What Is Existential Therapy?

My practice is based primarily upon existential philosophy and the associated psychotherapeutic approach. The key features of this are:

  • Bringing what is hidden into awareness; looking at what we actually find rather than what we might wish to see

  • Avoiding interpretation in favour of description and ever deeper exploration of the your ‘world view’

  • Actively working with the client-therapist relationship to reveal helpful insights

  • Being open to all possibilities, without per-determined expectations or agendas

  • Using philosophical concepts to guide and inform our work

  • Continuously striving to be with you in an authentic and non-judgemental way

Alongside this, I may also introduce other psychotherapeutic approaches, such as psychodynamic, humanistic and somatic methods, as may be required at different stages of our work.

Contrary to being seen as a problem that needs to be eradicated, the client’s anxiety is welcomed as a precious guide to understanding the underlying difficulties they are experiencing.

You can find more information about Existential Philosophy via the following link: https://www.existentialanalysis.org.uk/about-the-sea/about-existential-analysis

It can be helpful to examine ‘existence’, and more specifically, ‘your own existence’, through the ‘four dimensions’. Each dimension contains a basic question, a dilemma and a paradox that evoke anxiety, simply because they are unsolvable.

  • This asks the most basic question; “How can I live my life fully, whilst knowing I can die at any moment?” The unsolvable dilemma is that we are reminded of our mortality every time something comes to an end or we encounter ill health. We can either welcome it or deny it but it will not go away.

    The paradox of the physical world is that although physical death will kill me and the denial of death will destroy the time I have left, the idea of death will save me in the sense that it will prompt me to live my life more resourcefully and more fully.

    This dimensions also explores ones relationship to your physical environment; your body, home, nature and the world at large

  • This is where we relate to the public world, to culture in all its meanings. The basic question is: “What are other people there for?”. The unsolvable dilemma is that we have a need for individuality at the same time as having a need to be part of a whole.

    The paradox of the social world is that the awareness of my separateness can help me to understand and respect the other.

  • This dimension is about the relationship we have with ourselves, our past experiences and future possibilities. The basic question is: “How can I be me?” and we act as if there is an answer to this question and look for it in different places including going to therapists.

    The unsolvable dilemma is that even as we make our choices we still look for fixed answers.

    The paradox of the personal world is that when I accept my freedom and vulnerability, I discover my responsibility and personal power.

  • Here we create a vision of an ideal world and hence a personal value system that will help it come about. In the sense that life is about meaning creation, the spiritual, ethical, moral dimension is the central axis of existential therapy. The basic question is: “How should I live?”. People create their values in terms of something that matters enough to live or die for. Our values are about what we value.

    The unsolvable dilemma is that our need for ultimate meaning and purpose persists even as we come to accept the relativity of our existence.

    The paradox of the spiritual world is that when I realise there is no absolute value system, I engage more meaningfully with my own life by making my own value system.