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.
Finding meaning, direction, and purpose in life can be some of the greatest sources of anxieties for a person. Existential therapy looks at a person as a whole, in a humanistic context, to look at all the factors affecting a person and how those manifest into anxiety. It centers on deep, introspective discussions to help a person learn how to search for answers to meaning in life, to choose the way they want to live, and help people find connectedness to the world - ultimately reducing anxiety.
— Kate Mageau, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Seattle, WAWe 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, ORMy 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, INExistential 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, ORWith personal experience navigating life's meaning and purpose, I specialize in existential therapy to help clients confront life's big questions—identity, freedom, isolation, and mortality. I provide a safe space to explore these existential concerns, empowering you to find clarity and meaning in your life. My approach blends empathy and insight to guide you toward authentic living, helping you make conscious choices that align with your values, creating a deeper sense of fulfillment and peace.
— Joanna Said, Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate in Englewood, CO"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 Chicago, ILExistential Therapy is based on existential philosophy and is focused on identifying what is meaningful to you individually, and identifying how core anxieties (Death, Freedom, Isolation, and Meaninglessness) are impacting you and working through that.
— Christie Cunningham, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York, NYMy existential approach offers a non-judgmental space to explore the uncertainty, tension, and paradox of being human. I help clients navigate life’s complexities, fostering self-agency, authenticity, and meaning. Through this work, I gently empower individuals to embrace tough choices, confront challenges, and create a life that aligns with their deepest values in an increasingly chaotic world.
— Britt Benson, Licensed Professional Counselor in New Orleans, LAExistential therapy is based on existential philosophy. It emphasizes personal responsibility, living a meaningful life, authenticity, and mortality. As a result, existential theory views anxiety as a natural part of the human experience. Trying to live a meaningful life in a world full of possibilities, yet limited time, can be anxiety-inducing. This approach aims to help people navigate this common human dilemma.
— Connor Tindall, Clinical Psychologist in Berkeley, CAI approach my practice with an existential theoretical orientation. I believe that existential questions underlie much of the suffering that we experience in life. Whether you are seeking counseling for existential specific concerns or you are seeking counseling for something else entirely, an existential framework will inform much of the work that we do together.
— Quinton Clawson, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Lakeland, FLFree will, personal choice and responsibility, and exploring the meaning of life are key parts of how I work. I believe this is the fundamental dignity of being human and love seeing people connect with their own deepest values.
— Heather Seguin, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in , CAProviding existential therapy, I help entrepreneurs explore deeper meaning and purpose in their lives. Existential therapy focuses on addressing life’s big questions, embracing freedom, and finding personal responsibility. My approach empowers clients to navigate stress, burnout, and self-doubt while aligning their actions with core values, fostering resilience, clarity, and a greater sense of fulfillment.
— Jennifer Gray, Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, ORExistential Therapy focuses on the individual, rather than the symptoms. Existential Therapy explores one’s search for meaning, free will, and self-determination in order to increase self-awareness and self-understanding.
— Shavonne James, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Long Beach, CAWe're all going to die. (Yeah, I know). No but like, really. We are. At one point we didn't exist and at some point we will again not exist. In the meantime, what do we do with that? Is it motivating? Paralyzing? Somewhere in the middle? Let's go there. Let's dive in.
— Tamara Statz, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Saint Paul, MNI 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, TXWhile my theoretical approach can best be described as eclectic, I have a strong foundation in existential psychology and am heavily influenced by that school of thought, so I do often see things through that lens: really upbeat stuff like ‘neurotic anxiety’ and ‘existential paralysis.’ But it’s a lot more fun than it sounds. And it can be very liberating to view life in those terms, to find meaning in the way we are interacting with the world, and to make a choice to choose differently.
— Dr. Michelle Alvarez, Clinical Psychologist in Online (telehealth) and in-person therapy, MDFeeling lost can be one of the most disorienting and uncomfortable experiences in life. It’s a profoundly human feeling, and yet, it often leaves us feeling isolated, uncertain, and unsure of where to turn. We’re not given a map for how to live well, and it takes immense courage to begin the process of creating your own. Existential therapy helps you explore what your authenticity looks and feels like, the ways that you make meaning in your life, and how death in its many forms plays a role.
— Kallan Palmer, Mental Health CounselorUnderneath 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, VTAn 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