Self-Awareness, verbalization and new meanings as the heart and soul of significant events in Existential Psychotherapy

Sousa, Daniel; Pestana, Ana Marta Quina; Tavares, António Tiago Pereira

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/6782

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Authors

Sousa, Daniel

Pestana, Ana Marta Quina

Tavares, António Tiago Pereira

Abstract(s)

This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the significant events that occur during existential psychotherapy sessions from the perspective of the patient. Ten patients completed the HAT—helpful aspects of therapy—shortly after existential psychotherapy sessions during existential psychotherapy treatment, which lasted 1 year and consisted of 48 sessions. The data were analyzed using grounded theory. The results emphasized the following categories: the promotion of self-awareness, the possibility of verbalizing experiences, and the deepening of meanings. In addition to emphasizing human relationships, the patients also emphasized a preference for interventions by existential therapists that were more directive, such as providing feedback, challenging personal beliefs, and asking questions. The results emphasize the integrated use of the two phenomenological methods, specifically, the static and the genetic methods.