Existential Therapy is essentially a counseling and therapy approach that embraces the potential of the humans through its recognition of the limitations that humans possess and stresses on the core human conditions. However, this approach to counseling and therapy is not a firm theoretical model. Conventionally, the personality development is based on the individual’s uniqueness. Therefore the sense of personality of an individual develops from obtaining the knowledge of who one is or finding out their identity (Vos, 2015) . On the other hand, self-determination is governed by an individual’s course of action or fate without coercion or compulsion. From this Existential Therapy is a philosophical approach which is not meant to cure people but is rather designed to help the client in reflecting and searching for value and meaning of life. As opposed to the thought that this form of therapy is meant to provide various methods, it instead gives an adaptable scheme which allows the psychologist to view the world in which they live. This makes this method of therapy different from other forms of therapy. It is used to address life problems hence acting as a means of psychotherapy.
Key concepts
Existential therapy is anchored on the six basic dimensions of the condition of a human that are put together into parts which include: the capacity for self-awareness, search for meaning, awareness of death, anxiety as a condition of living, freedom, responsibility and relationship as well as identity. All these dimensions are directed towards the treatment and helping a client to discover the meaning of life. The theory deals with human pain, suffering, and anxiety in a unique manner which is different from the other methods of psychotherapy. As opposed to other approaches, this method takes a more spiritual approach and is mainly focused on the freedom of the individual and how this freedom can be exercised for the individual to live a more meaningful life (Corey, 2014) . Its goal is not to cure the clients but rather help them develop their own form of self-awareness (Hoffman, 2015) .
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Literature review
According to Rubin et al (2015), existential therapy is a different form of therapy as compared to others. It is highly a more philosophical approach as opposed to a psychological one which lays emphasis on the interactivity with humans rather than setting up prescribed therapeutic techniques which are rigid and that need to be followed in the process. It traces back to the nineteenth and twentieth century from philosophers such as Sartre and Kierkegaard who focused on meaningful existence through the creation of a being, human reality among other developments (Corey, 2014) . Moreover, the existential philosophers focused on the human condition, their need for freedom, death, isolation and the meaning of life. This, however, is not all about existential theory. For instance, contrary to Freudian psychoanalysis, existential theory see events of the past as irrelevant which in itself strengthens the belief of the existential theory on freedom of choice commonly known as non-determinism. Moreover, the main idea behind this therapy is based on the idea which states that a client must take full charge of their own lives as well as the choices they make since these choices determine their future. This is supported by Austin, & McCormick (2017) who stated that the choices made by the client are the determinants of their destiny thereby allows autonomy.
The existential therapy has come with various changes made by the contributions of various individuals such as Victor Frankl and Irvin Yalom. The contribution of these individuals was instrumental in explaining the basis of existential psychotherapy. Their achievements in the development of the existential approach resulted from their understanding of human psychology as noted by Corey (2014). Frankl, for instance, believed that the core of human is anchored on searching for meaning and purpose. On the other hand, Rollo May who was also another important figure that contributed to the existential therapy aided the transition of this theory from Europe to the United States. According to Schneider, (2016), the intrinsic struggle and the importance of the choices in which humans become is also one of the issues that May emphasized.
As opposed to the thought that existential therapy is another school of therapy, existential therapy is a philosophical outlook on life of an individual that places its emphasis on the understanding of what it means to be a human (Rayner, 2014) . This technique also de-emphasizes on the traditional psychotherapy techniques and its role in understanding individuals and their behavior. This approach is a non-deterministic approach which focuses on an individual’s free will and the belief of autonomy of a person in creating life. This is opposed to the Freudianism or Behaviorism which is deterministic.
The therapeutic process
The existential therapy is considered as one of the best methods which allow clients to recognize ways in which they are not fully exploring their full potential of living fully authentic lives (Rayner, 2014) . It also guides them into making the choices that lead them to becoming what they are capable of becoming. The primary aim of this therapy is to assist people to move towards learning to recognize when they are doing wrong for themselves and move towards authenticity. The processes are geared towards taking the clients out of their rigidity in believes and proving a way through by challenging the aspects that block their freedom.
The process of existential therapy begins by the client being helped by the therapist to identify if they have been fully exercising the freedom to choose or not. The therapist leads the client into discovering the reasons on how and why they have not been able to realize their full potential and why they are stuck. The signs that the client may have a problem that needs solution include the evidence that a client may have been allowing other people to make private decisions on his or her behalf which they could be the only ones that should be making (Spinelli, 2014) . Moreover, the signs that may include the failure of the client to take risks which are required to grow rather than selecting a path that is less threatening. After the identification of the flaws of the client that blocks them from realizing their full potential, the therapist is required to encourage them to reflect on the meaninglessness of life and understand how they can find ways to cope with the anxieties. As opposed to other therapies, this method does not involve the therapist trying to eliminate the anxieties but instead, they encourage the client to face the hardships by themselves head-on (Cooper, 2016) . However, alternative paths can be explored together between the client and the therapist. The risks that each of these paths has can be evaluated and the client is then allowed to make authentic choices after weighing options.
The psychotherapist does not concern themselves with the client’s past life but rather the emphasis is on the present and the future as well as the choices to be made. The way in which the client has answered the questions can later be reflected by both the client and the psychotherapist. However, this shifts to searching for a new and increased awareness of the freedom and responsibility to act in the present or in the future. The process ends with the client accepting the nature of their own existence and forging a way forward. Through this, they can be able to overcome the anxieties they are facing and live a free life in which they make choices by their own and accepting their existence (Watson, 2015) .
Application of the existential therapy
The existential therapy is different from most therapies mainly due to the fact that it is not technique-oriented. The application of this therapy is based on philosophical views about the nature of human existence. Its value lies in its adaptability and lack of rigidity which is found in other methods and other schools of therapy. Due to these aspects, this method can, therefore, be employed to meet the needs of different clients and their respective issues. It is mainly applicable to individuals who are religious due to its focus on spiritual and philosophical issues. It is as well applicable to those who are not religious since it allows humans to discover themselves and their meaningfulness in life. Rollo May in 1981 defined the objectives of existential therapy as setting people emotionally, cognitively and physically free. This approach is therefore used to refocus the needs and concerns of an individual mainly those needs that are hidden (Schneider, 2016) . This therapy is therefore applicable to diverse clients that are looking for meaning in their respective lives which include an examination of factors that influence the client’s behavior either by social or cultural factors.
Strengths and limitations of existential therapy
One of the primary strengths of existential therapy is that it is applicable to different types of clients who have a problem in identifying the meaning of their lives. This help begins with examining whether the behavior is influenced by social or cultural factors. With the help of existential therapy, clients can easily be enabled to weigh the alternatives and the consequences of choices they make in their lives. This has been recognized as a solution to factors which contribute to physical morbidity and morality and that are brought forth by psychological problems. Through the test on the efficacy of existential therapy by Roncella and associates in 2013, it was evidenced that this method is crucial in providing a remedy for patients who have had cardiac surgery as it reduced the incidences of cardiac problems (Vos, 2015) . Moreover , this method as proved by the study improved the quality of life as it reduced the depression and the severity of diseases.
Although this approach has various strengths, it also has some limitations. This approach has for instance been faulted as being overly intellectual. For example, those looking for therapy and are not conversant with self-reflection and self-examination may not benefit with this approach since it requires one to reflect on their own. Existential therapy has also been criticized as atheistic and is blamed that it ostracizes people of religious faith (Hoffman, 2015) . This is due to the fact that it asks individuals to think about certain things that are connected to the purpose of life and why people exist.
Why this theory is congruent with my own view of the world and how people change.
My own views attract me towards existential therapy due to some reasons which include how the therapy concentrates on the pursuit of life’s meaning, freedom of an individual, truth and the purpose of life. Moreover, the theory deals with various philosophical questions and various aspects affecting humans such as fear of death and isolation which are experienced in many cases in life and provide useful solutions to them.
References
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Cooper, M. (2016). Existential therapies. Sage.
Corey, G. (2014). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Correia, E. A. (2017). Characteristic practices of existential psychotherapy: A worldwide survey of practitioners’ perspectives. The Humanistic Psychologist 45(3) , 217.
Hoffman, L. V.-H. (2015). Emotion, relationship, and meaning as core existential practice: Evidence-based foundations. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy 45 (1) , 11-20.
Lietaer, G. (2016). The research tradition in person-centered/experiential psychotherapy and counseling: bibliographical survey 1940–2015. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies 15(2) , 95-125.
Rayner, M. &. (2014). CORE Blimey! Existential Therapy Scores GOALS! Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis 25(2) , 25.
Schneider, K. J. (2016). Existential-integrative therapy: Foundational implications for integrative practice. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 26(1). , 49.
Spinelli, E. (2014). Practising existential therapy: The relational world. Sage.
Vos, J. C. (2015). Existential therapies: a meta-analysis of their effects on psychological outcomes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 83(1) , 115.
Watson, J. C. (2015). Humanistic/Existential/Phenomenological Psychotherapy. The Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology.
