Irving Yalom is best explained as a proponent of which psychotherapy?

Irving Yalom is best explained as a proponent of which psychotherapy?

• A. Existential psychotherapy
• B. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy
• C. Humanistic psychotherapy
• D. Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Answer: (A)

Existential psychotherapy is the best fit because Yalom centers the therapeutic process on fundamental human concerns and how we live with them. He emphasizes four existential givens—death, freedom and responsibility, isolation, and the search for meaning—and frames therapy as helping people confront these realities to live more authentic, chosen lives. Rather than focusing primarily on past experiences or unconscious drives, his approach invites clients to face mortality, own their choices, connect honestly with others, and construct meaning in the face of finitude. In group work, he also highlights factors that emerge when people confront these existential issues—universality, interpersonal learning, and the courage to be seen—which reinforce the aim of living with greater meaning and responsibility. This focus distinguishes existential psychotherapy from psychoanalytic approaches (which stress unconscious processes and childhood conflicts), from humanistic approaches (which center on growth and self-actualization but not the explicit existential duties), and from cognitive-behavioral therapy (which targets thoughts and behaviors through skills training).

Existential psychotherapy is the best fit because Yalom centers the therapeutic process on fundamental human concerns and how we live with them. He emphasizes four existential givens—death, freedom and responsibility, isolation, and the search for meaning—and frames therapy as helping people confront these realities to live more authentic, chosen lives. Rather than focusing primarily on past experiences or unconscious drives, his approach invites clients to face mortality, own their choices, connect honestly with others, and construct meaning in the face of finitude. In group work, he also highlights factors that emerge when people confront these existential issues—universality, interpersonal learning, and the courage to be seen—which reinforce the aim of living with greater meaning and responsibility. This focus distinguishes existential psychotherapy from psychoanalytic approaches (which stress unconscious processes and childhood conflicts), from humanistic approaches (which center on growth and self-actualization but not the explicit existential duties), and from cognitive-behavioral therapy (which targets thoughts and behaviors through skills training).