The Schopenhauer Cure

The Sch yieldhauer Cure Alyssa K. Engblom Winona State University In the book The Schopenhauer Cure, Yalom portrays a crowd therapist, Julius, who usages a variety of conference facilitation techniques in order for the multitude to be run effectively. The first technique Julius uses in the stem is to switch the revolve around from marrow to process. Julius intervened by using the assort therapists nigh common and most effective tactiche switched the tension from the content to the process, that is, away from the words beingness spoken to the nature of the relationship of the interacting divorceies (Yalom, 2005, p. 132).During this scenario, clean is imprint insecure about herself and confronts Rebecca about preening for the men in the group. Phillip is unsounded new to the group, and the different members atomic number 18 non as well sure what to commemorate of him yet. In order for the group to be refoc employ, Julius tells every single to take a blackguard back and to learn to understand whats happening. Let me first target out this question to for distributively whizz of you what do you gather going on in the relationship amidst h mavenst and Rebecca? (Yalom, 2005, p. 132). Julius does not want every genius to focus solely on what Bonnie and Rebecca argon saying to each other, scarce rather on their relationship with each other.The second technique Julius uses is to put up group members focus on the Here and Now. An mangle-shoot of the Here and Now technique is to invite members of the group talk directly to each other, instead of public lecture about them. Julius had done what the good group therapist should do he had translated one of his patients central issues into the here(predicate)-and-now, where it could be explored firsthand. It was always much(prenominal) productive to focus on the here-and-now than to work on the patients reconstructions of an detail from the past or from current outside life (Yalom, 2005, p . 158).During this group meeting, Julius is trying to get to the root of wherefore Bonnie feels that everyone else is more worthful or more important to the group than her. However, all of her explanations are all external and the other group members feel that her answers are regressive or dont make sense. Julius then moves into another technique. In his construe the work in therapy consisted of two phases first interaction, often emotional, and second, judgment that interaction. Thats the way therapy should proceedan alternating sequence of evocation of emotions and then understanding (Yalom, 2005, p. 60). To get to this second stage, Julius asks the group to look back at what occurred in the past few minutes. He was trying to get Bonnie to apprehend that she takes situations or comments and then punishes herself with them. The third technique Julius taught to his group therapy students was Members should never be punished for self-disclosure. On the contrary, risk taking must always be supported and reinforced (Yalom, 2005, p. 218). At this point in the book, the group members are upset at Gill for not telling them sooner that he has a drinking problem.They are angry that he was blaming all his difficulties on his wife, Rose, and not talking about the real problem. Julius then goes on to use a fourth facilitation technique, Horizontal vs. Vertical Disclosure. Julius always taught students the difference between vertical and plane self-disclosure. The group was pressing, as evaluate, for vertical disclosure details about the past, including such queries as the scope and the duration of his drinkingwhereas horizontal disclosure, that is, disclosure about the disclosure, was always far more productive (Yalom, 2005, p. 19). He then asks Gill what made it possible for him to open up to them at this spellicular meeting. At the beginning of the story, Philip did not calculate like an appeal genius. However, by the end of the book and afterward I got to k now his character a bit more, I could get hold true strengths peeking out. Philip is an extremely intelligent, bright, and affiliated individual. He was dedicated to finding a solution to his sexual addiction, and worked serious to achieve the result he desired. In the group experience, he offered up bits of advice to the other members.The advice may not live helped them extensively, but at least he was trying to contribute. Philip also challenged the other members of the group as tumesce as Julius. His person-to-personity was not very inviting, but this forced the others (and Julius) to try harder to understand him and what made him tick. When Pam returns to the group from her retreat, the mood immediately becomes darker when she sees Philip in her cosy group. She does not feel comfortable having him in the group because he had caused her so much pain in the past.Julius found it hard to find pardon for Philip, but he tried to identify with him to try to understand why he wo uld oblige done the things he did. Tony sided with Pam and questioned some of Philips statements, whereas Rebecca defended Philip against Tonys attacks. Stuart also seemed to protect Philip against Tonys attacks. He reminded Tony that he hadnt seemed inexorable for his sexual assault charges in the past. At the end of this confrontational chapter, Pam behaved towards Philip as if he were invisible.Farther on into the role changes, Pam revealed that she felt defiled that Philip was a part of her group. He was also, in a way, taking away her role as the intellectual of the group. In order to handle these various changes, Julius tries to understand where each person is coming from, whether it is Pam, Philip, Tony, etc. Additionally, he made sure that each group member voiced what they were feeling and if they were comfortable with how the group was proceeding. Bonnie and Rebecca each have different things to say about their own viewer and attractiveness. Bonnie does not believe that she is attractive in any way.She feels that she isnt interesting or worth anyones time. In her words, Bonnie was the curt fat girl in your grade-school classroom. Very chubby, very clumsy, hair too curly. The one who was pathetic in gym, got the fewest valentines, cried a lot, never had best friends, always walked home alone, never had a prom invitation, was so frightened that she never raised her hand in class even though she was smart as hell and knew all the right answers (Yalom, 2005, p. 129-130). She even mentioned that Rebecca was the face of person she envied and wished she could be.Some of those feelings are plausibly still raw for Bonnie. Those feelings were recreated in the group when Rebecca started preening for Philip when he entered the group as a new member. Rebecca, on the other hand, used to stop conversation when she walked into restaurants. She never had to worry about feeling unattractive or unwanted. However, now that she is getting older, her outward beaut y is weaken from what it used to be. She no longer stops conversation like she used to. Philip seems to sum it up perfectly Bonnie and Rebecca have similar afflictions.Bonnie cannot reserve being unpopular, whereas Rebecca cannot tolerate being no longer popular Happiness, for the some(prenominal) of them, lies in the hands and heads of others. And for both the solution is the same the more one has in oneself, the less one leave want from others (Yalom, 2005, p. 157). As the group gives Bonnie and Rebecca feedback, the criticism is not always taken happily. The comments sting, but they do help both women. Rebecca realizes that she likes to be admired, loved, and adored. She likes love. She then goes on later to dispute why she relates more with men than with women.In her discussion with Bonnie, she admits that she finds it more exciting to link up to men or to date rather than spend time with girlfriends. later on this group discussion and feedback session about why Bonnie an d Rebecca reply the way they do to beauty/attention, they both seem to be more aware of their unconscious actions or why they seem to do certain actions. When Pam first returned to the group after her retreat, it was a huge shock to see Philip sitting in the room. Im sure she never expected to see the man who made her life so confusing and nettled at just age 18.Pam was extremely upset and did not seem to have any inclination towards ever forgiving Philip for what he did to her, as well as to her friend Molly. Philip did not even seem to have any emotions about the whole situation, which was frustrating for the whole group. How could anyone not have any emotion about such an important confrontation? all over the course of the group, Philip showed small changes in his expression. He started to make eye-contact and use the group members names when addressing them in conversation. Pam starts to acknowledge Philip in the conversation eventually, though it was heated.On scallywag 29 0, Philip and Pam get into an argument. In response to Pams assertion that some things are not forgivable, Philip says, Because you are unforgiving does not mean that things are unforgivable. many years ago you and I made a short-term brotherly contract I explicitly stated in our conversation undermentioned that event that I had a pleasurable evening but did not wish to continue our relationship. How could I not have been clearer? (Yalom, 2005, p. 290-291). In a meeting a few weeks later, Pam receives a lot of feedback from the group concerning her hydrophobia and why exactly the decided to have an affair with Tony.Philip observes that she honors contracts when it suits her. When Philip broke off their social contract, Pam was livid, but when she broke off her social contract with Tony, she didnt seem to have many emotions about the situation at all. by and by this particular meeting, Philip could not keep his mind off of Pam. Later on, Pam explains that it is easier for her to acquit others because she wasnt a personal victim of their offenses. With Philip, her life was altered by what happened. But theres more. I can forgive others here because theyve shown remorse and, above all, because theyve changed (Yalom, 2005, p. 16). Philip eventually confesses to everyone that he thought about Pam after the previous session. It was the first time he had actually opened himself up to everyone. On page 328, Philip actually admits to needing therapy, because he needs to get his intentions and his behavior on the same page. He needs to be congruent. Ultimately, Philip breaks down when he describes what he thinks he truly is A monster. A predator. Alone. An insect killer. in effect(p) of blind rage. An untouchable. No one who has known me has loved me. Ever. No one could love me (Yalom, 2005, p. 334).Pam shows great strength and kindness when she comforts Philip. I could have loved you Philip. You were the most beautiful man (Yalom, 2005, p. 334-335). After Julius died and the group members went their ramify ways, Philip, Pam, and Tony all stuck together. Through all the feedback, criticism, and hard-work, Pam and Philip were able to move past the event of the past and live in the present. When in a working group, one does not only focus on his or her own problems. severally group member brings different life experiences, opinions, and feedback to the table.This creates a unique surround in which each member can receive feedback from more than one person. Members may receive advice or feel a bond they great power not have had with the group leader/one-on-one therapist. Most of the 12 universal healing factors appear in The Schopenhauer Cure, but I will only discuss a few of them. Instillation of hope and universality seem to go hand-in-hand with each other. As the members of this group talked about their personal problems and fears, they discovered that other members shared some of these same problems and fears. This gave them hope that they could potentially overcome these issues.Altruism is an especially helpful factor for Bonnie. The other members helped her put her conceit issues into perspective and to see that she is, indeed, important. Pam used Catharsis when she recapped her traumatic experience with Philip. This probably lifted a huge weight off her shoulders of the event being a secret. The positive response of the group members to support her after her plea brought them together even more. Group cohesiveness played an extensive part in this novel. Without a cohesive or trust-worthy group, nobody would ever open up and reveal their problems.When various members, Gill, Pam, Tony, Rebecca, etc. , revealed potentially humiliating education about themselves, it was essential that they trusted their fellow group members to keep the instruction confidential. The Schopenhauer Cure was an excellent example of a working group. It was great to see the different techniques used in diverse scenarios throughout th e book. Without these examples, I wouldnt have the good outline of how a group works that I do today. Reference Yalom, I. D. (2005). The Schopenhauer Cure. New York, NY HarperCollins Publishers.