Existential Therapy
A Philosophical/Intellectual Approach to 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
- Accepting anxiety as a condition of living
- The awareness of death and nonbeing
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
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
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
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
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, & faith in the clients’ potential to cope
Sharing reactions with genuine concern & empathy