Existential therapy is applied in various contexts, including the search for meaning
and purpose, life transitions, existential crises, loss and grief, identity issues,
Existential therapy focuses on exploring themes such as mortality,
meaning, freedom, responsibility, anxiety, and aloneness in the
context of an individual's current struggles. Pioneers in this approach
include Viktor Frankl, Rollo May, and Irvin Yalom.
Viktor Frankl:
Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor.
Founded logotherapy, meaning "therapy through meaning."
Author of "Man's Search for Meaning," a worldwide bestseller.
Rollo May:
American existential psychiatrist influenced by Adler and Søren Kierkegaard.
Wrote "The Meaning of Anxiety" and "Love and Will."
Emphasized the courage to create and self-transcendence.
Irvin Yalom:
American existential psychiatrist.
Notable works include "The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy" and
"Existential Psychotherapy."
Søren Kierkegaard:
Father of existentialism.
Explored themes of anxiety, despair, fear, guilt, and nothingness.
Emphasized making authentic choices and taking a "leap of faith."
Friedrich Nietzsche:
German philosopher.
Stressed acceptance of being part of the world, emphasizing self-creation.
Martin Heidegger:
Phenomenological existentialist.
Explored authentic being, death, guilt, and individual responsibility.
Jean-Paul Sartre:
Philosopher and novelist.
Proposed that "existence precedes essence," emphasizing individual self-creation.
James Bugental, a leading existential-humanistic psychologist, emphasized
authenticity and self-exploration. Existential psychotherapy has evolved to address
Contemporary Figures and Contributions:
cultural sensitivity and diversity.
Existential therapy balances recognition of the limits and tragic dimensions of
human existence with the possibilities and opportunities of life. Key dimensions
include the capacity for self-awareness, freedom and responsibility, striving for
identity and relationship to others, the search for meaning, anxiety as a condition
of living, and awareness of death and nonbeing.
Limitations:
Lack of a systematic statement of principles and practices.
Requires a high level of practitioner maturity, life experience, and intensive
training.
Contributions: Limitations, Criticisms, and Contributions:
Brings the person back into central focus.
Emphasizes the human quality of the therapeutic relationship.
Applications and When It's Used chronic illness, spiritual exploration, and relationship challenges.
Therapeutic Goals:
Increase awareness to discover alternative possibilities.
Encourage clients to listen to what they already know about themselves.
Facilitate authentic living.
Therapist’s Function and Role:
Understand the subjective world of clients.
Encourage clients to accept personal responsibility.
Focus on increasing awareness and self-exploration.
Client’s Experience in Therapy:
Clients assume responsibility for their current choices and ways of being.
KEY FIGURES Increased self-awareness is central to the client's experience.
Relationship Between Therapist and Client:
Emphasis on the importance of relationships.
A journey of discovery is undertaken together.
Respect and belief in the client's ability to explore new ways of being.
Application: Therapeutic Techniques and Procedures:
THERAPEUTIC PROCESS
Phases:
Initial phase: Identify and clarify client assumptions.
Middle phase: Examine the source of the client's value system.
Final phase: Help clients implement examined values in concrete ways.
Applications to Brief Therapy:
Assess what has been done and potential difficulties.
Philosophical Influences: EXISTENTIAL THERAPY Agree that short-term work is suitable with positive outcomes likely
Applications to Group Counseling:
Group goals include enabling honesty, widening perspectives, and clarifying
meaning.
Provides optimal conditions for therapeutic work on responsibility.
Strengths:
Addresses universal human experiences transcending cultural boundaries.
Focuses on fundamental issues like love, anxiety, suffering, and death.
Existential Therapy From a Multicultural Perspective: Shortcomings:
Criticized for being excessively individualistic.
Ignores systemic social factors contributing to human problems.
Core Principles and Tenets:
- What are the fundamental principles and tenets of existential therapy as you
View of Human Nature understand them?
- How would you describe the key beliefs that underpin the existential therapy
approach?
Integration of Philosophy and Psychology:
- How does existential therapy integrate philosophical concepts into a
therapeutic framework?
- Can you provide examples of how existential philosophy informs the practice of
existential therapy?
Therapeutic Techniques and Approaches:
- What specific therapeutic techniques are commonly used in existential therapy
sessions?
- How do these techniques facilitate exploration of existential concerns and
promote personal growth?
Basic Questions for Information Gathering:
Role of the Therapist:
- How would you describe the role of the therapist in an existential therapy
setting?
- In what ways does the therapist support the client's journey toward self-
exploration and meaning-making?
Therapeutic Relationship:
- How does the therapeutic relationship contribute to the effectiveness of
existential therapy?
- What aspects of the therapeutic relationship are particularly important in this
approach?