What Is Existential Psychotherapy?
Existential psychotherapy is a form of therapy that is grounded more in philosophy than psychology. Existential philosophy offers a radically different perspective on ‘who we are as individuals’. It focuses on certain aspects of our existence i.e. choice, freedom, responsibility and anxiety within the limits of our own lives and our lives as human beings. In this way, psychological distress is not seen as pathological but as a normal aspect of struggling with our own personal answers to life’s challenges. From this perspective, the problems, dilemmas and paradoxes that we face are not unique but shared challenges for us all. Anyone who has tried to explore these concepts from the philosophical literature will be aware of how complex and inaccessible they can be. On the other hand, these concepts are discussed in more simplistic terms in fi lms, magazine articles and conversations. So how can we explore choice, freedom and responsibility in the context of our own self-development and, m
