Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 320 Existentialism's Focus on the Present
Existentialism?
Teacher Zhao shook her head, looking confused.

Nan Zhuren was not surprised by that look in his eyes.

As mentioned before, psychology is currently in a stage of "a hundred schools of thought contending".

Before some of the more representative "three major forces" and so-called "ten major schools of thought" have been fully integrated, many more niche schools of thought have sprung up like mushrooms after rain in the process of psychological counseling and psychotherapy.

Of course, these schools of thought are considered "niche" not because they are ineffective, but because their applicability is somewhat limited.

The "existentialist school" that Nan Zhuren is talking about now is one of them, and it is very suitable for Teacher Zhao's current situation.

……

"Teacher Nan, could you elaborate on this [existentialism]?" Teacher Zhao asked.

Most recent graduates with formal academic training are proficient in a particular mainstream school of thought—because schools will arrange related courses, and even postgraduate entrance exams require memorization.

They know very little about niche genres.

Nan Zhuren explained: "Existentialism and your behaviorism are quite different. In a sense, you could even say they are opposites—because the theoretical foundation of existentialism comes directly from philosophy, such as Nietzsche and Sartre."

His first words made Teacher Zhao blink.

Psychology is a very subtle discipline. It emerged from philosophy but was eventually categorized as a natural science, containing a large number of conflicting theories, which is why there is such a "hundred schools of thought" within the discipline.

Among the various schools of thought, behaviorism marked the beginning of psychology's shift from philosophy towards the natural sciences, because behaviorism advocates experimental observation and the use of objective indicators to measure results—even today, behaviorism can be considered one of the "most scientific" schools of thought in psychology.

The "existentialism" that Nan Zhuren is talking about now is almost the other extreme.

"To put it simply, existentialism does not seek to 'eliminate symptoms,' but rather helps visitors to re-understand life and find their own answers by confronting fundamental questions of human existence—such as freedom, responsibility, loneliness, death, and a sense of meaninglessness."

"Its core therapeutic principles include four points: 'focusing on the present moment,' 'exploring the root cause of the problem,' 'emphasizing responsibility and autonomy,' and 'accepting rather than eliminating anxiety.'"

If Nan Zhuren were addressing a visitor, he certainly wouldn't provide such a systematic and detailed explanation. For the average visitor, such an approach would do more harm than good.

Teacher Zhao hesitated for a moment: "Teacher Nan, this sounds a bit like 'humanistic psychology'? But I work in 'behavioral psychology'... What I mean is, I haven't even mastered 'behavioral psychology' yet, and now I'm trying to learn 'existentialism'... Will that be...?"

Are you worried about going astray in your practice?

Nan Zhuren shook his head and changed the subject: "Teacher Zhao, you also work in counseling, so do you remember what the first step in counseling is?"

Teacher Zhao blinked, and the feeling of being supervised by her mentor during her time at school immediately came through.

She tentatively replied, "...Gathering information?"

"So, in order to gather information, what do we need?"

Very well, this feeling of being bombarded with questions is becoming more familiar. Teacher Zhao's tone has even become a little insecure: "...establishing a good consulting relationship?"

Nan Zhuren nodded: "But do you know that the practice of 'building a good relationship with visitors' was proposed by humanism?"

Teacher Zhao: "...?!!"

Nan Zhuren continued, "And you just pointed out that you were defensive multiple times during our consultation, right?" Teacher Zhao nodded.

Nan Zhuren smiled and said, "But the concept of 'defense' is also a concept of 'psychoanalysis'."

This is a very simple thing. If it is not pointed out by others, it will go unnoticed. But once it is pointed out, it is like a sudden enlightenment.

Teacher Zhao understood what Nan Zhuren was going to say.

"As psychological counseling has developed to this point, although... there are still many internal voices, every counselor today has a combination of multiple schools of thought, which is a kind of progress."

"As for your concern that you might not learn the behavior well enough and get your thinking distorted..." Nan Zhuren smiled, "Isn't that how many niche schools of thought came about? Maybe you can even start your own school in the future."

After hearing this, there were no more questions.

Teacher Zhao smiled sheepishly, adjusted her attitude, and stopped worrying about it.

Her attention began to turn to more professional matters: "Why did Professor Nan think that existentialism was the right approach for my situation?"

Nan Zhuren extended one finger.

"First of all, existential therapy is based on philosophical thought, so it has high requirements for the quality of the client. It also requires the client to have a deep self-awareness and be able to reflect frequently—this is very suitable for you."

This statement is also a form of support, meaning "Existentialism is something most people don't have the intelligence to use; the fact that you can use it shows you're a highly educated person!"

Teacher Zhao pursed her lips, suppressing the urge to smile.

Then Nan Zhuren extended his second finger.

"Secondly, existentialism does not insist on solving problems—unfortunately, your current problem is indeed unsolvable."

Nan Zhuren sighed: "You've taken this position, and from your conversation just now, you don't seem to have any intention of resigning, so you can't escape your current environment; at the same time, you can't change the college entrance exam, change parents' perceptions, or change your work environment on your own."

From this perspective, existentialism is like a compromise that "takes a step back".

But it also fits the situation that most people face when they encounter problems today—if they could just leave whenever they wanted, who would stay and endure the pressure until they have psychological problems?
Nan Zhuren then extended his third finger.

"Finally, there's existentialism's emphasis on 'focusing on the present.' This is also the most important and direct reason: 'In our conversation just now, Professor Zhao, you seemed quite attached to the 'past.'"

Nan Zhuren recalled in detail: "You were confessed to by a student, which affected your attitude towards the opposite sex, and even towards students."

"You experience setbacks at work and with students, which leads to feelings of frustration and helplessness."

"And—you are very attached to your abilities and achievements during your school years, and believe that the quality of your counseling to students now must not be lower than before."

Nan Zhuren looked into Teacher Zhao's eyes: "These are all things that happened in your 'past' and have had an impact on your 'present'."

“But when you are describing them ‘at the present moment’,” Nan Zhuren said slowly, “you have defended yourself, and you have even defended against the defense.”

"This is the most urgent and pressing problem that needs to be solved."

(End of this chapter)