Existential-humanistic therapists have traditionally avoided case conceptualization and treatment planning on the basis of practical, philosophical, and epistemological grounds (Hoffman & Cleare-Hoffman, 2017b). For instance, existential-humanistic therapists have voiced concern that case conceptualization and, in particularly, problem identification can lead to unnecessarily pathologizing
... [Show full abstract] clients. Similarly, therapists have voiced concern that case conceptualization and treatment planning is often a hierarchical process reflecting something that therapist do to their clients without their participation, and sometimes without their awareness or consent. Concern has also been expressed that case conceptualization and treatment planning may narrow the focus of therapy thereby cutting off important emergent issues and possibilities. However, the lack of a structured approach to case conceptualization and treatment planning also has created limitations in training and supervision contexts while impeding outcome research on the effectiveness of existential-humanistic therapy. This workshop begins with an overview of the purpose and limitations relevant to doing case conceptualization and treatment planning in an existential-humanistic therapy context. Next, we review research conducted to begin developing a model of existential-humanistic case conceptualization and treatment planning (Cleare-Hoffman & Hoffman, 2017; Hoffman & Cleare-Hoffman, 2017a, 2017b), which includes identifying key influences on the development existential-humanistic therapy; identifying key content to including in existential-humanistic problem identification, case conceptualization, and treatment planning; and identifying key process considerations in existential-humanistic problem identification, case conceptualization, and treatment planning. After reviewing the research, we will briefly discuss the next steps in the research process toward finalizing an approach. The last third of the workshop will focus on applying the concepts to one or more cases to illustrate a potential approach to existential-humanistic case conceptualization and treatment planning.