Running head: EXISTENTIAL THERAPY AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIROAL THERAPY 1
Existential Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Chad Vick
PSY 86502: Counseling Theories and Strategies
Mentor: Dr. Nancy R. F. Miller
July 20, 2018
, EXISTENTIAL THERAPY AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIROAL THERAPY 2
Existential Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Existential Therapy vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Therapy is an essential process for different types of mental disorders. There are several
aspects of daily living, which could cause an individual to succumb to psychological distress. As
such, there are also different types of therapies that are conducted with patients depending on
their identifiable mental issues. Among them, Cognitive behavioral therapy and existential
therapy are among some of the most widely used forms of treatment with patients today.
Whether they are used for their efficacy or regency of related distress, this paper will investigate
these two schools of psychotherapy through contrasting and comparing them, identifying their
applicability, their pros, and cons as well as analyzing the cultural perspectives towards each
school of therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
As earlier stated, CBT is one of the preferred methods of therapy among therapist. It is a
form of counseling that boosts the happiness of individuals by identifying dysfunctional
behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. While this form of therapy may benefit from past
experiences like troubled childhoods, it does not dwell on what happened, like Freudian
psychoanalysis form of therapy (Bernard, Caudroit, & Carayol, 2018). CBT focuses on creating
better relationships and improving the emotions of an individual without necessarily probing
historical wounds. As such, it is a form of therapy that mainly focuses on providing solutions to
current problems and encouragement to patients suffering from cognitive distortion. Since CBT
helps to identify destructive patterns in the behavior of an individual, it is a form of therapy that
is applicable when treating random types of mental problems.
Existential Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Chad Vick
PSY 86502: Counseling Theories and Strategies
Mentor: Dr. Nancy R. F. Miller
July 20, 2018
, EXISTENTIAL THERAPY AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIROAL THERAPY 2
Existential Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Existential Therapy vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Therapy is an essential process for different types of mental disorders. There are several
aspects of daily living, which could cause an individual to succumb to psychological distress. As
such, there are also different types of therapies that are conducted with patients depending on
their identifiable mental issues. Among them, Cognitive behavioral therapy and existential
therapy are among some of the most widely used forms of treatment with patients today.
Whether they are used for their efficacy or regency of related distress, this paper will investigate
these two schools of psychotherapy through contrasting and comparing them, identifying their
applicability, their pros, and cons as well as analyzing the cultural perspectives towards each
school of therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
As earlier stated, CBT is one of the preferred methods of therapy among therapist. It is a
form of counseling that boosts the happiness of individuals by identifying dysfunctional
behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. While this form of therapy may benefit from past
experiences like troubled childhoods, it does not dwell on what happened, like Freudian
psychoanalysis form of therapy (Bernard, Caudroit, & Carayol, 2018). CBT focuses on creating
better relationships and improving the emotions of an individual without necessarily probing
historical wounds. As such, it is a form of therapy that mainly focuses on providing solutions to
current problems and encouragement to patients suffering from cognitive distortion. Since CBT
helps to identify destructive patterns in the behavior of an individual, it is a form of therapy that
is applicable when treating random types of mental problems.
