Existential psychology is an invitation to explore the richness and depth of the human being. Psychology is used to show people how it is possible to develop a fuller life and helps people to achieve a more vibrant sense of being alive, meet adversity with more confidence, get closer to states of happiness and love, and acknowledge the positive and negative aspects of their life with more clarity
What is Existential psychology?
Existential psychology emphasises the human dimensions of our life. Although we have a physical body, our personality is more than just the sum of our physical parts. Our personality is a result of how we reflect upon the choices we make, the issues we have pending and the talents we have. Sharing these reflections with other people provides an opportunity to gain assistance with deciding what kind of life we want to have now and in the future. Reflection is an important part of taking responsibility for creating our own future.
While the study of brain waves and neurotransmitters has its place in the field of psychology, individual anxieties, pain, joy and untapped potential are woven into a more complex fabric within the significance of each person’s life circumstances. An individual’s access to resources, plans, goals and the way we seek to find meaning in our life influence how we respond when we are confronted with dilemmas.
What Can Existential Psychology Do For You?
Existential psychology focuses on helping people to overcome the burden of anxiety and feelings of isolation. Existential psychology strives to assist people to discover what gives meaning to them as an individual, to seek inside themselves to find their inner passion and to extend their decisions to include choices that allow them to make their life become more meaningful. To do this, people must take responsibility for their choices and assume the blame for mistakes without guilt, but with reflection and the acceptance to move forward with confidence.
One significant trend in recent psychology, psychiatry and therapy is to focus on brain waves, neurotransmitters and the repair of clear-cut diagnostic states. While all this has its place, the essence of being human remains in our anxieties, pain and disturbances as well as with our joy. All of these human qualities are woven into one unified structure: our own lives.
Our pathology is intimately entwined with our resources, plans, goals, method of finding meaning in our lives and the way we respond to life’s big questions:
- How do we live meaningful lives?
- How will we know that we are doing the right thing when we make our basic choices and commitments?
