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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"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

Where do you find meaning? What is important to you? What does happiness look like to you? Who or what are you living for? The idea that only we can define or determine our own purpose and path is daunting and overwhelming, but can also be liberating and life-affirming.

— Nathan Robbel, Therapist in Chicago, IL
 

I use tenets of Gestalt and Existential therapy in my work, as I believe that we all gravitate naturally towards self-determination and holistic congruence. Self-examination and self-awareness are key steps for this - supported in therapy. I use tenets of Gestalt therapy in association with existential therapy: such as immediacy, the therapeutic relationship, and individual responsibility.

— Neil Panchmatia, Counselor in Portland, OR

In my philosophical counseling practice, I draw on existential thinkers like Nietzsche, Sartre, De Beauvoir, Buber, Frankl to help clients to work through different versions of the "existential crisis." Together we work through the loss of meaning brought on by an experience of disillusionment, the loss of self brought on by various identity crises, and the loss of freedom and authenticity brought on by experiences of alienation, objectification, oppression or "bad faith".

— Monica Vilhauer, Counselor in Portland, OR
 

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

As an existential therapist, I focus on you more than your symptoms. I believe each individual wants to live meaningfully and authentically, and that courage and creativity are requirements for a self-directed life.

— Ginger Grey, Counselor in Spokane, WA
 

I work from an Existential-Humanistic lens, meaning that our work together will be phenomenological; I will ask you to be with what is true for you, what you experience, in each present moment. This will be something we practice, and come back to, again and again in our work together.

— Nic Sutherland, Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in Portland, OR

You will find a safe space to explore in your darkest and brightest of hours. For four years, I have had the privilege of walking alongside people on their cancer and grief journeys—from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship and beyond. From them, I have learned how people navigate life within an existential crisis. My own struggles, analysis, training, and growth allow me to be fully present with you.

— Lisa Rainwater, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Winston Salem, NC
 

My experience and studies in literature paved the way for my current philosophical and therapeutic approach in counseling. It was the influence of French authors like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus that left a huge mark on my professional development. I would later consolidate their teachings with experts in Psychology, such as Viktor Frankl and his emphasis on the "will to meaning." How we make meaning out of the suffering we endure can be one of the most powerful questions in counseling.

— Dakota Fidram, Associate Professional Counselor in Atlanta, GA

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
 

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 life's struggles and questions have the power to bring meaning and purpose to our existence. I provide a warm, supportive environment to help individuals explore and understand their experiences, feelings and beliefs. My approach integrates elements of existential, humanistic, and psychodynamic theories to help you understand yourself and your place in the world. Let's work together to empower you in your journey towards personal growth and fulfillment.

— Scotty Gilmore, Licensed Professional Counselor in Fort Worth, TX
 

Existential therapy acknowledges that their are fundamental aspects of being human that we all experience. These are Death, feelings of Isolation, Meaninglessness, and the overwhelm that comes with Freedom. My weaving of existential therapy into our sessions is often guided by the Nietzche quote that says, "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." Together we can uncover t "why" of your life and find a purpose that can support you in bearing the "how."

— Matthew Beals, Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate in Fort Collins, CO

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
 

My approach to counseling centers around identifying the things that matter the most to you and the strengths and abilities you’ve used to survive in this life so far, creating a safe space to look more closely at the difficult areas of life that don’t appear to have easy answers. I see therapy as a healing and creative process, where my training and knowledge act as a mirror to help you unlock your own expertise on yourself.

— Matt McCullough, Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, OR

What is it all for? Existential therapy tackles the deep, powerful questions that reside in each of us, to unlock the purpose and meaning that defines our life. Often feelings of sadness, loneliness, "stuck"ness & fear come from a place of living out of alignment with what we truly want and desire. Human concerns such as mortality, responsibility & freedom also impact how we move through the world, and existential therapy aims to explore these powerful concerns to unlock a happier life.

— D. Hope Tola, MA, NCC, LPCC, Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate in Boulder, CO
 

An existential approach to therapy emphasizes the importance of the meaning that each person makes in life and that the path that one takes can only be understood in the context of their unique life experience. This means that the questions, "Who am I?" and "What is the meaning of life" is a personal journey that, ultimately, only the individual can discover for themselves.

— Matthew Beeble, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Vancouver, WA

I have an existential focus in my practice that presumes that all individuals seek meaning, purpose, and self-actualization. I believe that anxiety and depression are symptoms that derive from a lack of meaning and purpose. I like to focus on issues fundamental to the core human condition such as anxiety, meaning making, purpose, freedom, responsibility, self-actualization, self-worth, guilt and acceptance.

— Damon Neely, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
 

I completed my training in cancer and chronic illness with existential therapy and CBT being the primary modalities utilized in treatment and recovery.

— Jill Gray, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in St. Petersburg, FL