Existential Therapy

Existential therapy, created out of the existential philosophy tradition, is a treatment orientation based that focuses on the human condition as a whole. One of the primary goals of existential therapy is to help clients face life and its anxieties head on and to embrace the freedom of choice humans have, taking full responsibility for their choices as they do so. Therapists trained in existential therapy believe that unhealthy or undesirable behaviors result from an inhibited ability to make authentic, self-directed choices about how to live. Therefore, in therapy, an existential counselor will work with you to focus on your own responsibility and freedom. You will be challenged to think and behave responsibly by confronting internal thoughts, rather than outside pressures. Existential therapy seeks to help clients live more authentically, to be focused on the present (not the past), to be less concerned with superficiality and to find meaning in their lives. Think this approach might be right for you? Reach out to one of TherapyDen’s existential therapy specialists today.

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Meet the specialists

 

I deeply enjoy helping people investigate issues such as personal identity, freedom and responsibility and how they intersect in our lives. The world is a confusing, frustrating place often lately and exploring the ways to make personal sense of meaning of it can be incredibly healing.

— Molz Wirtz-Wold, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Portland, OR

Underneath it all I see myself as a human- one who struggles and has struggled with the same fears that all humans have struggled with- mortality, isolation, our freedom to make choices, and our ultimate meaninglessness in a universe that is indifferent. I believe then that it is critical as a therapist to support people in finding their own meaning and purpose; and that they can trust themselves to make that decision.

— Morgan Flagg, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in South Burlington, VT
 

This is a framework I utilize to help explore experiences and increase meaning making (i.e., logotherapy).

— Meli Leilani Devencenzi, Psychologist in Cedar City, UT

I have been interested in the meaning of life since I first read Man's Search For Meaning 30 years ago. As a cancer patient, I have had a lot of time to consider my own purpose, and I think most people at some point (or many points) in their lives have moments where they contemplate what this all means. I love helping my clients explore the existential concerns of death, freedom, isolation, and meaning.

— Brandie Sellers, Licensed Professional Counselor in Timnath, CO
 

"He who has a why can endure almost any how," Victor Frankl once famously wrote. One of my key tasks is to help my clients find their why. This varies greatly from person to person, but consistent themes include: core values; most important people/relationships in one's life; work and the mark one wishes to leave on the world; fun and adventure; resilience, strength, and wisdom in the face of unavoidable suffering; and clarity on one's views about the nature of reality and one's place in it.

— Joey Sorenson, Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in Austin, TX

We are all capable humans with some amount of self-determination in our lives. My belief is that we each create meaning in different ways. Part of my goal is to explore with you how you find meaning in your life and what your narratives about yourself and others are to see where supportive shifts can happen.

— Augustin Kendall, Counselor in Minneapolis, MN
 

At the core of human experience are fundamental questions about responsibility, freedom, life and death, and meaning. My approach connects client experiences to these questions.

— Seth Stewart, Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles, CA

Life's bigger questions are frequently underlying day to day issues and addressing them in therapy can promote deep healing and change.

— Rachel Richards, Therapist in Vancouver, WA
 

"What is the meaning of life?" is an eternally joked about question, but when we do not have our own personal answer to this question it often leads to mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and interpersonal conflict. I support clients to ask the deep questions, seek and understand their core values, and find meaning in their life as a way to reduce negative symptoms and bring about positive mental health.

— eric bjorlin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Evanston, IL

Existential-humanistic therapy seeks to create a therapeutic relationship and environment that fosters deepening awareness of oneself, including issues of meaning, choice, relationships, and working with one's potential and limitations. Rollo May, one of the founders of this approach, noted that the purpose of psychotherapy is to set people free.

— Louis Hoffman, Psychologist in Colorado Springs, CO
 

Existential therapy is a philosophical approach that explores the human condition. It addresses universal issues like freedom, responsibility, mortality, and the pursuit of meaning. Rather than focusing on past experiences, it emphasizes the here-and-now and the individual's potential for self-determination, encouraging authenticity and personal growth.

— Jennifer Gray, Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, OR

My training includes an existential therapy bent, which focuses on the eternal dilemmas of being human: choice, responsibility, mortality, and ambiguity. Just because we can't change it doesn't mean we can't address it! I can help you wrestle authentically with life's big questions in a safe, secure setting.

— Benjamin Wyatt, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in Indianapolis, IN
 

We all want purpose. We all want meaning. But tackling questions such as "What does it mean to be alive?" or "What provides me meaningful joy?" is a difficult, lifelong venture. I use Existential Therapy to help you look at the choices you make, and calibrate authenticity as the compass bearing for navigating life. By helping you understand the ways you keep and break faith with yourself, you can chart a course for a more expansive, self-determined life.

— Blake Locher, Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, OR

I believe that each person has the power to determine what has meaning in their life. What we give meaning to is often what dictates how we feel and how we live. We must also find ways to accept ourselves as individuals rather than waiting for others to accept us. We can work together to help you identify what you want to give meaning to your life and to accept who you are at this moment.

— Ashton Burdick, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Cleveland, NC
 

A fan of Abraham Maslow, I view client experience as one that, cultural contexts aside, has universal elements across all people when it comes to issues of purpose and meaning, life, esteem, aging, and death.

— Gregory Gooden, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in POMONA, CA

Existential Therapy focuses on free will, self-determination, and the search for meaning. This approach often centers on you rather than on the symptom you are experiencing. The approach emphasizes your capacity to make rational choices and to develop to your maximum potential.

— Cheryl Perry, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in Charlotte, NC
 

I believe we as humans strive to find meaning in our lives in everything we do and in every interaction we have. We need meaningful relationships, work and social activities in order to be healthy and when we don’t have meaning we become unhappy, overwhelmed, depressed or addicted. In addition to my existentialist toolkit, I have many other therapeutic tools I can use to help clients achieve their mental health goals. I tailor my style on my client’s needs and interpersonal styles.

— Wyatt Okeefe, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Portland, OR

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” This quote by Viktor Frankl changed my life. I was in the middle of my own therapy journey and needed a lifeline. This was it: permission to choose my own way, no matter how hard the situation. Existential therapy is all about finding meaning in your experiences, and giving you back the power to create change in your life.

— Katie Bautch, Psychologist in Sacramento, CA