Existential Psychotherapy

Few words evoke such intense connotations as existence. It quickly reminds us of our limited life span and can trigger feelings of discomfort, nervousness, or anxiety. Existential Psychotherapy is probably one of the schools of thought that is less understood. It shares important traits with existential philosophy in that it hopes to help people cultivate an inner wisdom that allows them to partake in a more meaningful existence.

Within Existential psychotherapy the client and the therapist face certain existencial “gives”, facts that come about just by existing.

1. Death: the certainty that we will all die. What we do with that knowledge can make a big difference. Do we deny it, do we rebel against it, or do we use our innate fear of death to generate meaning in our lives . In light of death or of dying different elements of life take on new interpretations. For example, thinking that my partner could die tomorrow or today can help me analyze the importance of the current argument. .

2. Isolation: our personal journey is very much our own, even when we try to explain it with words to a loved one, it is still just a narration of our experience. This can come with isolation or an acceptance of our unique experience. It can propel us to either create intense intimate connections or withdraw from others.

3. Meaning: Life per say and our experience on earth is instrinctly meaningless. In the sense that meaning is not given but created. There is no all defining, general, life purpose. We generate and cultivate meaning and at times fail at it.

4: Freedom and Responsibility: by participating fully in the experience of life, existential psychotherapy hopes to motivate people to take responsibility for their involvement in perpetuating their emotional disturbances. In every moment we decide the way our life will be and who we will be.

The objective of existential psychotherapy is to find a balance between acknowledging the”givens” without being overwhelmed by them. Use their force to give more intensity and joy to our lives. In therapy questions of the here and now and how we are currently facing life (feelings, fiscal sensations, thoughts, behaviors) will all be addressed to invite us to show up for our lives. In summary, to live an authentic and free existence.