Psychopathology, Theories & Advanced Clinical
Modalities | Questions and Verified Answers 2026
PDF Wilkes.
Section 1: Foundational Theories in Psychotherapy
1. Which forms of the world refers to "the relationship with ourselves"?
Answer: Eigenwelt
Rationale: In existential therapy, Eigenwelt refers specifically to self-relationship,
while Mitwelt refers to relationships with others and Umwelt refers to the physical
world. This distinction is fundamental to understanding the existential framework .
2. According to existential theory, anxiety arises from:
Answer: Our personal need to survive and preserve our being
Rationale: Existential anxiety emerges from the inherent human struggle with
mortality, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. This concept is central to the
work of Rollo May and Irvin Yalom .
3. What is the state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of
maternal experience?
Answer: Transcendence
Rationale: Transcendence in existential theory refers to moving beyond personal
limitations and experiences to achieve a higher state of being and meaning .
,4. Who are the founders of Existential Therapy?
Answer: Rollo May and Irvin Yalom
Rationale: Rollo May brought existential psychology to America, while Irvin Yalom
expanded the framework with his "Four Givens of Existence" and contributions to
group therapy .
5. What is the focus of Existential Therapy?
Answer: Universal features of the human condition and the acceptance of pain as
an important part of the search for inner peace and happiness. Anxiety is viewed
as part of the human condition.
Rationale: Existential therapy emphasizes confronting universal human concerns—
death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness—and integrating pain into
personal growth rather than avoiding it .
6. Who are the founders of Gestalt Therapy?
Answer: Frederick (Fritz) Perls and Laura Perls
Rationale: Fritz and Laura Perls developed Gestalt therapy as a phenomenological-
existential therapy in the 1940s, emphasizing personal responsibility and present-
moment awareness .
7. What is the primary focus of Gestalt Therapy?
Answer: Personal responsibility, individual experience in the present moment, the
therapist-client relationship, environmental and social contexts, and self-
regulating adjustments
, Rationale: Gestalt therapy highlights process (what is happening now) over
content (what is said about it). The emphasis is on what is being experienced and
felt in the present moment rather than past events .
8. In Gestalt Therapy, what is the phenomenological perspective focused on?
Answer: Awareness or insight—understanding the structure of the situation under
observation
Rationale: Phenomenological exploration in Gestalt therapy aims at awareness
and insight by distinguishing between actual perception, feelings, and previous
experience residue. The patient learns to become aware of awareness itself .
9. What does the Field Theory Perspective in Gestalt Therapy emphasize?
Answer: The "here and now" while recognizing that present experiences comprise
elements from the past
Rationale: Field theory describes the entire field rather than evaluating events in
isolation. Gestalt therapists focus on how past behaviors, principles, and body
posture influence present experience .
10. What is the existential perspective in Gestalt Therapy?
Answer: People continually discover and remake themselves; human nature is not
discovered once and forever
Rationale: The existential view holds that new horizons, challenges, and
possibilities constantly emerge. Self-delusion leads to inauthenticity, while
awareness enables authentic choice and meaningful existence .
11. What is the role of dialogue in Gestalt Therapy?