
E) suffering

Question 39

The intention of existential therapy is to

A) teach clients to apply philosophical insights to their existence.
B) uncover the unconscious parts of the client psyche.
C) facilitate the implementation of goals for existence.
D) help the client articulate a plan of action.
E) remove traumatic memories from the anxious client.

Question 40

The counselor-client relationship in existential therapy mirrors a(n) _______________ relationship.

A) parent-child
B) teacher-student
C) employer-employee
D) I-it
E) sibling-sibling

Question 41

A ________________ is a procedure, or way of using basic skills to execute an artistic, scientific, or mechanical operation.

A) technique
B) reframe
C) dialektike
D) block
E) intervention

Question 42

The procedure most associated with existential therapy is the

A) reframe.
B) paradoxical intention.
C) magic question.
D) Socratic dialogue.
E) empty chair.

Question 43

Life and death, good and bad, and pretty and ugly are examples of

A) existential incongruence.
B) word play.
C) dialectics.
D) synonyms.
E) psychological puzzles.

Question 44

The hatching method of acquisition of self knowledge is more formally known as the _____________ method.

A) labyrinth
B) maieutic
C) logotherapy
D) push-button
E) Socratic

Question 45

What differentiates existential therapists from other therapists?

A) Existential therapists are free to use a variety of psychological techniques as long as they remember to focus on the client's human existence and not on the technique.
B) Specific techniques that have been validated by rigorous research are the hallmark of the existential therapist.
C) The existential therapist is the only one trained to interpret dreams.
D) Structure and authority are the hallmarks of existential therapy.
E) Existential therapists are the only psychotherapists who support the therapeutic benefits of intimate counselor-client relationships.

Question 46

______________ is the process of determining the value or efficacy of something.

A) Assessment
B) Diagnosis
C) Attainment
D) Evaluation
E) Interpretation

Question 47

What is the most likely blind spot for existential therapists?

A) race
B) egocentrism
C) assessment
D) cultural diversity
E) diagnosis

Question 48

In spite of the rituals of science, existential therapists try to connect with others on a __________________ level.

A) personal
B) global
C) spiritual
D) behavioral
E) philosophical

Question 49

Motivational speakers, religious leaders, TV talk show personalities, and leaders of self-help groups all have

A) contributed to the development of existential therapy.
B) been clients of existential therapists.
C) suffered from existential anxiety.
D) expressed existential ideas.
E) denounced the use of existentialism as a therapeutic intervention.

Question 50

What one phenomenon, currently occurring, makes existentialism more understandable and acceptable as a therapeutic mode?

A) The political climate of the world is becoming more isolationistic.
B) Existential ideas are becoming a part of the general culture.
C) Psychodynamic theories are fast losing favor with psychotherapists.
D) The American public education system has made a commitment to bring existential ideas into the classroom.
E) The historical theorists are passing, allowing for fresh, new leadership in the field.

Question 51

Which of the following is the mandate put forth by the author of Chapter 5 to proponents of existentialism?

A) There is a need for a revision of the basic tenets of existential therapy.
B) Proponents need to become politically active to get existential therapy recognized by third-party payers as a viable treatment option.
C) All proponents need to make a commitment to acquiring at least 40 hours of continuing education in the next ten years.
D) Existential therapists need to increase the impact of the approach by offering more group interventions based upon the principles of existential therapy.
E) Proponents need to do more to educate counselors and potential clients to the merits of existential therapy.

Question 52

Identify the three major Greek philosophers that influenced the emergence of Existentialism and briefly identify the primary characteristic of their philosophy.

Question 53

List six of the nine names most often linked to the philosophical trend of Existentialism.

Question 54

List and provide a short description of the three German terms used to describe the human condition.

Question 55

Provide a short description of the contributions of Medard Boss and Martin Buber.

Question 56

Identify six of the nine principle concepts in existential psychotherapy.

Question 57

List at least five of the seven existential concepts that are employed in a client self-inventory and provide structure for the existential encounter.

Question 58

Provide a brief description of Socratic dialogue.

Question 59

How is logotherapy akin to and different from Socratic dialogue?

Question 60

What four limitations to the evaluation of existential therapy does the book identify?

Question 61

List the four commonly perceived limitations to existential therapy.

Question 62

What are the two main challenges to existential therapy?

Question 63

Why is existential therapy especially suited to helping diverse clients?