Existential Psychology

History of the movement

A system in psychology focused on the belief that the essence of humans is their existence.

Existential psychology is an approach to psychology and psychotherapy that is based on several premises, including:
understanding that a "whole" person is more than the sum of his or her parts; understanding people by examining their
interpersonal relationships, understanding that people have many levels of self-awareness that can be neither ignored nor put
into an abstract context, understanding that people have free will and are participants rather than observers in their own lives,
and understanding that people's lives have purpose, values, and meaning. Therapists who practice existential psychology treat
their clients by submerging themselves in the client's world. For the therapist, therapy is a process in which they, too, are
participating. This is a process that seeks meaning within the whole of the person's existence, including the client's personal
history.

An important distinction exists between the concept of existentialism and existential phenomenology, even if the two are often
linked to one another. According to a leading existential psychologists, Swiss Psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger, "…while the
existential therapist enters into the phenomena present before and with him or her, existentialism does not confine itself to
states of withness. It includes the existence of the whole being." In other words, existential therapists are concerned with the
whole of their clients as they can experience with them, whereas existential phenomenology studies the whole being—that
which can be experienced as well as that which cannot. Binswanger formulated his belief around three different aspects of
human existence. These included the Umwelt, or "world around," meaning the biological drive natural to humans; Mitselt, or
"with world," the social and interpersonal human relationships; and the Eigenwelt, or "own world," the subjective,
phenomenological world of the self.

History of the movement

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) is commonly referred to as the "Father of Existentialism." Kiekegaard stated, "I
exist, therefore I think," in contrast to philosopher Rene Descartes's famous words, "I think, therefore I am." This simple
statement influenced an entire group of European philosophers and psychologists, changing their approach to treatment.
Kiekegaard's philosophy was not as readily accepted in the United States. Rollo May (1909–94), the American psychologist who
would become one of the existential movement's biggest proponents, attributed the introduction of the existentialist idea in the
United States to the famed psychologist and philosopher, William James. James was an advocate of the principle of free will, a
crucial component in existential thought. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, existentialism was being quietly introduced,
primarily in university classrooms. May himself was introduced to the idea through Paul Tillich at the Union Theological
Seminary in New York where he was studying to be a Congregationalist minister. Noted professionals such as Viktor Frankl
(1905–97) were beginning to introduce existentialism to the world through their writings and lectures. Frankl had survived
internment at the Nazi death camp Theresienstadt and wrote personally of the events that shaped his beliefs. It was not until
May and fellow psychologists Abraham Maslow and Herman Feifel participated in the American Psychological Association (APA)
Symposium on Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy on September 5, 1959, that the idea of existential psychology and its
terms began to reach the forefront of psychological thought and practice.

After the symposium, the term existentialism had become one of the "buzz" words of psychology in the 1960s. May described
the existential approach to psychotherapy by stating that the task of therapy was to understand the patient fully as that patient
truly exists. Such therapy would require a commitment on the part of the patients to fully understand the lives they were living,
or the lives in which they were existing.

In addition to its significance as a major system of psychological practice, existentialism represented an awareness that emerged
following World War II, particularly with the Baby Boomer generation. No longer were such philosophical concepts as
existentialism left to the private halls of universities. For example, May's book Love and Will remained on U.S. lists of bestsellers
for over four months, indicating that a new age of people from various educational backgrounds were ready to look into
themselves as only a few had done in the preceding decades. Self-help books also lined bookstore shelves, an indication of the
willingness of people to explore deep into their own existence.

Jane Spear

Further Reading
Benner, David G., and Hill, Peter C., eds. Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology & Counseling Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
Frankl, Viktor. Man's Search for Meaning. (Original publication date: 1963) Harcover: Beacon Press, May 2000. Mass Market
Paperback, 1990.

May, Rollo. Love and Will. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1969.

May, Rollo. The Discovery of Being: Writings in Existential Psychology. (Reprint) New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1994

EXISTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Most areas of psychology attempt to understand how individuals “learn to be” in the world, trying,
through psychotherapy, to correct dysfunctional or harmful ways of living that individuals have
developed. But in the absence of dysfunction, major questions of “being” or “what exactly it means to
be human” often find their academic place in the field of philosophy.

However, the field of existential psychology combines the big questions of philosophy with the tenets
of psychology. This field considers how these philosophical questions affect psyches and behaviors,
how individuals live out their day- to- day lives within the context of these questions, questions not
easily answered by scientists or philosophers.

Existential psychologists believe that it’s not only important to identify and reduce the
symptomatology of mental illnesses, addictions, relationship issues, and other psychological issues,
but to go beyond the symptoms, addressing how a person defines meaning, purpose, and a life well
lived.

Existentialists believe symptoms can be reduced while unhappiness and discontent remain, often
causing symptoms to reappear, exacerbate, and become harder to manage in the future.

What do Existential Psychologists Do?

Existential psychologists are not only concerned with “being” but with “becoming” as well. They desire
to help clients find the path in life that is their own, a path that they desire to travel, a path that
brings self-fulfillment. Societal conventions, adherence to cultural norms and ideologies, or rigid
beliefs and attitudes handed down generationally often result in discontent and illness, a feeling of
having no control over one’s life or decisions, a loss of a “sense of self.”

But that doesn’t mean that existential psychology denies the struggles and pain that individuals must
confront. By definition, the term “existential” is often described as the “pains” of existence.

These pains take the form of not only conflicts and harsh realities, but also the realization that one
is inherently isolated in his or her experience, that life has no inherent meaning structure, that one is
responsible for authoring his or her life story, and that one dies - ceasing to exist at all. If
confronted honestly, this realization helps one to live life more fully, but if not addressed, it can lead
to a number of "living" or "being" issues and problems.

Career Options for those Interested in Existential Psychology

Licensed Mental or Behavioral Health Professionals: Clinical or Counseling Psychologists, Clinical
Social Workers, Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists
Psychiatric Nurse Specialists
Sports Psychologist
Professional and Personal Coach
Vocational Counselor
Organizational Consultants
Motivational Speaker and Author
Professor and Researcher
Spiritual Director
As a philosophy, existentialism began in the 19th century with the writings of Søren Kierkegaard and
Friedrich Nietzsche. Both philosophers emphasized freedom of choice and personal responsibility, of
men and women having the right to delve into their own ideas and concepts of what gives meaning and
passion to their lives, and forming a “self” based on those personal beliefs. Responsibility meant
owning and living with the decisions one made in living out those beliefs.

Studied and expanded on by a number of other philosophers, existentialism eventually became an

early 20th century movement, greatly influencing one of the founders of existential psychology, Rollo
May. While spending three years in a sanatorium for tuberculosis, May read extensively, especially
the writings of Kierkegaard. Referencing May, Trent Claypool, a PsyD student at the University of
the Rockies in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said that the goal of psychotherapy from the existential
perspective is to set people free.

One of May’s popular quotes summarizes this thought on personal freedom and responsibility: “If you
do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed
yourself.” When discussing freedom, individuals often think of the democratic principles of political
or religious freedom, but May was referring to a different type of freedom.

It’s about free will, being responsible, and living life well, said Claypool, who will graduate with his
doctorate in August 2010, and plans a career in clinical psychology, working as an existential
psychotherapist. Today, Claypool explained, existential psychology falls under the larger psychological
framework of humanistic psychology, and within a category or overarching theme called depth
psychology. Depth psychology includes a number of psychological approaches that share similarities in
how they explore the conscious and unconscious aspects of beliefs and behaviors.

Claypool said he was drawn to existential psychology and psychotherapy when he discovered the field
addressed the same type of questions he frequently asked himself. For example, he would ask himself
questions such as “what’s the purpose of what I’m doing right now?” They were the type of questions
that frequently didn’t have any definite answers.

“I was very aware of the givens of existence, the existential type of things: that our life here is
limited and while that can be scary, it also opens up the possibility to live life differently,” Claypool
said. When he discovered that there was a type of psychotherapy that asked clients the same type
of questions he asked himself, that probed their thoughts on the meaning and purpose of their
existence, he knew he had found the perfect fit.

As an existential psychotherapist, Claypool said he will derive his overall therapy goals from the
existential perspective. But it’s also important to know the techniques of cognitive-behavioral
therapy, interpersonal therapy, and behavioral and family systems, and to apply the appropriate
techniques based on the individual needs of each client.

Today, any form of effective clinical psychotherapy is integrative, Claypool said, meaning that the
therapy doesn’t adhere rigidly to only one approach. For existential psychologists, it appears that
conformity in psychological approach is as harmful as conformity in everyday life. As Founder Rollo
May stated: “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.”
For that reason, many in the psychological community who strictly adhere to one psychological
framework often criticize those who don’t follow one theoretical structure, but that doesn’t deter
those committed to existentialism. More universities and colleges continue to add existential
psychology courses, majors, and specializations.

To achieve certification or licensure as a clinical psychotherapist, employers require at least a

master’s degree, and many prefer a PhD. States also have specific requirements regarding licensure
and certification in areas such as clinical existential psychology.

If you are interested in pursuing a psychology career in existentialism, request information from
psychology schools offering courses, degrees, and specializations in this area.