![A walled garden with a sundial, and beyond the wall a path that divides in two](https://viacara.com/img/content/approaches-existential-therapy-feature-light.webp) # Existential Therapy Learn how existential therapy explores meaning, freedom and mortality, what sessions are like, who it suits and what the research shows. ## What is existential therapy? Existential therapy is a talking therapy about the big questions of life. Its four main themes are death, meaning, isolation and freedom. Existential therapists do not assume your distress is a sign of illness. They see it as part of the difficulty of living, which everyone meets. You might come to it at a turning point. A loss, an illness, a big birthday or a hard choice can all raise these questions. Sources: [BACP: existential therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-1), [SEA: existential analysis](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-2) ## Where it comes from It draws on the ideas of philosophers such as Kierkegaard, Heidegger and Sartre. Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist in Vienna, survived the Nazi concentration camps. His approach, logotherapy, sees the search for meaning as the main force in a human life. In 1980, Irvin Yalom named four "ultimate concerns": death, freedom, isolation and meaninglessness. In the UK, the Society for Existential Analysis has brought existential therapists together since 1988. Sources: [Vos et al. 2015](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-3), [VFI: biography](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-4), [VFI: logotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-5), [Yalom 1980](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-6), [SEA: overview](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-7) ## How it *works* It is less about techniques and more about how you live. It works with your present rather than digging into your past. Your therapist helps you describe your experience as it is, before anyone tries to explain it. The existential therapist Emmy van Deurzen looks at four areas of life: physical, social, psychological and spiritual. The aim is to understand your anxiety rather than only to reduce it. You look at what it says about your life and your choices. Questions about *how you live* - **Meaning** You explore what matters to you and what gives your life meaning. - **Choices** You consider your choices and the responsibilities that come with them. - **Connection** You explore your relationships and your experience of being in the world. These are possible conversation areas, not stages. Existential therapy explores your experience rather than supplying one answer to life. Sources: [UKCP: approaches](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-8), [BACP: existential therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-1), [Vos et al. 2015](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-3), [van Deurzen 2006](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-9), [SEA: existential analysis](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-2) ## What *sessions* look like Like most therapy, sessions usually last about 50 minutes. Each one takes the form of a conversation. Some people come for a short time and some for longer. Van Deurzen describes a course of three months to two years, and sometimes more. Many therapists blend it with other approaches. You can see a therapist on your own, as a couple or in a group. Sources: [BACP: counselling](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-10), [van Deurzen 2006](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-9), [SEA: existential analysis](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-2), [BACP: existential therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-1), [UKCP: approaches](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-8) ![The divided path seen from the armchair, one way into a wooded valley and one onto open heath](https://viacara.com/img/content/approaches-existential-therapy-mid-light.webp) Existential therapy gives the big questions of a life room to be asked ## Who it might *suit* It can be a good fit if you: - Keep asking what the point of it all is - Face a big choice, or regret one you made - Have been shaken by a death, an illness or a close call - Feel alone even when you are with other people - Are at a turning point, such as a new decade, a divorce or retirement - Would rather explore your life than be given a label It may suit you less well if you want relief from symptoms more than a search for meaning. Therapies such as [CBT](https://viacara.com/approaches/cbt/) are more structured, with goals and tasks between sessions. Source: [van Deurzen 2006](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-9) ## How it differs from *other* humanistic therapies Existential therapy is one of the [humanistic](https://viacara.com/approaches/humanistic/) approaches, like [person-centred](https://viacara.com/approaches/person-centred/) and [gestalt](https://viacara.com/approaches/gestalt-therapy/) therapy. All of them see you as a whole person, not a list of symptoms. The difference is where they look. Humanistic therapy in general looks towards growth and your potential. Existential therapy looks at the limits nobody escapes, such as death. Source: [BACP: types of therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-11) ## The *evidence* The research is thin. A 2015 review found 15 trials to pool, and its authors called them few and of low quality. Most of the trials involved people living with a physical illness, such as cancer. The clearest gain came from structured courses about meaning, which improved people's sense of meaning in life. NICE does not name existential therapy in its guidance on depression or anxiety. The NHS Talking Therapies manual does not list it either. If you are weighing up a few options, our [guide to the different approaches](https://viacara.com/guides/understanding-approaches/) sets them side by side. Sources: [Vos et al. 2015](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-3), [NICE NG222](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-12), [NICE CG113](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-13), [NHS England: talking therapies manual](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#ref-14) On this page [What is existential therapy?](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#what-is-existential-therapy) [Where it comes from](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#where-it-comes-from) [How it works](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#how-it-works) [What sessions look like](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#what-sessions-look-like) [Who it might suit](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#who-it-might-suit) [How it differs from other humanistic therapies](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#how-it-differs-from-other-humanistic-therapies) [The evidence](https://viacara.com/approaches/existential-therapy/#the-evidence) Related [Humanistic Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/humanistic/) [Person-Centred Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/person-centred/) [Gestalt Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/gestalt-therapy/) [Narrative Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/narrative-therapy/) [Grief Counselling](https://viacara.com/support/grief/) [Understanding Different Approaches](https://viacara.com/guides/understanding-approaches/) Thanks for your interest. We're not taking on new clients at the moment. ## Looking for an *existential* therapist? We ask what matters to you, then find professionals who fit. Leave your email and we'll let you know as soon as we're ready for you. This conversation helps us find you the right support. What you share helps us understand what you're looking for and find someone who fits. Your email keeps you updated on what's happening next and isn't shared with anyone we introduce you to. [Privacy policy](https://viacara.com/privacy/) [Terms of service](https://viacara.com/terms/) ## References 1. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (n.d.). *What is existential therapy?*. [bacp.co.uk](https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/existential-therapy/) 2. Society for Existential Analysis (n.d.). *About Existential Analysis*. [existentialanalysis.org.uk](https://existentialanalysis.org.uk/about-the-sea/about-existential-analysis/) 3. Vos, J., Craig, M. & Cooper, M. (2015). *Existential therapies: A meta-analysis of their effects on psychological outcomes*. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. [doi:10.1037/a0037167](https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037167) 4. Viktor Frankl Institut Wien (n.d.). *Viktor Frankl: biography*. [viktorfrankl.org](https://www.viktorfrankl.org/biography.html) 5. Viktor Frankl Institut Wien (n.d.). *Logotherapy and Existential Analysis*. [viktorfrankl.org](https://www.viktorfrankl.org/logotherapy.html) 6. Yalom, I. D. (1980). *Existential Psychotherapy*. Basic Books. [hachette.co.uk](https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/irvin-yalom/existential-psychotherapy/9780465021475/) 7. Society for Existential Analysis (n.d.). *About the SEA*. [existentialanalysis.org.uk](https://existentialanalysis.org.uk/about-the-sea/) 8. UK Council for Psychotherapy (n.d.). *Psychotherapy approaches*. [psychotherapy.org.uk](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/psychotherapy-training/psychotherapy-approaches/) 9. van Deurzen, E. (2006). *Existential therapy, from Dryden's Handbook of Individual Therapy*. [emmyvandeurzen.com](https://www.emmyvandeurzen.com/existential-therapy) 10. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (n.d.). *What is counselling?*. [bacp.co.uk](https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/what-is-counselling/) 11. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (n.d.). *Types of therapy: An A-Z of therapeutic approaches*. [bacp.co.uk](https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/) 12. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022). *Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222)*. [nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng222) 13. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2020). *Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management (CG113)*. [nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg113) 14. NHS England (2024). *NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression manual, version 7*. [england.nhs.uk (PDF)](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nhs-talking-therapies-manual-v7.1-updated.pdf) ## Related ### [Humanistic Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/humanistic/) Learn how humanistic therapy sees you as a whole person, what happens in a session, who it tends to suit and what the research covers. ### [Person-Centred Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/person-centred/) Learn how person-centred therapy works, what sessions look like and why the relationship with your therapist matters most. ### [Gestalt Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/gestalt-therapy/) Learn how gestalt therapy works with what you notice here and now, what the empty chair is, who it suits and what the research shows. ### [Narrative Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/narrative-therapy/) Learn how narrative therapy separates you from the problem, what sessions and letters look like, who it suits and what the research shows. ### [Grief Counselling](https://viacara.com/support/grief/) Grief has no timeline. Find a counsellor who can sit with you while you find your way through loss, in your own time and on your own terms. ### [Understanding Different Approaches](https://viacara.com/guides/understanding-approaches/) A plain-English guide to the main therapeutic approaches including CBT, person-centred therapy, psychodynamic and integrative methods.