A Student\u27s Search for Meaning: The Creation of an Existential Therapy Models Course for Clinical Psychology Graduate Students

This writer explores the process of creating a models course which introduces the foundations of existential therapy to graduate students in clinical psychology programs. The first section of this paper presents the rationale for developing such a course, especially in the context of the contemporary call in the field of clinical psychology for evidence-based treatment. This author discusses how this course is pertinent specifically for the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver as well as necessary at large for any clinical psychology program to claim and maintain competency in psychological theory. The second section of this paper delves into the present state of research on best practice for teaching at the graduate level in clinical psychology. The current literature on pedagogy informs the philosophical and practical underpinnings of the proposed curriculum for the outlined existential therapy models course. The third section delineates the projected plan for the course, including the philosophical core of the course, goals and objectives, syllabus, required readings, additional readings, and films. Finally, in the fourth section, this writer explores the limitations of the proposed course and future directions for the teaching and incorporation of existential therapy in clinical psychology. This author presents a comprehensive foundation for faculty members and clinical directors in the field of psychology who are interested in developing a similar existential therapy models course for their programs