National Counselor Exam (NCE)

In which counseling approach is the focus on the meaning of life and individual experience?

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

2. Existential counseling

3. Gestalt Therapy

4. Psychoanalysis

The correct answer is: Existential counseling

The focus on the meaning of life and individual experience is a hallmark of existential counseling. This approach emphasizes personal responsibility and the importance of finding meaning in one's existence, as well as understanding one's thoughts and feelings in the context of human experiences. Existential counselors work with clients to explore questions about existence, freedom, and the search for purpose, which can help individuals confront feelings of anxiety and despair that often arise from these deep, philosophical inquiries. Existential counseling encourages clients to find their own meaning within their life experiences rather than prescribing solutions or frameworks. The therapeutic relationship serves to assist clients in exploring their individual truths, leading to greater self-awareness and authenticity in life choices. In contrast, other approaches, while valuable in their own right, focus on different aspects of the human experience. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy emphasizes changing negative thought patterns to alter behavior; Gestalt Therapy focuses on awareness in the present moment and integration of thoughts, feelings, and actions; and Psychoanalysis explores unconscious motives and past experiences. Each of these approaches has its unique perspectives, but they do not center their practice around the quest for individual meaning and experience as existential counseling does.