Experiencing Change: A Phenomenological Exploration

Authors

  • Ernesto Spinelli Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65828/yqqn3j78

Keywords:

Spontaneously accepted change, reflectively accepted change, reflectively troubling or rejected change, change polarity of disruption/continuity, death anxiety

Abstract

This paper explores the experience of change from a phenomenologically-attuned perspective. It proposes three variants of change experience, of which the third, those change experiences that are reflectively troubling and deemed to be destructive, undesirable, and debilitating, is particularly pertinent to therapeutic practice. Further, the paper explores various paradoxes and polarities associated with the experience of change and considers what factors may be involved that shift our relationship to change from that of being unwanted and dangerous towards that of a reflective willingness 'to meet' change experiences and engage with their existential possibilities.

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References

Beckett, S. (1983), Worstward Ho!: 7. London: John Calder.

Bettelheim, B. & Rosenfeld, A. A. (1993). The Art of the Obvious: developing insight for psychotherapy and everyday life.London: Thames And Hudson.

Farber, L. (2000). The Ways Of The Will: Selected Essays. New York: Basic Books.

Spinelli, E. (1997). Tales of Un-Knowing: Therapeutic Encounters from an Existential Perspective.London: Duckworth.

Spinelli, E. (2014). Practising Existential Therapy: The Relational World, 2nd edition. London: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781036235338

Contact: esa@plexworld.com

Published

2015-01-01

Cite This Article

Experiencing Change: A Phenomenological Exploration. (2015). Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 26(1), 4-20. https://doi.org/10.65828/yqqn3j78
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