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PSK 522 - Existential Psychotherapy

Graduate Education Institute · Clinical Psychology · Master

ECTS: 7.5 T+P+L: 3+0+0 Departmental Elective
Coordinator: Tez Danışmanı Volkan KOÇ

Course Objective

During the course, it is aimed that the students become familiar with the issues and discussions related to existential psychotherapy. Concepts will be covered in line with the philosophical background, historical development and current approaches of existential psychotherapy. It is expected to absorb the central theories and concepts related to Logotherapy, Existential-Humanistic Therapy and Existential-Phenomenological Therapy.

Course Content

Within the scope of the course, the approaches of different philosophical movements to human spirituality and the principles of existential psychotherapy such as logotherapy will be explained. In this framework, it will be focused on what the differences and common aspects of philosophy, especially the existential philosophy's approaches to human spirituality, from other theories are, on which subjects it is still in development, and how it is related to the biological aspects of human spirituality.

Required Resources

Wartenberg, T. E. (2008). Yeni başlayanlar için varoluşçuluk. Say Yayınları.

Yalom, I. (2014/1980). Varoluşçu psikoterapi (Çev. Zeliha İ. Babayiğit). Kabalcı Yayıncılık.

Frankl, V. E. (2013). İnsanın anlam arayışı. Okuyan Us Yayınları.

Course Learning Outcomes

  1. - Explaining and defining the basic concepts of existential psychotherapy.
  2. - Analyzing the history and development of existentialist thought.
  3. - Comparing Frankl's logotherapy and analysis approaches with other psychotherapy methods.
  4. - Explaining the practical applications and clinical examples of existential psychotherapy.
  5. - To develop critical thinking skills that will enable students to reflect on human life and the search for meaning from an existentialist perspective.

Core Area Distribution

(31) Social and Behavioural Science%100

Teaching Methods

ExpressionQuestion-AnswerDiscussionBrain Storming

Assessment & Evaluation

HomeworkPerformance Assignment ( Lab / Workshop / Field Work / Seminar / Presentation / Completion Study / ThesisTesting (Essay / Tests: True-Falls, multiple-choice, short answer, matching)

ECTS / Workload

ActivityQuantityDuration (h)Total Workload
Course Duration (Including Exam Week)16348
Out of Class Study Period168128
Midterm000
Quiz111
Assignment000
Practice000
Final111

Course Schedule

WeekSubjectPreparation
1IntroductionSyllabus
2ExistenceYeni başlayanlar için varoluşçuluk
3A more humane psychologyLecture notes
4Happiness and sufferingLecture notes
5ConsciousnessLecture notes
6Freedom and deathYeni başlayanlar için varoluşçuluk
7Anxiety and absurdYeni başlayanlar için varoluşçuluk
8Mid-term examLecture notes
9PsychotherapyLecture notes
10Humanistic psychotherapiesLecture Notes
11Existential psychotherapyLecture notes
12DasienanalysisLecture notes
13Humanistic-existential therapyLecture notes
14LogotherapyLecture notes
15British schoolLecture notes
16Final examLecture notes