Chapter 6
Existential therapy
Introduction
• more a way of thinking than a particular style of
practising
• attitude toward human suffering and has no manual
• asks deep questions about the nature of the human being and
the nature of anxiety, despair, grief , loneliness and
isolation
• Clients are invited to reflect on life, to recognise their
range of alternatives and decide among them
• grounded on the assumption that we are free and therefore
responsible choices and actions
• basic premise is that we are not victims of circumstances
because to a large extent, we are what we choose to be
• first step in the therapeutic journey is for clients to
accept responsibility
• basic task of the therapist is to encourage clients to
consider what they are most serious about so that they can
pursue a direction in life
Historical Background
• After world war 2 many people found that their lives had
been devasted, with feeling of isolation and life seemed
meaningless
• Existentialism: stresses the responsibilities of
individuals to create their own ways of thinking, feeling
and behaving
• Key theme contributions of early philosophers:
- Kierkegaard: creative anxiety, despair, fear and
dread, guilt
- Nietzsche: death, suicide and will
1
, - Heidegger: authentic being, caring, death,
responsibility and isolation
- Satre: meaninglessness, responsibility and choice
- Buber: interpersonal relationships, I/Thou
perspective in therapy
Key Figures
• Viktor Frankl, Rollo May and Irvin Yalom created
existential approaches from their strong background in
existential and humanistic psychology
• James Bugental:
- Wrote about life changing psychotherapy, which is the
effort to help clients examine how they should have
answered life’s existential questions so they can live
more authentically
- He moved away from labelling and diagnosing clients
- The primary task of the therapist is to help clients
make new discoveries about themselves in the present
moment
- His view of resistance is central to this view –
resistance is a failure to be fully present both
during the therapy hour and in life
- Forms of resistance include being argumentative and
always seeking to please people
- Bugental became known for being a masterful teacher
and psychotherapist because he carried through his
therapy into all aspects of his daily life
• British Contribution to Existential Therapy:
- Emmy van Deurzen: she has earned a worldwide
reputation in existential therapy because of the books
she wrote and her role in teaching and training
2
, - Her practice has showed that individuals have
incredible resilience and intelligence to overcome
their problems once they commit themselves
- She helped many clients to figure out what is most
important to them in life
Existentialism and Phenomenology
• Phenomenology aims to understand the view of the world as
it is experienced by people
o allows investigation into all aspects of lived
experience and mental activity
o aims to understand what it is like to experience
something directly and the emotions that come with
that
Phenomenology in South Africa
• MJ Langeveld brought phenomenology to South Africa (1950s)
o work influenced educational theory in SA
• H van den Berg brought it into the field on psychology
(1969) and trained many psychotherapists during his work
at UNISA
• approach was boycotted due to the members trying to stop
black students from having access organised psychology
teachings
Key Concepts
A. View of Human Nature
• Existential therapy does not identify with a set of
techniques
• Instead the therapeutic practice is based on an
understanding of what is means to be human
• Existential Tradition seeks a balance between recognising
the limits and tragic dimensions of human existence on the
3
Existential therapy
Introduction
• more a way of thinking than a particular style of
practising
• attitude toward human suffering and has no manual
• asks deep questions about the nature of the human being and
the nature of anxiety, despair, grief , loneliness and
isolation
• Clients are invited to reflect on life, to recognise their
range of alternatives and decide among them
• grounded on the assumption that we are free and therefore
responsible choices and actions
• basic premise is that we are not victims of circumstances
because to a large extent, we are what we choose to be
• first step in the therapeutic journey is for clients to
accept responsibility
• basic task of the therapist is to encourage clients to
consider what they are most serious about so that they can
pursue a direction in life
Historical Background
• After world war 2 many people found that their lives had
been devasted, with feeling of isolation and life seemed
meaningless
• Existentialism: stresses the responsibilities of
individuals to create their own ways of thinking, feeling
and behaving
• Key theme contributions of early philosophers:
- Kierkegaard: creative anxiety, despair, fear and
dread, guilt
- Nietzsche: death, suicide and will
1
, - Heidegger: authentic being, caring, death,
responsibility and isolation
- Satre: meaninglessness, responsibility and choice
- Buber: interpersonal relationships, I/Thou
perspective in therapy
Key Figures
• Viktor Frankl, Rollo May and Irvin Yalom created
existential approaches from their strong background in
existential and humanistic psychology
• James Bugental:
- Wrote about life changing psychotherapy, which is the
effort to help clients examine how they should have
answered life’s existential questions so they can live
more authentically
- He moved away from labelling and diagnosing clients
- The primary task of the therapist is to help clients
make new discoveries about themselves in the present
moment
- His view of resistance is central to this view –
resistance is a failure to be fully present both
during the therapy hour and in life
- Forms of resistance include being argumentative and
always seeking to please people
- Bugental became known for being a masterful teacher
and psychotherapist because he carried through his
therapy into all aspects of his daily life
• British Contribution to Existential Therapy:
- Emmy van Deurzen: she has earned a worldwide
reputation in existential therapy because of the books
she wrote and her role in teaching and training
2
, - Her practice has showed that individuals have
incredible resilience and intelligence to overcome
their problems once they commit themselves
- She helped many clients to figure out what is most
important to them in life
Existentialism and Phenomenology
• Phenomenology aims to understand the view of the world as
it is experienced by people
o allows investigation into all aspects of lived
experience and mental activity
o aims to understand what it is like to experience
something directly and the emotions that come with
that
Phenomenology in South Africa
• MJ Langeveld brought phenomenology to South Africa (1950s)
o work influenced educational theory in SA
• H van den Berg brought it into the field on psychology
(1969) and trained many psychotherapists during his work
at UNISA
• approach was boycotted due to the members trying to stop
black students from having access organised psychology
teachings
Key Concepts
A. View of Human Nature
• Existential therapy does not identify with a set of
techniques
• Instead the therapeutic practice is based on an
understanding of what is means to be human
• Existential Tradition seeks a balance between recognising
the limits and tragic dimensions of human existence on the
3
