The document discusses the principles and practice of existential psychotherapy. It begins by outlining the objective to understand the basic principles and how they are applied therapeutically. It then presents a case study of "SB" and analyzes it through an existential lens to illustrate key themes. Major themes that emerge from SB's case include her "I-am" experience, feelings of meaninglessness, guilt over past decisions, and anxiety about her future. The summary provides the essential information about the document's focus on existential psychotherapy principles and how they are demonstrated through a case study analysis.

1. Abstract:
The objective of thisbrief paperistwofold:first,istocomprehendthe basic principles on which the
Existential Psychotherapyisbased; second, to see how the principles are applied in the existential
therapeuticpractice.Inkeepingwiththe basicmethodologyof the existential psychology, a scrutiny
of the life history of SB will be made, and then from this case the existential psychotherapeutic
principleswill be drawn.Andinthe thirdandlastpart of the paper an attempt to apply the practical
principles of existential psychological therapy to assist SB will be made.
Concepts:
Lebenswelt (“lived world” or “I am experience”), loneliness, neurotic anxiety, guilt and
guilt feelings, death, authentic life
I. Introduction
Horrendousandinexplicablerealities of the Second World War exposed humans unto themselves.
The structuresand worldviewshelddearthussofarwas insufficientto explain and find solutions to
the problems that the World War laid bare. It was from the debris of this dreadful part of the
human history that the existentialistic philosophy sprouted. Fredrick Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre,
Martin Heidegger, Martin Buber, Gabriel Marcel, and a host of other thinkers grappled with the
understanding human being and his role and relation in the world. They outright rejected a
deterministicunderstandingof humanessence and psyche. Humans cannot be captured in the cold
abstractionsor philosophiesthattriedtoput humans into strait jackets. Humans are their freedom;
theirexistentialsituationiswhattheycreate bychoicestheymake.True,manis throwninto a world
of not their making or of their choice. In the business of living he cannot escape the existential
realitiesof anxiety,guilt,lonelinessanddeath.Inthe midst of these realities he has the freedom to
choose,freedomtochoose to perceive, live, create and find meaning. It is from the application of
this weltanschauung to psychology we have existential psychotherapists. Some of the main

2. practitioners of existential psychologists were Ludwig Binswanger, Rollo May, Irvin Yalom, Viktor
Frankl, Medard Boss, et.al.
II. Weltanschauung of Existential Psychotherapy
II.1. Existential Psychotherapy Believes in Human Freedom
According to Gerald Corey the basic existential premise is that humans are not victims of
circumstances, but they are what they choose to be.1
Thus the existential therapy bypasses the
traditional psychotherapies such as Psychoanalytic school, behaviourist school. Whereas the
psychoanalytic school hold that the psychological problems that one face in life has to do with the
way one was reared in life, the defence mechanisms that one developed, etc., the existentialist
psychology holds that one is not victims of circumstances and we can feel and act as one chooses.
Consequently, the major“Aimof the existential psychotherapy is to encourage clients to reflect on
life,torecognize theirrange of alternatives, and decide among them.”2
Once they recognise “their
role increatingtheirownlife predicament,they also realize that they, only they have the power to
change that situation.”3
This therapy aims also to confront people to stop deceiving themselves
tellingthemselvesthattheyare helplessandtheyare victimsof thingshappeningto them, and their
excessive demands on life.4
The existential therapy does not consider people to be sick and
consequentlythe therapyisnotdesignedtotreatpeople.Ratherthe aimof the existential therapyis
to helppeople toface their life head along and explore the possibilities of their life and choose to
find meaning and purpose.
1 Gerald Corey (2009) Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 8th ed., Belmont, C.A.: Thomson
Higher Education,133.
2 Ibid,133-134.
3 I.D. Yalom (1980) Existential Psychotherapy,New York: Basic Books,18.As quoted by ibid,134.
4 See Van Durzen, & C. Arnold Baker (2008) Existential Perspectives on human issues: A handbook for practice,
London: Palgrave,Macmillan,200,as cited by ibid.

3. II.2. Anxiety, Guilt and Aloneness
II. The Case of SB5
SB is a 35 year old woman from a Bengali lower middle class family. By profession she is a
nurse. Being the youngest of the children of her parents, SB was a pet of her parents and
brothers. She could never say no to her parents because of the fear of hurting them. “When they
suggested marriage to CG, I did not have an opinion. They knew best for me, I thought.”
At the age of 28, SB got married to a divorcee CG. Immediately after the marriage she found her
husband was not what she thought he was. She thought he was incapable of affection for her. He
hardly talked to her. She was treated as an outsider. She said, “While he spoke everyone – his
mother, brother and sister – affectionately, he did not find time or interest in talking to me.”
Mutual love and respect was denied. All along during the trouble SB she tried to suffer all alone.
She could not come around to tell her problems to her nearest ones. She was afraid of making
them suffer for her sake. Nevertheless when things were absolutely out of hand, SB informed
her parents and aunts. They came to her and took her away saying that she had suffered enough
and CG was not a fitting person for her.
At the time the client appeared before this student she was found to be dejected. She said her
life was “meaningless”. She committed one mistake after another. She also said, “The decisions
5 The author being a judge of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Calcutta,SB approached the tribunal for nullity of
her marriageto CG. Here the student is attempting to analysethe situation of SB from an existential psycho-
therapeutic perspective. The name and personal details arewithheld for anonymity.

4. she made was not hers but she obliged her parents and aunts.” She also contemplated of death
since she said she had destroyed her life and has no future.
III. Major Themes of Existential Psychotherapy
One can deduce fromthe case citedabove majorthemesof existential psychology. As one observes
the case SB, following emotional and existential themes emerge:
III.1. The ‘I-Am’ Experience
n the diagnostic process, existential psychologists initially attem pt to determ ine their
client’s world view. Husserl entitled this an individual’s “Lebenswelt”, or their "lived
world." This is the individual’sconcreteeveryday world, including their physical, social, and
especially their personal, worlds.
References:
1. Lieberman,Paul B.& HavensLestonL. “ExistentialPsychotherapy” Encyclopaedia of
Psychotherapy, vol.I(2002) London:AcademicPress,741-754
2. Durzen-Smith,EmmyVanD, ExistentialCounsellinginpractice (1990) New Delhi:Sage
Publications.
3. Cohn,Hans W. Existential ThoughtandTherapeuticPractice (1997) New Delhi:Sage
Publications.
4.