Existentialism comes from the word to exist, and is a philosophical analysis or exploration of

how it feels to exist as a human. 

It was a movement made famous by Jean Paul Sartre back in the 1940s -  Sartre explored the ideas that we are each responsible for our actions and choices, and have to find our own way within a meaningless universe.

As a humanistic counsellor, I am curious about how we experience the world in individual ways.  We might experience a crisis when we come up against one of the four existential givens of life - freedom of choice, mortality, search for meaning and isolation.  However these areas of personal exploration may also give us pointers about how to exist with improved well-being.

1. Existential freedom is the “freedom to make our lives as we will” (Yalom, p.5, 2013) Freedom of choice can, on the surface, sound wonderful, but it can also make us feel anxious, as we are confronted daily by a plethora of decisions, big and small.  How do we choose the right thing, how do we behave in so many different situations?  What choices are most authentic to you?  Are you having to make decisions under a weight of societal and economic pressures?
2. Mortality We exist and then we don’t exist, it’s undeniable. When we lose people close to us it’s especially poignant.  Much of our lives are spent in denial and distraction from death, then we realise that life is short and each day can feel more vital. Can we explore your ability to embrace your precious life the way you want to live it?
3. The search for meaning - as an atheist, agnostic or sceptic, sometimes the consideration of life and the universe having little or no meaning can be painful.  In therapy we can explore where you find meaning. Perhaps you find it in nature, in relationship, in work or in helping others?
4. Isolation This is the idea that we are alone in the world, and only we can live our own unique lives. Can we be comfortable in our own company and have a rich inner life so that when we do come together with people and connect to them, we feel at peace with ourselves?

One of my aims in therapy is that I can help you to feel comfortable to come up against these fascinating questions; and ultimately, be..

“open and truthful to life: accepting its limitations and boundaries and allowing it to manifest as fully as possible”. (Du Plock and Tatum, 2019 p. 151)

 

References:

Irvin D. Yalom (2013). Love’s Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy. London, Penguin Psychology.

du Plock, S., & Tantum, D. (2019). History of Existential-phenomenological Therapy. In E. van Deurzen, Craig, E., Längle, A., Schneider, K. J., Tantum, D., & du Plock, S. (Eds.), The Wily world handbook of existential therapy (pp. 135-153). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.