The document discusses existentialism and existential psychotherapy. It provides an overview of key concepts in existentialism including phenomenology, existential philosophers, basic concepts, key themes, and how existential therapy focuses on increasing self-awareness and helping clients find meaning and responsibility in life. The goal of existential therapy is to help clients move towards authenticity by confronting reality without denial or distortion.

1. Existentialism
Figure 1
Source: nintaa. (2006). existential escape. deviantART. Retrieved
from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/existential-
escape-42683335

2. Existentialism
Figure 2
Source: 1cor1313. (2008). Existential fingerprint. deviantART.
Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Existential-
Fingerprint-78714128
“Existential psychotherapy is an
attitude toward human
suffering [that] has no manual.
It asks deep questions about the
nature of the human being and
the nature of anxiety, despair,
grief, loneliness, isolation, and
anomie. It also deals centrally
with the questions of meaning,
creativity, and love.”
(Corey, 2013, p.139)

3. e existential theory was developed during
the nineteenth century from existential
philosophy (Corey, 2013).

4. Phenomenology
Existentialism uses a philosophical method called
phenomenology. According to Philosophy Index
(2013), “…phenomenology is a philosophical
model that was made to be free of presupposition.
e idea is to study and describe objects and events
from the position of observers, rather than to make
claims about some objective reality (para. 1).” In
other words, phenomenology deals with the client’s
subjective reality.

5. Existential Philosophers
Once you label me you negate me.
Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/soren_kierkegaard.html)
at which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/friedrich_nietzsche.html)
Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one.
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_heidegger.html)

6. Existential Philosophers
cont…
Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is
responsible for everything he does.
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)
(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jeanpaul_sartre.html)
Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act
now, without delay.
Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)
(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/simone_de_beauvoir.html)
I know of only one duty, and that is to love.
Albert Camus (1913-1960)
(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/albert_camus.html)

7. Basic Concepts of Existentialism
• Philosophical in nature
• No specific techniques
• Focuses on issues related to human existence
• Values self-awareness
• Experimental approach to therapy
• Based on the relationship between client and therapist
• Stresses personal freedom of choice (Garrett, 2007)

8. According to Gooderapy.org (2013),
“Existential psychotherapy is a unique style of
therapy that puts emphasis on the human
condition as a whole. Existential psychotherapy
uses a positive approach that applauds human
capacities while simultaneously maintaining a
genuine perception of the limitations of the human
being, human spirit, and human mind.” (para. 1)
Existential Therapy

9. Existential Therapy Goal
According to Corey (2013), “An aim of therapy is to assist
clients in moving toward authenticity and learning to
recognize when they are deceiving themselves.” (p. 154)
Figure 3
Source: xetobyte. (2011). Self-Deception. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Self-Deception-363519226

10. “Coming to terms with
reality -- and one's own inner
‘demons’ -- without denying,
avoiding, distorting or
sugar-coating it is key to
existential therapy.”
(Diamond, 2010, para. 6)
Figure 4
Source: *AnKer-Illustration. (2010). Inner Demon. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://www.deviantart.com/art/Inner-Demon-184187043

11. Key Themes to Existentialism
• Capacity for Self-Awareness
• Freedom and Responsibility
• Striving for Identity and Relationship to Others
• e Search for Meaning
• Anxiety as a Condition of Living
• Awareness of Death and Nonbeing (Corey, 2013)

12. Capacity
for
Self-Awareness
Figure 5
Source: bryanxander. (2008). What am I???. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://
browse.deviantart.com/art/What-am-I-105351562
Freedom, choice, and
responsibility are the
foundations for self-
awareness. Increasing
self-awareness includes
being aware of
alternatives,
motivations, any other
factors influencing a
person’s freedom of
choice (Corey, 2013).

13. Freedom and Responsibility
Figure 6
Source: madridy-boy. (2010). FreedoM. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/FreedoM-177450059
People are free to choose among their alternatives and which give
them some control over their own destiny (Corey, 2013).

14. Values of Existential Therapy
According to Schneider and Krug as quoted by
Corey (2013), “…existential therapy embraces
three values: (1) the freedom to become within the
context of natural and self-imposed limitations; (2)
the capacity to reflect on the meaning of our
choices; and (3) the capacity to act on the choices
we make.” (p. 147)

15. Striving for Identity and Relationship to Others
Figure 7
Source: Wozzles. (2007). Identity. deviantArt. Retrieved
from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Identity-71449257
According to Corey (2013),
“People are concerned about
preserving their uniqueness
and centeredness, yet at the
same time they have an
interest in going outside
themselves to relate to other
beings and to nature (p. 149).”

16. The Search
for
Meaning
Figure 8
Source: bubuka812. (2013). Meaning of the life. deviantArt. Retrieved from
http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Meaning-of-the-life-374190439
All human beings want
a sense of significance
and purpose in life
(Corey, 2013).

17. Anxiety as a Condition of Living
Figure 9
Source: iamkyosan. (2010). Anxiety. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://
browse.deviantart.com/art/Anxiety-158691721
Anxiety is a part of the human condition that “…arises from one’s
personal strivings to survive and to maintain and assert one’s
being.” (Corey, 2013, p. 152)

18. Awareness of Death
and
Nonbeing
Figure 10
Source: iamxam. (2011). Guilt. deviantArt. Retrieved from
http://browse.deviantart.com/art/quot-Guilt-quot-255661745
Awareness of death
as a condition for
human life gives
significance to a
person
(Corey, 2013).

19. People who suffer
from the following
can benefit from
existential
counseling:
• Developmental Crisis
• Grief of Loss
• Death Confrontation
• Life Decisions
• Stage of Life Changes
• Identity Loss or Confusion
• Loss of Marriage or Work
(Corey, 2013) Figure 11
Source: johnSOUTTER. (2009). existential crisis. deviantArt. Retrieved
from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/existential-crisis-146292949

20. Existential Counseling
Existentialism is not a set of rules to apply in
therapy but a way of thinking and being towards
the client. Because existentialism is based on a
philosophy of freedom and responsibility, it can be
used with other therapies such as Psychoanalysis
and Cognitive-Behavioral (Corey, 2013).

21. Conclusion
Existential thought can be applied to Freudian,
Jungian, Gestalt, Behavioral, Cognitive, and other
methods through the main concept of
phenomenology. By understanding that a client is
more than a patient, a therapist can view a client as a
person with the capacity to change. Because
existentialism is a way of thought that keeps the clients
best interest at heart, it is a philosophy that would
benefit a therapist in and out of counseling. In the
end, to believe that we are all capable of change and
that we are a sum of all our choices is a lifestyle that
could benefit all of us and society as a whole.

22. References
Corey, G. (2013). eory of practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole,
Cengage Learning.
Diamond, A. S. (2010). What is existential psychotherapy? And why it matters today. [Blog].
Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/201007/
what-is-existential-psychotherapy-and-why-it-matters-today
Garrett, J. (2007). Chapter 9: Existential therapy. [Lecture Notes]. Marshall University. Retrieved
from http://mucounseling603theories.blogspot.com/2007/10/chapter-9-existential-therapy.htm
Gooderapy.org. (2013). Existential therapy. Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/
Existential_Psychotherapy.html
Philosophy Index. (2013). Existentialism and phenomenology. Colin Temple. Retrieved from
http://www.philosophy-index.com/existentialism/phenomenon.php

23. Reference of Figures
Figure 1: nintaa. (2006). existential escape. deviantART. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/existential-escape-42683335
Figure 2: 1cor1313. (2008). Existential fingerprint. deviantART. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Existential-
Fingerprint-78714128
Figure 3: xetobyte. (2011). Self-Deception. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Self-Deception-363519226
Figure 4: *AnKer-Illustration. (2010). Inner Demon. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://www.deviantart.com/art/Inner-
Demon-184187043
Figure 5: bryanxander. (2008). What am I???. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/What-am-I-105351562
Figure 6: madridy-boy. (2010). FreedoM. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/FreedoM-177450059
Figure 7: Wozzles. (2007). Identity. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Identity-71449257
Figure 8: bubuka812. (2013). Meaning of the life. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Meaning-of-the-
life-374190439
Figure 9: iamkyosan. (2010). Anxiety. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Anxiety-158691721
Figure 10: iamxam. (2011). Guilt. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/quot-Guilt-quot-255661745
Figure 11: johnSOUTTER. (2009). existential crisis. deviantArt. Retrieved from http://browse.deviantart.com/art/existential-
crisis-146292949