Monday, January 27, 2020

Importance Of Communication In Service Industry

Importance Of Communication In Service Industry While working in the service industry I learned many important aspects about communication that I consider invaluable, not only in my past positions, but in the career I seek. The communication skills that I learned help me not only learn how to get my message across, but how to do so in a way that could either escalate or deescalate a certain situation. Also it taught me to read the person I was portraying the message to, taking into account things like culture, sex, and demeanor I learned to choose words that were more fitting to each audience so that I could be not only understood but relatable and therefore could have my message accepted better. These communication skills Ive acquired I will be able to use in my desired career as a social worker, working with pregnant teens.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Essay and Art Essay

In the essay Pablo Picasso: Living in His Own Shadow, author Ellen Goodman uses fact, emotion and personal experience to illustrate the cycles of creating and aging, living in the limelight and passing on the torch. Goodman captures the sadness and the beauty of being replaced or falling out of fame while using Picasso and his works as an example of how even the most talented of persons must succumb to limitation. Goodman makes a point that some artists graciously recognize when it is time to cease their works but others persist despite the fact that their prime has passed. According to Goodman, Pablo Picasso represents the limitations in which we all must recognize but also the beauty in rebellion and persistence. Goodman juxtaposes Picasso against many famous people who like Picasso grew old and eventually had to admit that they could no longer perform at peak performance. â€Å"It is said that when Picasso was a teenager, his artist-father gave the boy his own palette, brushers and colors, and never painted again, (LoRocco & Coughlin, 1995, p. 198).† This actually seems to be factual. When Picasso was 13-years-old his father gave up painting admitting that his son had surpassed him in skill, (Pablo Picasso, n.d.). It is interesting that Goodman introduced the essay using this example considering the entire essay is about artists and well known figures who did not step out of the spotlight when their time was due.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"We feel sad that Joe DiMaggio sells coffee makers and uncomfortable that Willie Mays ‘stayed too long.’ Few of us know how to deal with the man or woman who ‘used to be’ somebody, (LoRocco & Coughlin, p. 199).† Goodman describes her personal feelings when reviewing Picasso’s work at an art exhibit. She states that although Picasso was an exceptional artist at every age his later work is lacking in many ways. Goodman uses her observations to express sympathy toward Picasso as opposed to disdain for his later works. â€Å"Yet as we wandered through the last thirty years of his life, you could see it all slip. The exhibit kindly excludes the commercial peace doves and greeting card poster art of the last few years. But still, it is easy to see the versatility turning frenetic – the search turning downhill. There is even a sense that perhaps he began to imitate himself – not just create but to create ‘Picasso,’ (LoRocco & Coughlin, p. 198).† In essence Goodman shows contempt for Joe DiMaggio and Willie Mays yet for Picasso Goodman expresses a sense of being perplexed and full of wonder, similar to her response to other artists including Frank Sinatra and Tennessee Williams. â€Å"It is something I have thought before. I’ve though of it whenever Tennessee Williams turns up in the news, alive but rarely well, writing poorly in comparison to his own brilliant retrospectives. I’ve thought of it when Frank Sinatra goes on stage, all blue eyes and strained vocal cords. They are pale versions of themselves, (LoRocco & Coughlin, p. 198).† But was Picasso a â€Å"pale version† of himself? According to Goodman there was a sense of grace and rebellion in the fact that Picasso worked until his death. â€Å"There is something, not sad but remarkable, in this refusal to ‘act his age,’ or retire gracefully. Surrounded by his own collection of his favorite cubist work, he must have known his limits. But out of compulsion or conviction he kept working.† It is true that Picasso worked rigorously until his death. â€Å"Death holds no fear for me,’ Picasso recently told a friend. ‘It holds a kind of beauty. What I am afraid of is falling ill and not being able to work. That’s lost time, (Time, 1973,  ¶ 1).† Picasso, as opposed to Mays and DiMaggio, did not work to make extra funds doing something which reminds us of their failing talents, like sell coffeemakers, Picasso worked to work. He created for the enjoyment of creating. His final work may have been pale in comparison to the masterpieces of his youth but as Goodman points out everything in life pales in comparison with youth. â€Å"Living in your own shadow is a problem of aging athletes and beautiful women and artists and actors and, to an extent, all of us, (LoRocco & Coughlin, 1995, p. 198).† Goodman’s experience at the exhibit for Picasso’s art left her contemplating what it would be like to find oneself living in a world where the past constantly haunts the present. She expresses the sadness of this by using examples of other artists and athletes who have made history and then faced limitations. But living with ones past is part of life and the limitations associated with aging do not have to be stifling. â€Å"Creation,’ Picasso said. ‘Is the only thing that interests me, (LoRocco & Coughlin, 1995, p. 199).† This statement must have been true for Picasso, who spent his entire life creating despite the fact that his later years are not defined as his most influencial in terms of artistic expression. References LoRocco, C., & Coughlin, J. (1995). The Art of Work: An Anthology of Workplace Literature (1st Edition ed.). : Glencoe/McGraw Hill. Pablo Picasso. (n.d.). Retrieved Jan. 4, 2009, from Wikipedia: www.wikipedia.com Time, H. (1973, April 23, 1973). Pablo Picasso’s Last Days and Final Journey. Time Magazine, .

Friday, January 10, 2020

An overview of the conflict resolution theory Essay

Conflict Resolution Theory In conflict resolution, preconceived notions, also called the natural cognitive sorting processes, are the stimuli that unwittingly foment war. By taking a look at individual and intergroup relations, one can better grasp conflict resolution as a way of mediation which may lessen the probabilities of the outbreak of political violence. This essay takes a close examination of the effect of individual-level models of change to inspire change at the social level. The scaling up the process from individual treatment to social has its strengths and weakness. Controlled communication, sensitivity training, Freud’s hydraulic model, complex mirroring and conscious raising psychotherapy are experimented means in conflict resolution to dissolve conflict at both individual and general levels. The natural cognitive sorting mechanism of dividing people into ‘us’ and ‘them’ engenders prejudice and in the long run, political violence. This perspective is typical to The Self and The Other concept in which people and groups are constructed to exclude the other or any entity that is perceived as foreign and to include the self or other entities affiliated to the self. â€Å"Protracted social conflicts typically involve an enduring set of antagonistic perceptions and interactions between communal groups†¦negative attributions of motivations and reciprocal negative images perpetuate the antagonisms and solidify the conflict† (Fisher 1997). This concept breeds the antagonization of groups which turns one group against the other, deepening rifts and sharpening rivalry. Since this type of social cognitive process emphasizes differences between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ an elitism can arise which advantages one group over the othe r and fosters an unhealthy intergroup competition and mutual exclusion. With mutual degradation and demonized motives, each group continues to not only drift apart but rub against each other in a frictional relationship to produce an aggression fire. At the national level, us and them dichotomy leads to jingoism which is a chauvinistic form of nationalism. This ideology promotes the suppression of one and the superiority of a people. Fanatical patriotism and the prejudiced belief propose that another party must suffer in the power imbalance. (Paris 2004) agrees that â€Å"exclusionary forms of nationalism also make enemies of excluded groups.† In other words, one nation categorizes, segregates and disadvantages another. As a consequence, the excluded party harbors resentment toward the opposing group. Resentment begets tension-filled relations, which beget mistrust. The polarizing effect of the ‘us’ and ‘them’ construct leads inevitably to suspicion and in a competitive environment, to perceived inequalities. Inequalities result in the categorization of an oppressed and an oppressor, the victimized and the victimizer. At a particular point, one group arrives at a breaking point, demanding the redr ess of wrongs whether real or perceived and an equalizing of the playing field. (Fisher 1997) also recognizes that some â€Å"conflicts arise when identity groups perceive that they are oppressed and victimized through a denial of recognition, security, equity and political participation.† Imbalances of power stimulate one group to react or even retaliate – hence hostilities erupt. It was a wave of nationalism which provokes WWII in which the Aryan Germans attempt to purge Germany of ‘unwanted elements’ for the sake of the country. Similarly, in the case of Rwanda and other countries, ethnic cleansing or genocide take place because of inequality and a false sense of nationalism. Sorting out the Natural Cognitive Processes To arrive at conflict resolution, one must broach the theme of altering intergroup perceptions. This method is an individual-to-social strategy in which with a third party intervention, both groups can mutually exchange opinions and feelings. John Burton pioneers and implements a â€Å"casework approach,† a term used in social work to explain the methods implemented to solve an in individual or group problem. Controlled communication signifies a way to forge effective communication habits. Burton asserts that the source of conflict is miscommunication and the source of miscommunication is distorted worldviews or perceptions of the other. In practicing controlled communication, groups can share their prejudices and biases in a setting that diffuses anger and sets a more amicable tone for talks would help improve relations. Also, Leonard Doob advocates sensitivity training which progresses the transition from individual-level change to collective change. He puts forward that a s mall representative group ventilates their perceptions, opinions, and concerns to create awareness and better grasping of group processes. The sensitivity training workshop is similar to a psychological therapy conducted by a third party. Ideas and feelings are shared to increase interpersonal effectiveness. (Toft 2010) declares that giving voice to former combatants is a mechanism in conflict resolution to craft negotiation settlements in which â€Å"renewed violence can be averted.† This rule follows the sensitivity training theory which enhances sympathy and increases chances at understanding and positive change. In Sigmund Freud’s group processes theory, he posits that the group’s way of thinking is spawned directly from the individual’s. In Freud’s hydraulic model, the principle is that just as it is dangerous to suppress feelings for fear of compounding them for a more violent eruption, so at the social level, it is risky to continually inhibit ill-feeling by conflict resolution (Strachey 1966); instead, venting would help diffuse tensions and instead of internalizing the resentment, the person finds relief in expression. In his work â€Å"Give War a Chance† (Luttwak 1999) examines the effect of peacekeeping which only temporarily resolves the issue by satisfying parties. However, he advocates war as the means of reaching a more definitive and longer lasting conflict resolution. Complex Mirroring Complex mirroring within the group setting is a way in which the individual change scalps up to the group level change. In remedying traumatized individuals, the victims join themselves to a group and begin to mirror one another’s feelings and experiences. A critic notices that â€Å"by listening to one another’s individual presentation of personal experiences, participants gain a new perspective†¦by listening to the series of such descriptions, they gained the experience of universality† (Herman 1997). As a result, the individual-level change dynamic transmutes into the group-level change. As one witness the effect of trauma, the support group experiences secondary trauma as wounded members relate their experiences and seek emotional support. The incidence of secondary trauma gives rise to empowerment and awareness. Kathie Sarachild formulated the conscious-raising psychotherapy structures specifically for the individual but which could be used â€Å"to ef fect social rather than individual change† (Herman 1997). This method was implemented for rape-victims who were silenced by the violence and trauma inflicted by another. In the scope of social change, political violence is a grave injustice inflicted by one and visited upon the other. A remedial path is a sensitization rather than retaining the silence over the injury. As the public’s consciousness heightens, a cure has to be suggested and taken. The beneficial result is that â€Å"changes at the individual level were being linked with policy processes at the macro level† (Fisher 1997). Conflict Resolution Strengths and Weaknesses In conflict resolution, a strength of the individual to group model application is that groups comprise a conglomerate body in which individual mirroring gradually filters into the group’s ethics. The reasoning is that a group is comprised of individuals and since a group is made up of individuals, then a method aimed at effecting change in an individual can also be applied to the group. However, this method does not factor in the wide diversity of the individuals belonging to a group. One rigid rule utilized for one individual cannot work for a group because this view only facilitates the one-size-fits-all theory which is not socially viable.    References: Fisher, R.J. (1997). Interactive Conflict Resolution, Syracuse University Press, New York. Herman, J.L. (1997). Trauma and Recovery. Basic Books Publishers, New York. Anonymous. (1996). Human Rights in Peace Negotiations, Human Rights Quarterly,18(2), 249- 258. Luttwak, E. (1999).   Give War a Chance, Journal of Foreign Affairs, 78 (4), 36-44 . Accessed 14 December 2011. Strachey, J. (1966). The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis, Vol. 22, Toft, M.D. (2010). Ending Civil Wars: A Case for Rebel Victory, Journal of International Security, 34 (2), 7-36. Paris, R. (2004). At War’s End: Building Peace after Civil Conflict. Cambridge University Press.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Sybil Essay Outline - 800 Words

Sybil was filmed in 1976. Its about a young woman named Sybil Dorsett, who has sixteen personalities and is suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. The movie begins with Sybil, who is a substitute teacher, at a park with children. In the background, theres an old woman pushing her grandchild on a swing; the creaking of the swing cause Sybil to have a flashback from her childhood that led to a blackout. When she regains consciousness, she finds herself standing in water, with no memory of how she got there. She goes to Dr. Cornelia Wilbur who is a psychiatrist. Sybil begins telling her about the blackouts she is experiencing when fears that they are getting worse. Dr. Wilbur gives Sybil a neurological examination and comes to the†¦show more content†¦Vickie presents herself as a French woman who is very classy and well mannered. Vanessa is another identity. She sees the good in everything and has the talent to play the piano beautifully. Dr. Wilbur sees Sybil as an in dividual that needs help and she cares for Sybil as if she is her own daughter. She even grows to loves her. On the other hand, her father and other people view her as a crazy person. Richard Looms, who becomes Sybils boyfriend, initially has very strong feelings for her. When he finds out about her disease and tries to help, he becomes overwhelmed and decides to leave. Dr. Wilbur goes through a series of psychoanalysis sessions, hypnosis, and psychotherapy. The identity disorder that Sybil is diagnosed with did effect her daily life, including her job. In the beginning of the movie, Sybil is working as a substitute teacher in New York City. She began experiencing the blackouts more than once and eventually loses her job. It also affects her social life. She is afraid of hands touching her. She flinches because their gestures remind her of how her mother abused her. She is shy and timid she has to talk to Richard, so she calls on another personality to take over. This gives her the confidence to go out with him. This personality was usually Vickie or Vanessa. The disability was displayed in the negative light because it was affecting Sybil in everyShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Vietnam War1680 Words   |  7 Pagesperceived American imperialism and, secondly, to the respective international policies of five successive American presidents in regards to U.S. military action in Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia. In the following essay I will provide a relatively brief but concise outline of the ways in which these distinct yet interrelated factors contributed to a protracted U.S. military presence in Vietnam. To begin, the North Vietnamese communist represented a new wave of Vietnamese nationalists andRead MoreThe Rich And The Poor1400 Words   |  6 Pagespoor.† Benjamin Disraeli, a former prime minister of Great Britain during the Victorian Era, published these words in the novel â€Å"Sybil, or The Two Nations† as the central definition of the island nation during the Victorian Age. This description having prevailed during the era does little to address the multifaceted social structures encountered during this time. This essay will examine that while the labeling of the Victorian rich and poor as â€Å"Two Nations† is too vague, it is often ambiguous as well

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Important Solutions to Top Essay Topics

Important Solutions to Top Essay Topics Vital Pieces of Top Essay Topics Of course, when you were given a very clear endeavor to write on a specific topic you won't need to wreck your brains looking for something exciting and crucial to dwell on. The pressing issue at this time is selecting a topic. When you are requested to pick a great topic for your argument, start with something you're familiarized with. Who knowsthe solution to that question may be the foundation for your admission essay. 1 key things you have to do if composing your essay is going to be to allow it to be more personal. When prior brainstorming is finished, you can begin drafting your essay. If you must get essays online. A proposal essay is extremely easy to comprehend. Composing a remarkable essay may be described as a small cake if you're feeling inspired. Writing a superb persuasive essay is not an easy job, however, it's achievable. Finding the Best Top Essay Topics It's very likely to make a creative essay in the occasion that you're going to target more regarding the faculty and perhaps not for that institution. Very often it becomes hard to choose a single topic either due to the many ideas in the student's head, or due to their complete absence. Following are several types of essay topics for students that are categorized in many sections so you can easily chose the topic depending on your need and requirement. You might be given the topic straight away by your professor, or maybe you be free to select the topic yourself. In addition, there are daily practice activities on our FB page. With the evolution of new technology it's tricky to warrant the reason to take part in the lecture physically and not via the web. Describe some tasks you've accomplished over the last two years without any connection to academic studies. If you're confused with a selection of interesting topics to research on the web, it's much better to choose what interests you the most. The Upside to Top Essay Topics As you're producing a school essay it's inadequate just in case you publish it into simple phrases. The principal body should be broken into a collection of logically connected paragraphs, each presenting a specific point. It's important to select debatable argumentative essay topics as you need opposing points that you could counter to your own points. When it has to do with writing, you always have a chance to learn, and it is far better to learn from the very best of the very best. The 5-Minute Rule for Top Essay Topics When you own a list before your eyes, it is going to be much easier to compose your mind and begin considering a specific matter. Well, the response isn't too obvious here. Naturally, you can decide on any topic, nobody could possibly know that you're describing experience that you never actually had, but don't forget that it is always simpler to tell the truth than to invent lies. When you're picking your topic, remember that it's much simpler to write about something which you presently have interest ineven in case you don't know a great deal about it. It's very likely to compose an essay about a particular information that you have bear in mind and center. You may believe that interesting essay titles do all of the work, enabling you to add obvious examples and share ordinary ideas. The fashion, voice and topic of your personal essay should find the punch to make the audience consider. Your solution shouldn't be a book report. Every word counts and your final mark might vary very hard is dependent on your abilities and very good quotation you use. Such essays shall have a good deal of quo tations, based just on facts and laws, and show no more than the actual picture of the instance. How Joseph Smith had plural marriage relationships isn't new, naturally. Also, be certain to check at the word in a sentence to be conscious of the way it relates to other words. The Birth of Top Essay Topics You don't need to find super technical with legal argumentative essays, but make sure you do your homework on what the present laws about your preferred topic actually say. Pick an intriguing essay topic, and you are going to start enjoying it. Whether you are searching for good narrative essay topics or aren't certain how to choose the most appropriate one from the list of good descriptive essay topics, make sure to assess our topics' selection as we guarantee you will definitely find something to fulfill your requirements. Taking into account that lots of persuasive essays concern controversial topics, before writing, you can want to sit down and think of what your opinion o n the topic actually is. Ultimately, if you are supposed to write and essay but have very little knowledge or interest in the topic, remember that there are lots of custom essay writers which will gladly do the task for you. At any time you catch yourself feeling captivated by a person's essay or article, take a close look at it. In the event you decide you must speak about one of the cliche essay topics mentioned previously, a superior method to tell a more prevalent story is to concentrate on one specific moment and build from that point. There are a lot of intriguing topics that could be become a persuasive essay if you take the opportunity to consider about doing it.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Role Of Psychological Assessment On Counseling And...

QUESTION NUMBER TWO Area of knowledge: Assessment Discuss the role of psychological assessment in counseling or clinical practice. What are the strengths and weaknesses inherent in formal psychological testing? Why might you choose formal psychological testing techniques and for what types of clients? What limitations should be considered: Are there different considerations for objective and subjective assessment techniques? The Role of Psychological Assessment in Counseling or Clinical Practice Psychological assessments measure and evaluate information that clients give to psychologists as a result of responses to tests, questions, etc. The psychologist or therapist administers and interprets tools they use in order to measure things such as the client’s status, condition or level of functioning. There are numerous assessment tools such as neuropsychological tests that measure deficits in cognitive functioning and specific clinical issues. Psychological assessments are critical in counseling and clinical practice for various reasons. Psychologists tend to specialize in: observation, interviews, questioning, listening, interpreting, recording of behaviors, and guiding clients through self-reflection sessions to assist them in discovering their strengths and guiding them in addressing their challenges. However, each assessment is unique, and the purpose of assessments varies considerably between those that assess a person s emotional, interpersonal, social, self-careShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Psychological Assessment On Counseling And Clinical Practice1675 Words   |  7 PagesNUMBER TWO Assessment Discuss the role of psychological assessment in counseling or clinical practice. What are the strengths and weaknesses inherent in formal psychological testing? Why might you choose formal psychological testing techniques and for what types of clients? What limitations should be considered: Are there different considerations for objective and subjective assessment techniques? The Role of Psychological Assessment in Counseling or Clinical Practice Psychological assessment assessesRead MoreCounseling Articles: Clinical Supervision Essay878 Words   |  4 PagesCounseling Articles: Clinical Supervision: Tony Bush wrote an article regarding overcoming the hindrances to effective clinical supervision, which was published in Nursing Times website. Bush’s publication was influenced by the fact that clinical supervision is one of the most commonly misunderstood practices in contemporary nursing. However, clinical supervision provides a supportive and nurturing service to nurse practitioners by assisting them to critically reflect on the actions during theRead MoreEvaluation Of Counseling As Assessment And Diagnosis1116 Words   |  5 PagesWhiston in section three of her book provided an in-depth analysis of applications and issues of assessments in counseling as assessment and diagnosis are vital concepts in the counseling process. It therefore becomes imperative for differing counselors to understand formal diagnostic procedures and the fact that â€Å"diagnosis is the prevalence of individuals with significant psychological difficulties† (p. 296). Diagnostic systems a re used to provide professionals with a general language governingRead MoreAn Effective Model Of Addiction Rehabilitation996 Words   |  4 Pagesrehabilitation, there are still aspects that leave room for the possibility of improvement. The model is based on the idea that many factors can play an equal role in contributing to a disease. Some have criticized the model due to the fact that some diseases involve few psychological or social factors. Although this is rarely the case for addiction counseling, some still believe that a distribution of focus on multiple issues may reduce the ability to focus on the issues that present the largest presentingRead MoreEthical issues in counseling Practice Essay775 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Ethical issues In Counseling Practice Ethics are a vital component of Counseling. It helps keep Professional Counselors accountable to their clients, and to the state board. Let’s first start with the definition of ethics† Are guidelines or rules set by a governing body or society.. 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Monday, December 9, 2019

Pathology Arises Out Fo The Ex Essay Example For Students

Pathology Arises Out Fo The Ex Essay Concepts of pathology, as treated by the traditions of clinical psychology and psychiatry, define what is normal and abnormal in human behaviour. Various psychological paradigms exist today, each emphasising diverse ways of defining and treating psyopathology. Most commonly utilised is the medical model which is limited in many respects, criticised for reducing patients problems to a list of pathological symptoms that have a primarily biological base and which are to be treated behaviourally or pharmacologically (Schwartz Wiggins 1999). Such reductionistic positivist ways of viewing the individual maintain the medical discourse of borderline personality, schizoid, paranoid or clinically depressed, often failing to address the wider socio-ltural environment of the individual. Pilgrim (1992) suggests that such diagnostic pidgeon-holing does not enhance humanity, nor aid those who are dealing with the distressed individual to find meaning. It also neglects to consider life beyond the p hysical, failing to address the more philosophical questions that abound from our very existence. Existential psychiatry and psychology arose in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s as a direct response to the dissatisfaction with prevailing efforts to gain scientific understanding in psychiatry (Binswanger 1963). Existentialism is the title of a set of philosophical ideas that emphasise the existence of the human being, the lack of meaning and purpose in life and the solitude of human existence. Existentialism stresses the jeopardy of life, the voidness of human reality and admits that the human being thrown into the world, a world in which pain, frustration, sickness, contempt, malaise and death dominates (Barnes 1962). How one positions oneself in that world becomes the focus for existential notions of pathology, a responsibility that is present forevery human being, not one confined to the mentally ill. In this sense the human being is response-able to the existential predicament that is life and the necessary struggles that arise through negotiating these conditions in every lived moment. In this essay I will give a brief outline of the history of existential thinkers, then discuss how the existential challenge emphasises ones freedom of choice of being-in-the-world and how ultimately one must take responsibility for how one reacts to the givens of existence. I will outline how these predicaments of life can precipitate anxiety, guilt, inertia and the loss of will; that facing the responsibilities to the givens and choices in existence can cause ontological anxiety, a natural reaction to living authentically, and the problems incurred when one avoids tackling these predicaments and contradictions, thus living inauthentically or choosing to withdraw into a solitary world. The existential notion of pathology will be contrasted with thatof the positivist approach. During the Second World War existentialism found its zenith of popularity, a time when Europe was in crisis, faced with mass death and destruction. Existentialism provides a moving account of the agony of being thrown into the world, perhaps appealing the times of intense confusion, despair and rootlesssness caused by the War and its aftermath. In the 19th century existential thought is found in the writings of Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), Friederich Neitzche (1844-1900), Fyodor Dostoyevoski (1821-1881) and later Jean-Paul Satre (1905-1980), all of whom were opposed to the predominant philosophies, and scientific dogmas, of their time and committed to exploring the experience of reality in a passionate and personal manner. The birth of modern existentialism can be attributed to Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), whos thinking was applied to psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis by Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), Ludwig Binswanger (1881-1966) and Medard Boss (1903- 1990). The movement a ttempted to gain a sense of the subjective phenomena of mental illness using existential concepts (Owen 1994). In America psychotherapists May and Yalom (1984) formulated their unique type of existential psychotherapy, as did Frankl (1963) in Austria th logotherapy, and also Laing (1960), working with schizophrenics, in the anti-psychiatry movement in Britain. Ironically many of the writers celebrated as existentialists deny to be grouped together as one school of thought, agreeing wholly on all concepts, thus a diverse collection of tenets are represented under the umbrella of existentialism. Arising from a deeply philosophical root of ideas existentialism explores the experience of existence, asking what does it mean to be in this world. Concerned with ontology, rather than aetiology, existential theorists avoid