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Tag: here-and-now

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Existential Moment series

The Existential Moment – Focus on the Interpersonal

Say what comes to your mind!

Researchers have unveiled a powerful adaptation of the classic Rorschach inkblot test in a groundbreaking development that some say is set to revolutionize therapeutic diagnostics. Dubbed “The Existential Rorschach,” this innovative tool is designed not only to probe the depths of the unconscious but to directly confront individuals with existential angst and the most profound existential givens: the inevitability of death, the quest for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe, the terror of freedom, and the weight of personal responsibility. Using computational models based on chaos math and non-linear dynamics theory, a carefully curated series of AI-generated inkblots resembles cosmic disorder and the intricate patterns of life.

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April 1, 2024
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Existential Moment series

The Existential Moment: Micro-skills: Reflecting

Reflection is a bit like the work of the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. We mirror or reflect our client’s experience—the content presented, the process or experience in the moment (e.g., nonverbals, tone, pattern of speech, etc.), self and world constructs (e.g., “I am…”), protective patterns and inner tensions, and core vulnerabilities or wounds.

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January 1, 2024
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Existential Moment series

The Existential Moment: Bringing there-and-then into here-and-now

E-H Therapy is experiential and relational. The approach leverages several “micro-skills “to develop experience in the room, including tagging, slowing down and tuning in, reflecting back, etc. Each works to deepen presence “here-and-now.”

One skill is “bringing there-and-then into here-and-now.” It looks like, for example, the therapist’s statement above, “How does that feel to say?” The client narrated a story “there-and-then.” However, the realization of PTSD occurred in the present moment, suggesting a critical path to explore. Working in the present offers tremendous therapeutic potential. While nothing is wrong with narrating, experiencing offers immense possibilities for growth.

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December 1, 2023
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Existential Moment series

The Existential Moment – Authenticity

Authenticity is a core concept of existential philosophy and an essential touchstone in E-H therapy. Moral connotation (i.e., socio-political ideal) aside, authenticity means congruence with oneself – who we really are. It stands opposite ideas like “bad faith” or “alienation.”

Clients often grapple with societal pressures, parental expectations, an oppressive conscience, self-deceptions, internal conflicts, past traumas, etc., that deter them from seeing and living their authentic path.

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August 31, 2023
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Existential Moment series

The Existential Moment – On Freedom and Responsibility

Unfairly imprisoned for 27 years in apartheid-ruled South Africa, Nelson Mandela refused to succumb to the chains of victimhood, blame, and rage, instead embracing the powerful message of self-mastery and determination of the poem “Invictus.” For Mandela, “Invictus,” meaning “unconquered” in Latin, was a guiding light of inner freedom in dark times of brutality, isolation, and hopelessness. The mindset helped turn a prison into a crucible of resilience and a man into a beacon of inspiration of hope, forgiveness, and unwavering strength

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August 1, 2023

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