Existential Therapy focuses on loneliness, isolation, meaninglessness, freedom, and death; what does this imply about personal responsibility?

Existential Therapy focuses on loneliness, isolation, meaninglessness, freedom, and death; what does this imply about personal responsibility?

• A. We are driven by unconscious motives.
• B. We are free and therefore responsible for our actions and their outcomes.
• C. Behavior is primarily learned through reinforcement.
• D. Therapy should focus on dream analysis.

Answer: (B)

Existential Therapy centers on how people confront fundamental human concerns—loneliness, isolation, meaninglessness, freedom, and death. Because it highlights freedom, individuals must own their choices and the outcomes that follow; responsibility arises from acting authentically within that freedom, even when anxiety or fear is present. This view helps clients see themselves as agents shaping their lives rather than being driven by hidden impulses, external rewards, or dream content. The emphasis is on conscious choice and the accountability that comes with it, guiding therapy toward making deliberate, meaningful commitments rather than analyzing unconscious motives, conditioning history, or dream symbolism.

Existential Therapy centers on how people confront fundamental human concerns—loneliness, isolation, meaninglessness, freedom, and death. Because it highlights freedom, individuals must own their choices and the outcomes that follow; responsibility arises from acting authentically within that freedom, even when anxiety or fear is present. This view helps clients see themselves as agents shaping their lives rather than being driven by hidden impulses, external rewards, or dream content. The emphasis is on conscious choice and the accountability that comes with it, guiding therapy toward making deliberate, meaningful commitments rather than analyzing unconscious motives, conditioning history, or dream symbolism.