Existentialism in Therapy

What is the meaning of life?

I think that's a really hard question to answer, and it will be different for each person you ask.

Yesterday we had a lecture on Existentialism which was really interesting. As much as I like PCT, it's been great this term to learn some other approaches within the therapeutic realm.

Existential Therapy emerged during the 1920s and was informed by the works of existential Philosophers such as Sartre, Kierkegaard, Buber, and Nietzsche. If you know anything about Carl Rogers, you will have seen some of these names before!

"Existential psychotherapy is an attitude toward human suffering that has no manual. It asks deep questions about the nature of the human being and the nature of anxiety, despair, grief, loneliness, isolation, and anomie. It also deals centrally with the questions of meaning, creativity, and love."

(Corey, 2019, p139)

Now I'm no philosopher/ historian, and I'm not well versed enough in the subject to thoroughly explain it in layman's terms, so here are a couple of quotes that I feel describe the approach well.

"In the view of the existentialist, the individual's starting point has been called "the existential angst", a sense of dread, disorientation, confusion, or anxiety in the face of an apparently meaningless or absurd world."

( Solomon, Robert C. (1974). Existentialism. McGraw-Hill. pp. 1–2.)

"Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value of human existence." ( Richard K. James (2007), Crisis intervention strategies)

So all this talk of existence got me thinking- how do we get meaning from life?

Common words that were thrown about when we were asked "what is the meaning of life?" were; purpose, family, religion, life's mission, calling. Everyone in the class had a different word or different translation for the meaning of life.

I think it depends on what you believe on a somewhat spiritual level, but there are only two sure things in this life- we are born and we will die. Life is everything that happens in between.

So how do we lead a "meaningful life"? Well, that depends on what you want.

If you believe that your life is about being dedicated to your family, and you achieve that, then you have led a meaningful life.

If you are happy with your "achievements" in life, whatever they may be, then hasn't your life been meaningful?

I feel that meaning, in part, is related to positive experiences or something of importance to people, and the lack of meaning comes about when your ideals don't align with your reality or vice versa.

It depends on feelings of connection, to other people and experiences within your life. When you feel at odds with either of these things, you may start to question your existence.

We get a sense of satisfaction from things "going right" in our life, when we are able to connect with others and feel understood or heard.

This may sound inherently selfish, but some of the most meaningful moments in life are when we are able to put aside our ego and serve others (people, animals, or the planet).

So, what is the meaning of life?

It's personal.

Knowing our own "meaning of life" means we must look within.

Introspection, time, really knowing ourselves, and continual self-reflection and development will help us all to understand what is most important for us to live a fulfilling meaningful life.