Abstract
The current chapter draws on Irvin Yalom’s (Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books, New York, 1980) theoretical existential model to examine how the transition to parenthood confronts first-time mothers and fathers with ultimate concerns: death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. The underlying formula of existential psychodynamics, as described by Yalom, includes awareness of ultimate concerns, the awakening of anxiety, and the activation of defense mechanisms. The chapter demonstrates the way in which the challenges associated with the transition to parenthood arouse these concerns, and a therapeutic intervention model based on existential concepts is proposed. We shall present two clinical examples in the following chapter. The first is of a young woman carrying her first pregnancy after losing her beloved mother. Her condition forces her to confront basic concerns that include her mortality, the temporality of life and the lack of meaning. This situation elicits severe anxiety as well as difficulties regarding her personal identity. The second case deals with a young man who recently became a father. He is confronted with serious issues such as: His broad social responsibilities as opposed to his narrow narcissistic concerns. He is also occupied with searching for new meaning in his present life. His new experiences lead him to much despair anxiety and confusion. We shall illustrate how we guide our clients’ particularly those whose resources are limited, through the transition to parenthood, while employing the model that we propose.
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Levin-Keini, N., Ben Shlomo, S. (2019). Confronting Existential Concerns in the Transition to Parenthood: A Theoretical and Therapeutic Model. In: Taubman – Ben-Ari, O. (eds) Pathways and Barriers to Parenthood. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24864-2_14
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