1. A philosophical/intellectual approach to therapy
Existential Therapy
A philosophical/intellectual approach to therapy

2. Key Figures
Heavily influenced by existential philosophers (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Buber, etc.)
Viktor Frankl—developed logotherapy, summed up in quote, “He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.”
Rollo May—tension between security of dependence and the delights and pains of growth
Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 6

3. Key Figures
James Bugental—humanistic emphasis on the integrity of each individual, help client examine how they have answered life’s existential questions, authentic living
Irvin Yalom—four ultimate human concerns: death, freedom, existential isolation and meaninglessness

4. Human Nature
The existential movement stands for respect for the person, for exploring new aspects of human behavior, and for divergent methods of understanding people.
The significance of our existence is never fixed and once and for all; rather we recreate ourselves through our projects
Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy

5. Existential Therapy BASIC DIMENSIONS – OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
The capacity for self-awareness
The tension between freedom & responsibility
The creation of an identity & establishing meaningful relationships
The search for meaning
Accepting anxiety as a condition of living
The awareness of death and nonbeing

6. The Capacity for Self-Awareness
The greater our awareness, the greater our possibilities for freedom
Awareness is realizing that:
We are finite - time is limited
We have the potential, the choice, to act or not to act
Meaning is not automatic - we must seek it
We are subject to loneliness, meaninglessness, emptiness, guilt, and isolation
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7. Identity and Relationship
Identity is “the courage to be” – We must trust ourselves to search within and find our own answers
Our great fear is that we will discover that there is no core, no self
Relatedness – At their best our relationships are based on our desire for fulfillment, not our deprivation
Relationships that spring from our sense of deprivation are clinging, parasitic, and symbiotic
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8. The Search for Meaning
Meaning – like pleasure, meaning must be pursued obliquely
Finding meaning in life is a by-product of a commitment to creating, loving, and working
“The will to meaning” is our primary striving
Life is not meaningful in itself; the individual must create and discover meaning
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9. Anxiety – A Condition of Living
Existential anxiety is normal - life cannot be lived, nor can death be faced, without anxiety
Anxiety can be a stimulus for growth as we become aware of and accept our freedom
We can blunt our anxiety by creating the illusion that there is security in life
If we have the courage to face ourselves and life we may be frightened, but we will be able to change
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10. Awareness of Death and Nonbeing
Death is a basic human condition that gives significance to living
Death provides us a motivation to live our lives fully and take opportunities for meaningful activities
Yalom refers to death as a “visitor in the therapeutic process” and should be explored explicitly
Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy

11. Goals
The basic goal of therapy is to enable the individual to accept the awesome freedom and responsibility to act.

12. Relationship Between Therapist and Client
Therapy is a journey taken by therapist and client
The person-to-person relationship is key
The relationship demands that therapists be in contact with their own phenomenological world
The core of the therapeutic relationship
Respect and faith in the clients’ potential to cope
Sharing reactions with genuine concern and empathy
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