The Anguish of Freedom: Using an Existential Approach With Arab Immigrants

Abstract

Influxes of Arab immigrants and refugees have contributed to the growth of the Arab American population. Migration can trigger feelings of alienation and isolation, identity confusion, and loss of meaning. This article uses an existential framework to explore this population's culture and pre‐ and postmigration stressors and to better conceptualize their needs.

Will to Masculinity: An Existential Examination of Men's Issues

“…While existentialism is not a gender‐dependent approach, situating masculinity within particular counseling theories has been identified as a best practice when working with men (Mahalik, Good, Tager, Levant, & Mackowiak, ). Additionally, the present work is not the first example of theorists applying an existential‐humanist lens to working with particular populations (e.g., Barker, ; Basma & Gibbons, ; Bellin, ; Vereen et al, ). Existentialism is considered to be an aspect of the larger humanistic approach to counseling, largely because of the shared emphases on both the value and the irreducibility of human beings (Basma & Gibbons, ; Scholl et al, ).…”

“…Additionally, the present work is not the first example of theorists applying an existential-humanist lens to working with particular populations (e.g., Barker, 2011;Basma & Gibbons, 2016;Bellin, 2017;Vereen et al, 2017). Existentialism is considered to be an aspect of the larger humanistic approach to counseling, largely because of the shared emphases on both the value and the irreducibility of human beings (Basma & Gibbons, 2016;Scholl et al, 2014). The goal of existential counseling is an authentic being in the world, which requires that people become aware of themselves and the responsibility they have for their choices (Bauman & Waldo, 1998;Miars, 2002).…”

Uncanny Phenomenon: Existential Experiences Among Iranian International Students

“…The experience of crossing cultures can trigger feelings of meaninglessness, confusion, and isolation (Basma & Gibbons, 2016). Events such as New Year's Day or becoming ill can deepen one's sense of loneliness or meaning of life, which may not be alleviated even with social support (Sawir et al, 2008).…”

“…Existential crises often occur when individuals experience high-anxiety periods, situational crisis (Andrews, 2016), or life-threatening situations that confront them with death (Yalom, 1980). International migration can trigger existential concerns because the challenges migrants experience can touch upon various underlying existential meanings, including: (a) loneliness (Sawir et al, 2008); (b) confusion about sense of identity, and the meaning of life (Arthur & Popadiuk, 2010;Russo-Netzer, et al, 2019); (c) the loss of loved ones and material belongings (Basma & Gibbons, 2016); and (d) cultural identification and membership (Brown & Brown, 2012).…”

“…The losses and crises associated with migration may in fact prompt individuals to reflect on their existence. They may come face-to-face with their inevitable existential isolation, having to find meaning in suffering, ultimate freedom, and having to take responsibility for their lives (Basma & Gibbons, 2016). However, despite the well-established importance of understanding and facing these concerns, and the fact that cross-cultural transitions may give rise to them, there is little in the form of research exploring how international students experience them.…”