There are some important issues in marital counselling which are discoursed in Existential thought.
These issues are freedom, time, human communication, meaning of life, and anxiety, which are shared by the
existential counsellors and philosophers. Even though there are full potentials of the existential issues to be applied
during counselling sessions, most of them are ignored by couple counsellors. The purpose of this article is to
highlight these issues as the key concepts in four different counselling theories of Existential thought. We found
that, each theory used only certain issues as the key concepts. Therefore, this study gathers all of the applied
existential issues for a future comprehensive marital counselling model. Applying these issues together seems to be
a brilliant function for quality of matrimony.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theories in Existential Counselling
3. Existential Issues for the Quality of Matrimony
a. Existential I-You Communication
b. Existential Freedom
c. Existential Meaning of life
d. Existential Time
e. Existential Anxiety
4. Conclusion and Suggestions
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this study is to identify and integrate key existential concepts into a comprehensive counselling model designed to enhance the quality of marital life for couples who do not suffer from clinical mental disorders.
- The application of existential theories to marital relationship quality.
- The role of existential communication (I-You vs. I-It) in couple dialogue.
- The function of freedom, responsibility, and meaning in marital decision-making.
- The temporal dimensions of existence (past, present, and future) in marriage.
- The constructive utilization of existential anxiety to foster deeper connection.
Excerpt from the Book
a. Existential I-You Communication
One of the essential issues in Existential thought is being in different communicational situations based on the I-You communication and I-It communication. Martin Buber (1958), known as the existential philosopher of dialogue, believes that the world of human beings has two kinds of communications, namely the I–You communication and I–It communication. From Existential thought, ‘It’ has only essence but ‘you’ as ‘I’ exists, and this creates the essence during his life when making communication with others (Heidegger, 1962; Macquarrie, 1972; Sartre, 1953). Moreover, ‘You’ and ‘I’ are unique, singular and irreplaceable; however, ‘It’ is replaceable and is not singular or unique (Sartre, 1953). Furthermore, matters which are referred by ‘It’, unlike human beings, are without aspiration. They cannot try, or hope, or wish, or long to be other than they are. Hence, they never expect human beings to pay attention to them because they do not have any feelings like human beings. Indeed, the I–You communication is an interaction between two human beings, whereas the I-It communication is between human beings and animals, or human beings and objects.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter establishes the necessity of existential counselling in addressing marital satisfaction and highlights the current gap in training for non-pathological couples.
2. Theories in Existential Counselling: This section reviews the four primary existential theories—Daseinsanalysis, Logotherapy, American Existential Humanistic theory, and the British School of Existential Analysis—to extract core concepts.
3. Existential Issues for the Quality of Matrimony: This chapter analyzes five core existential concepts (I-You communication, Freedom, Meaning, Time, and Anxiety) and their specific applications in strengthening marital bonds.
4. Conclusion and Suggestions: The final section proposes the integration of these existential issues into a unified model for marital quality and suggests future experimental research in this field.
Keywords
Existential thought, existential issues, marital counselling, quality of matrimony, Daseinsanalysis, Logotherapy, existential freedom, I-You communication, existential meaning, existential time, existential anxiety, marital satisfaction, authentic existence, human encounter, psychological vacuum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on applying existential philosophy and therapeutic concepts to marital counselling to improve the quality of relationships for couples without clinical mental health issues.
Which theoretical frameworks are analyzed in the work?
The study examines Daseinsanalysis, Logotherapy, the American Existential Humanistic theory, and the British School of Existential Analysis.
What is the primary objective of the proposed model?
The goal is to create a comprehensive, unified existential model that helps spouses increase awareness regarding love, fidelity, caring, and meaning to reduce marital alienation.
What scientific methodology is utilized?
The work is a review-based study that analyzes existing existential counselling theories to synthesize a new, applied model for marital therapy.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It provides a detailed breakdown of five existential pillars: I-You communication, freedom, the meaning of life, time, and anxiety, explaining how each contributes to a healthier marriage.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include existential thought, marital counselling, I-You communication, existential freedom, meaning of life, and quality of matrimony.
How does existential counselling define "I-You" communication?
It is defined as a reciprocal, mutual interaction between two unique human beings that creates a genuine "dialogue," contrasted with "I-It" communication which treats the other as an object.
Why is anxiety considered potentially beneficial in this context?
Rather than viewing it only as a negative emotion, the paper suggests that normal existential anxiety acts as a catalyst for individualization and authentic choice-making in relationships.
How does the author characterize the role of "Time" in marriage?
Time is seen as a reciprocal element; the past provides a "storehouse" of meanings, while the present and future offer opportunities for spouses to act with responsibility and purpose.
What is the significance of "Existence precedes essence" in the marital context?
It emphasizes that spouses are not static objects but are constantly in a state of becoming, allowing them the freedom to redefine their relationship through their choices.
- Quote paper
- Seyed Mohammad Kalantarkousheh (Author), Siti Aishah Hassan (Author), Rusnani Abdul Kadir (Author), Mansor Abu Talib (Author), 2011, Manifestation of Existential Issues As a Brilliant Function for Quality of Matrimony, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/182591
