CONTEMPORARY COUNSELING FOR CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK BASED ON OTTO RANK’S PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC APPROACH

Abstract

This paper presents a counseling framework based on Otto Rank’s Will Therapy, highlighting its contemporary relevance. While exploring personalized therapeutic solutions, the proposed counseling model connects to a more holistic and flexible approach within the Existential-Humanistic perspective. The Rankian views are harmonized with contemporary therapeutic practices focused on creative personality development, resulting in a framework that resonates with present-day discourse of existence and identity. Considering the complex social landscape during the Covid-19 pandemic, recent research is proposed to elaborate the theoretical context by exploring the intersection of creative motivation, personality types, and flourishing within four artistic domains: dance, writing, music, and the visual arts. Survey results reveal that individuals showing creativity indicators in their personality types demonstrate higher creative motivation, which also corresponds to elevated flourishing scores in certain cases. While data patterns vary across the different groups, the findings confirm a weak to moderate correlation between heightened creative motivation and overall flourishing. Through a review of theoretical principles and empirical observations, four fundamental elements of the conceptual framework emerge: the cultivation of “here and now” presence, the integration of holistic self-perception, the enhancement of crea- tive will awareness, and the “End-phase” as a developmental opportunity. By framing the Rankian approach as an artistic process itself, this article proposes a contemporary counseling perspective for creative individuals—one that reflects post- modern attitudes while enriching the therapeutic experience for both practitioners and clients.