Existential Counseling Theory

          The father of American Existential Psychotherapy is generally considered to be Rollo May.The philosophers who are especially important to the development of existential psychotherapy are those whose work is directed at making sense of human existence. Existential psychotherapy is a powerful approach to therapy which takes seriously the human condition. It is an optimistic approach in that it embraces human potential, while remaining a realistic approach through its recognition of human limitation. Falling in the tradition of the depth psychotherapies, existential therapy has much in common with psycho dynamic, humanistic, experiential, and relational approaches to psychotherapy.






"Recall how often in human history the saint and the rebel have been the same person."
~ Rollo May, 1975, The Courage to Create, p. 35









    Existential therapy starts with the belief that although humans are essentially alone in the world, they long to be connected to others. People want to have meaning in one another's lives, but ultimately they must come to realize that they cannot depend on others for validation, and with that realization they finally acknowledge and understand that they are fundamentally alone (Yalom, 1980). The result of this revelation is anxiety in the knowledge that our validation must come from within and not from others.

   The existential psychotherapist is generally not concerned with the client's past; instead, the emphasis is on the choices to be made in the present and future. The counselor and the client may reflect upon how the client has answered life's questions in the past, but attention ultimately shifts to searching for a new and increased awareness in the present and enabling a new freedom and responsibility to act. The patient can then accept they are not special, and that their existence is simply coincidental, without destiny or fate. By accepting this, they can overcome their anxieties, and instead view life as moments in which they are fundamentally free.

References:

Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (9th ed. ed.). Belmont, CA:           Brooks/Cole CENGAGAE Learning.

May, R. (1975). The courage to create. New York: Norton & Company.

Yalom, I (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books. p. 9.