Incorporating existential thinking into an integrative approach to psychotherapeutic practice has always been a huge influence for me. An existential approach may have its limitations but there are a number of ideas within the approach, not that the approach is always coherent and uniform, that can be of enormous benefit when seeking to view the whole person in therapy. Take, for example, the ‘ultimate concerns’ or also known as the givens in life; inevitability of death, isolation/aloneness, freedom/responsibility and a search for meaning. It can be beneficial to view life struggles and associated psychological stress from the framework of how we relate to these concerns. Do we, for example, engage in addictive behaviour as attempts at making connection and forging meaning in our lives? Do we stay in unhealthy relationships to avoid the fear of aloneness? Do we stay busy to avoid the anxiety associated with these concerns? Have we reconciled ourselves to the inevitability of our own physical demise?
Sometimes these questions are forced upon us, such as at times of great distress due to health matters, but it need not be that way. Once we begin to align ourselves to the challenges presented by the ultimate concerns we can achieve a new freedom in the present moment. New energy is found to live more meaningfully today. This is what it means to be truly present. An old sage once said that it is crucial to avoid the danger of getting to the day of your death only to realise that you have never lived.
Please have a look at my newly published book “The Theory of the Person”, freely available by Saita Publications (scientific) (www.saitabooks.eu).
It is the “theory of everything” of the person/ individual. Having put together the philosophical way of psychology with the mathematical accuracy of thought, I have managed to strictly prove that there is no schizophrenia and there is no death, i.e. inexistence.
Two movements of psychotherapy are actually proven in the Theory of the Person to be of absolute and universal value: the Person centered and the Integrative Psychotherapy.
There are actually no existential issues, but only the need for the restoration of repressions, i.e. the quantitative loss and not the qualitative one, i.e whatever refers to the personal/ individual identity.
My work consists of clear proofs, showing the general/ fundamental ways for the restoration of all (quantitative) deviation from one’s identity. Although general, these ways are fluent, clear and practical.
I look forward to your responce!
Emmanuel Xagorarakis