Deck 10: Humanistic-Existential Counseling Approaches

Question 1

The philosophical reasons for a counselor engaging clients from a position of warmth and empathy include which of the following?

A) Sharing warmth with clients will make them feel better.
B) Empathy will increase the client's willingness to hear counselor interpretations.
C) Empathy will allow the client to understand the counselor's experience.
D) Empathy is the vehicle for change in therapy.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

_____________ is based on the premise that all people tend naturally toward positive growth.

A) Optimism
B) Philanthropy
C) Humanism
D) Postmodernism

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The self of the counselor is used to promote change for clients. All of the following statements expand on this concept accurately EXCEPT: _______________________.

A) The counselor needs to be real even with extremely difficult emotions, such as anger, frustration, and boredom as they relate to the client
B) The client and counselor are in a fully egalitarian relationship
C) The self of the counselor is used to provide clients with a role model
D) The counselor and the client have an authentic human encounter

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Phenomenology is the study of the internal, subjective world. What person-centered intervention is most important for attending to this internal world of the client?

A) summarizing
B) clarifying
C) reflecting
D) listening

Question 5

What is the fundamental instrument of change in person-centered counseling?

A) analysis of dreams
B) focused Attending
C) the client
D) the counselor

Question 6

In person-centered counseling the focus of the approach is on ______________.

A) what happens
B) diagnosis
C) how things happen
D) symptoms

Question 7

Which of the following is the overarching goal in person-centered counseling?

A) personality change
B) congruence
C) self- actualization
D) individuation

Question 8

Person-centered counseling was developed by ______________________________.

A) Rogers
B) Whitaker
C) Gestalt
D) Satir

Question 9

Humanistic-existential counseling approaches are sometimes referred to as ___________ approaches because they focus on a client's inner experience.

A) unconscious
B) traditional
C) experiential
D) conscious

Question 10

All of the following are examples of process oriented goals EXCEPT: __________ _________________.

A) increase ability to identify emotions in present moment
B) increase sense of agency and proactive behavior in work life
C) increase sense of responsibility for own problems and their resolution
D) increase problem solving abilities

Question 11

Maslow, an early humanist, believed in four areas of the most basic needs that must be in place for a person to self-actualize. The four areas are: __________________________.

A) physiological, mental, love/belonging, esteem
B) physiological, mental, love/belonging, emotional
C) physiological, safety, love/belonging, emotional
D) physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem

Question 12

Amy, a counseling intern, meets with her first client, a 19-year-old male sophomore who lives in the college dorms. The client has been mandated to enter counseling after being caught intoxicated for the third time. As the client shares his stories of "drunken sex with different partners every night for the last 2 weeks", Amy listens with a calm and even demeanor, wondering what is happening in her client's life that is leading him to engage in risky behavior. Which term best describes Amy's reaction as she listens to her client?

A) empathy
B) therapeutic presence
C) mirroring
D) understanding

Question 13

When a counselor asks, "Can you say more about what you mean by feeling angry?" This is an example of _____________________.

A) clarifying
B) summarizing
C) listening
D) reflecting

Question 14

The concept of unconditional positive regard is most accurately explained in which of the following statements?

A) The counselor never confronts the client.
B) The counselor focuses on the client's basic human worth,
C) The counselor is always kind.
D) The counselor only focuses on the clients' positive qualities.

Question 15

Person-centered counselors view ____________ as the primary vehicle for change.

A) external forces
B) the counselor's interventions
C) the counselor's interpretations
D) the counseling relationship

Question 16

When a person-centered counselor focuses on the process in counseling, this means the counselor _____________________________.

A) pays close attention to the stories clients tell
B) boldly confronts client inconsistencies
C) focuses on how the client interacts with self and others
D) consistently redirects clients to negative thoughts and feelings

Question 17

Which of the following statements reflects expressing accurate empathy according to Rogers?

A) "I completely understand how you are feeling."
B) "You are very angry about all that has happened."
C) "If I were you, I would be crying all the time."
D) "It sounds as if this is very frightening for you."

Question 18

Which of the following statements best describes counselor genuineness or congruence?

A) Somewhere between a detached professional and friendship.
B) The outer expressions of the counselor matching their inner experience.
C) Playing a role or having a professional façade.
D) A goal necessary to achieve in order to be a successful counselor.

Question 19

Self- actualization can be defined as ________________________________________.

A) differentiating from one's family
B) being the self that fits in well in society
C) living an authentic, meaningful life
D) the ability to empathize with others

Question 20

According to person-centered counseling, all of the following are necessary and sufficient elements for therapeutic change EXCEPT: __________________________.

A) unconditional positive regard
B) counselor congruence or genuineness
C) accurate empathetic understanding
D) insight

Question 21

When a Gestalt counselor is "assessing the field," the counselor will likely ask the client all of the following questions EXCEPT: ___________________________________.

A) What was your experience?
B) How did others experience you?
C) How did you contribute to creating your experience?
D) How did you contribute to the experience of others?

Question 22

When a person has integrated polarities, they have ___________________________.

A) accepted more aspects of the self
B) made peace with who and what one is
C) a responsive relationship with the environment
D) trust in the self and life itself

Question 23

Gestalt counselors work with clients to confront their "shoulds" in order to help clients ____________________________________.

A) avoid taking existential responsibility for their lives
B) regulate emotions in unhealthy ways
C) confront others putting pressure on them
D) live authentically

Question 24

It can be said that Gestalt counselors believe that every emotion has a physiological component. All of the following are an accurate example of this concept EXCEPT: ______________________________________.

A) a tight jaw as a sign that someone is holding something back
B) a person fidgeting during session because they recently had back surgery
C) a person hunched in the corner of the couch as a sign of insecurity
D) a person with arms folded as a sign they are close off

Question 25

All of the following statements are true about the dream work of gestalt counseling EXCEPT: _________________________________________________.

A) meanings of dreams are predetermined and applied to clients accordingly
B) the counselor does not know the interpretation of the dream better than the client
C) dreams are attempts to integrate parts of the self
D) the counselor and the client explore how parts of self interact in the dream

Question 26

The author of the text suggests that the primary purpose of self-disclosure is _________ ___________________________________.

A) building a friendship with the client
B) making clients feel more comfortable
C) helping clients achieve their goals
D) demonstrating therapist expertise and superiority

Question 27

Gestalt theory is considered an __________ approach to counseling, focusing on the moment-to-moment flow of experience in the counseling relationship.

A) atheoretical
B) existential
C) experiential
D) assertive

Question 28

Gestalt counselors believe neuroses and other problems develop when a person ________________________________.

A) has a sense of personal inferiority
B) avoids directly confronting existential realities
C) avoids direct contact with parts of the self
D) has conflicts between the id and superego

Question 29

Asking your client to speak aloud while in session what she is afraid to say to an actual person, would be an example of _____________.

A) language modification
B) experiment
C) body awareness
D) dream work

Question 30

The idea that Gestalt counselors use their whole personhood to make real authentic contact with clients is best explained as counselors __________________________.

A) expressing few emotions to protect the client
B) avoiding making or admitting mistakes in session
C) freely sharing their thoughts and feelings as they occur in session
D) employing confrontation frequently in session

Question 31

List and describe Roger's three core conditions that the therapist must create in the counseling relationship.

Question 32

Responsible vs. carefree is an example of a problematic _________________.

A) act
B) polarity
C) opposition
D) counterbalance

Question 33

What role does empathy play in humanistic counseling?

Question 34

The primary goal of Gestalt counseling is _____________________________.

A) reduction of symptoms
B) self-realization
C) awareness
D) emotional regulation

Question 35

The statement: "The more one tries to change (and be who one is not), the more one stays the same." refers to what concept in Gestalt counseling?

A) organismic self-regulation
B) awareness
C) integration of polarities
D) paradoxical theory of change

Question 36

In what way do Gestalt counselors differ from other counselors?

A) They avoid empathy as they believe it hinders therapeutic progress.
B) They do not condone self-disclosure.
C) They are willing to be imperfect role models and do not hide behind a professional veneer.
D) They believe that it is important to strive for a problem-free lifestyle.

Question 37

Interventions in Gestalt counseling are designed to encourage clients to make __________ and complete the __________ cycle.

A) excuses/avoidance
B) changes/withdrawal
C) peace/life
D) contact/encounter

Question 38

Gestalt counselors offer clients their presence in __________ experiences in the counseling session.

A) emotional
B) unhampered
C) unconscious
D) here-and-now

Question 39

What is the primary vehicle for change in Gestalt counseling?

A) the person of the counselor
B) the interventions
C) the theory
D) the client

Question 40

To increase awareness, Gestalt counselors often encourage clients to ________________.

A) modify their language
B) speak to an empty chair
C) stay with difficult feelings
D) write down their dreams

Question 41

What is the person of the counselor and why is it important?

Question 42

How does culture affect how one expresses empathy?

Question 43

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Gestalt counseling in working with diverse populations?

Question 44

What is meant by an "experiential" approach to therapy?