Existential Therapy

I've been conducting research on existential therapy. I assure you its life changing. the argument it holds is that we are all authors of our own lives and we do not need validation from anyone about the choices we make. Please read the following extract to get an idea of what existential therapy is all about

Existential therapy was introduced by Victor Frankl and Rollo May. Existentialism is an area of philosophy concerned with the meaning of human existence. It looks at issues such as love, death and the meaning of life - and how one deals with the sense of value and meanings in their own life. In an existentialist approach to therapy, there are basic dimensions of the human condition. These are the capacity for self-awareness, the tension between freedom and responsibility, the creation of an identity and the establishment of meaningful relationships, the search for meaning, the acceptance of anxiety as a condition of living and the awareness of death and non-being.
Existentialists believe that our human capacity for self-awareness gives us possibilities for freedom - as we will realize that we are finite and time is limited, we have the potential and the choice to act or not to act, meaning is not automatic and we must seek it, and we are subject to loneliness, meaninglessness, guilt and isolation. Therefore, people are free to choose among alternatives available to them in living and have a large role in shaping their own personal destinies. The manner in which we live and what we become are results of our choices and people must take responsibility for directing their own lives.

The aim of existential therapy is to encourage clients to reflect on life, recognize their range of alternatives and decide among them. The goal is to make people realize the ways they passively accepted circumstances and surrender control in order for them to start consciously shaping their own lives by exploring options for creating a meaningful existence. The therapies central tasks are to invite the client to recognize how they have allowed others to decide for them, and to encourage clients to take steps towards autonomy (independence)http://www.psychologycampus.com/psychology-counseling/existential-therapy.html

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The Therapeutic Process of Forgiveness

All of us come across conflicts of some sort with people in our lives, both family and friends. Some people find it easy to forgive but for others, forgiveness is a mission. Forgiveness is a great step towards emancipating yourself from grudges you hold against other people. I believe that forgiveness is a process, and if you are one of those people who don’t find it easy to forgive you just have to master the process. The first thing you can do is understanding that you cannot change other people’s feelings; you can only change yours so even if someone hasn’t forgiven you, you need to forgive them, do it for your own well-being. Writing a letter or letters to the person who wronged you is helpful, you don’t have to send them, remember you are doing this for yourself, you can simply burn them. Trust me; it’s very therapeutic I’ve tried it more than once. I believe that letting go is just too simple, you have to make sense of it all. If you can learn from mistakes, I believe you can also learn from conflict. When someone close to me betrayed me recently, I changed my perspective about them, instead of feeling annoyed and irritated whenever I thought about them I thought about all the good things about them. But most importantly I said within my heart and soul: “I am setting you free because I’m setting myself free”. You must choose to be alive and happy no matter how hurt you’ve been. Whatever trauma you’ve been through, you just have to make sense out of it and then let go. Ever heard of learned behaviour? If you don’t make peace with your past, you are likely to replicate it.    

Some useful resources

I was listening to A word on psychology on Talk Radio 702 on thursday night and I just have to share. Are you feeling burnt-out? Do you sometimes feel that doors are being slammed right in front of you? There are some free resources to help you cope. Laughter releases some endorphins in your brain that help calm you down; companionship; your pet,looking after a pet is therapeutic; the outdoors, go out and appreciate the beauty of nature and see if you will not feel much better. Low resources can result in depression.

"I'm sorry it had to end that way, its not you its me"- when a friendship ends.

The majority of the population globally cannot afford a visit to a therapist. If you are one of those people, you may want to confide in a friend when you are feeling down or just need someone to talk to. but its a sad reality that when we go to university or college we meet new people, make new friends and maybe fall in love. when this happens we might lose touch with our friends from high school for various reasons. and then time comes when we complete our studies. Then again, we might decide to relocate which means that some of our friends from varsity might be left out of our current lives. It may be because they become less compatible with our new lives, or less convenient. it gets me thinking, how many people fall victim of losing friendships they valued, how do you deal with it? And just when you are down and need someone to talk to only to find that you've lost contact with almost all your best of friends because you've been caught up in your own life, what do you do? Well, you need to understand that not all relationships last forever, if a friendship ended you need to accept it, there's a reason why it ended. And if you need someone to talk to it doesn't have to be a friend,everyone has someone who cares about them. You may not recognize it but there's that one person ( mother, sister, brother, colleague, cousin, etc) who calls just to check up on you, takes you out for lunch, whatever it may be. Maybe that's the person you should confide in. Just don't keep your feelings bottled up, you'll lose it! whoever you talk to,make sure its someone you trust.

Some Inspiration

So this week was hectic for me. I was a bit down since i failed to get something I was looking forward to. But the secret is to keep going no matter how depressed you are. Anyone can give up,its the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.

Getting mentally Fit

Wondering how to take charge of your mental health? A range of options is available to help you improve your mental fitness, including self-help books,support groups,relaxation therapy, meditation and talk therapy. I personally find self-help books, relaxation therapy and talk therapy very helpful but people are different. Find out what works for you and you could be transforming your mental fitness for the better. Also use this site to share what works for you,you could be helping someone

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"Facebook Depression"

Yes,it does exist according to a new study by an influential group of doctors. Apparently,it can be disturbing for those with low self-esteem to see status updates and photos of happy looking people,feeling they don't measure up and their lives are just not fulfilling. Those prone to depression should also look out. Could you be suffering from Facebook Depression?

Helping a Depressed Friend

Do you have a friend who has been very down lately? here are some tips to help them and even lift their spirits up:

• Get your friend to open up to you
• Encourage your friend to get help
• Stick with your friend through hard times 
• Speak up if your friend is suicidal
• Simply reassuring your friend that you are here for them can make a significant difference

Support groups for people with psychological disorders

Wouldn't it be nice if you could interact with people experiencing the same problems or issues as you? How about you join a support group or start your own?well it is not as hard as you might think. The South African depression and anxiety group(Sadag) is one of the organisations that might help you. Visit www.sadag.org. There is therapy in numbers

Mental Health

Mental health is how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Staying mentally healthy is not always easy, especially during tough times. Here are some tips that can help:

• Get support from family and friends
• Find time to take care of yourself and relax
• Have a healthy lifestyle, with regular exercise

It is also important to recognize when you may need help from a professional. Mental disorders are common, but treatments are available.

Mental Health: MedlinePlus

Mental Health Facts

Unless you have a mental illness,have taken psychiatric drugs, and/or have a loved one who has done either or both of those, you probably don't understand mental problems/issues/illness.

Mental Health Facts

Mental health is not very well understood by much of the population. Part of the population doesn't know it has a problem. Most mentally ill people are harmless and good people, with a strong support system and family they can function and live well. We should all strive to educate ourselves about our mental health for our sake and those we care about. There is no health without mental health, it is an integral part of one's overall health and quality of life.