Existential therapy

Existential therapy deals with human pain, suffering and anxiety with a spiritual approach.

Existential therapy is about the freedom of the individual and how they may exercise this freedom in order to live their lives as meaningfully as possible. The goal of existential therapy is not to cure the clients of their symptoms or psychopathology, but to help them cultivate a deeper self-awareness.

There are four major goals in the existential therapeutic relationship.

  1. Encourage the client to embrace their freedom as an individual and to do so responsibly.
  2. Assist the client in growing in their own self-awareness and consciousness.
  3. Explore the meaning and purpose of the client’s life.
  4. Encourage the client to let go of self-deception, inauthenticity and lying to self and to others in exchange for being authentic and truthful to oneself.

Existential therapy is a long term process that offers a psychological approach to help the client make sense of the thoughts, feelings or fears that afflict them on a basic level.

The process helps the individual realise what is most important to them, their values and purpose and to organise that into the person’s unique vision of what a good life might be.

For further information about existential therapy, we recommend the following link:

www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/existential-psychotherapy