What is Existential Therapy?
The Freedom to Discover yourself.
You might be feeling like you’re living a life that doesn’t align with your values. Or that you’re not making progress toward the goals that truly matter to you. This can be incredibly discouraging, especially when you’re not sure what steps to take next.
The existential approach to psychotherapy and counselling is about the freedom to discover yourself and believe that you’re the expert of your own life. It can help you answer some of life’s biggest questions:
- Why are we here?
- What is the meaning of my life?
- Why do people have to suffer or die?
- How can I live happily when life is so uncertain?
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Seeking answers to life’s difficult questions with someone else is a sign of strength. It’s called sharing our humanity.
Existential Therapy is about exploring the uniqueness and interconnectedness of the human experience.
Existential Therapy is like life – it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s natural to feel anxious by the uncertainty. But think of it as an opportunity to explore your deepest desires and beliefs, and to find meaning and purpose in your life.
At the heart of Existential Therapy is the belief that we all have the capacity to find meaning and purpose in our lives.
Before you can make any changes, you need to take a closer look at your own assumptions and beliefs that might be holding you back. With Existential Therapy, you can become more authentic and start living a more fulfilling life.
How is Existential Therapy different than traditional therapy?
This is a very important question as it determines what success is for you in therapy. With the existential approach, life is not one where all our struggles can be rid of. A life without suffering and pain is unrealistic and impossible. Being human is to be able to recognise that every lived experience is ambivalent, rich, complex and still beautiful.
The Existential approach recognises that we have the power to take control of our own lives while also recognizing that we are social creatures who need connection and community to thrive.
This means that we have two important needs as humans – the need for freedom and the need for belonging. At Encompassing, you have a safe and supportive space to explore the depths of your own beliefs and experiences and learn to express your true self while still feeling connected to the world around you.
The balance of freedom and belonging is essential for a fulfilling life.
Just like a tightrope walker balances on a thin line, life requires a delicate balance between freedom and belonging. It can be challenging to find that balance, but with the help of Existential Therapy, you can learn to navigate these tensions and find your unique way forward.
- Freedom– Individuality is the quality of being unique and expressing one’s personality and values.
- Belonging– Belonging is a fundamental human desire to connect with others, form relationships, and feel a sense of community.
Striking a balance between freedom and belonging can be challenging. While our need for freedom focuses on our living freely, self-expression, unique self-aspirations and autonomy, the need for belonging emphasises on social acceptance, connection, maintaining membership in our community or tribe and being part of a bigger purpose. Existential Therapy can help you find this balance.
What are the 3 cornerstones of Existential Therapy?
Existential Therapy goes beyond simply pondering on the fundamental concerns of life like death, freedom, meaning, and isolation. While professionals like lawyers and doctors may also confront these issues, they are not providing Existential Therapy. Existential Therapy is more than just discussing these existential themes. It entails a specific way of looking at life as we reflect on them.
1. Relatedness
All your human experiences and conclusions about existence come from your relationships with others. From an existential perspective, every individual is unique but also interconnected with others.
2. Uncertainty
Because of our interconnectivity, we can never fully know what will happen in the world, with others, or even with ourselves. This uncertainty can be challenging, but it also allows for the possibility of growth and change.
3. Anxiety
Existential anxiety arises from our uncertainty and our attempts to cope with it. Anxiety can be overwhelming and debilitating, but it can also be a source of creativity and connectedness.