By Michael Dayan, PhD RCC CCC
In this blog post I introduce the application of existential philosophy to mental health counselling, which I believe can be helpful for addressing certain mental health concerns.
The strength of the existential approach lies in its recognition of the inevitability and the potential resources found in human suffering. I believe that to struggle with life’s big questions can be a sign of strength and the key to emotional and psychological transformation. In my practice, I often use an existential philosophy framework for those who seek to bring more authenticity, consciousness, and personal accountability into their lives.
In a world where many mental health challenges often stem from feelings of purposelessness, isolation, and overwhelming existential anxiety, applying existential philosophy to counselling offers a unique and profound path to healing. At its core, existential counselling encourages individuals to confront fundamental realities—freedom, responsibility, isolation, and the inevitability of death—and to use this confrontation as a catalyst for personal growth and the creation of meaning in one’s life. This approach shifts the focus away from solely symptom reduction and invites clients to reframe their struggles as part of the human condition, fostering a richer, more authentic existence.
Existential therapy operates on the premise that every person has an inherent capacity for self-awareness and the ability to craft a meaningful life, despite life’s inherent uncertainties. Through engaging in honest dialogue about values, fears, and aspirations, clients can identify and challenge self-limiting narratives that contribute to psychological distress. For instance, by discussing the unavoidable “givens” of existence such as mortality and isolation, individuals can begin to see anxiety not as a flaw or disorder to be eradicated, but as an inevitable aspect of life—a signal that invites deeper reflection and growth. This philosophical grounding empowers clients to reclaim agency, viewing challenges as opportunities for developing resilience and renewing one’s sense of purpose.
The application of existential philosophy in counselling is reflected in several key principles and techniques: exploration of existential themes, emphasis on authenticity and self-discovery, and focus on present experience.
In my clinical work I sometimes guide clients through reflections on core issues like freedom, responsibility, isolation, and death. This exploration helps demystify what might initially seem overwhelming, transforming existential dread into a discussion about the beauty and challenge of creating one's destiny. When I apply this framework, I invite clients to explore their identity outside of societal roles and external expectations. I believe, doing so encourages confrontation with one’s true self. By aligning actions with personal values, clients cultivate authenticity—a trait linked with improved well-being and life satisfaction. Through the external philosophy lens clients make conscious decisions to proactively shape their future. I believe that focus on the present can be helpful for moving beyond feeling trapped by narratives of the past and anxieties about the future.
There are some mental health applications for which existential approaches can be particularly helpful. These include: addressing depression and anxiety, processing grief and loss, moving through life transitions and existential crises, and trauma recovery. I recognize these topics are too large to adequately explain within this short piece. If readers of this blog are interested, I will happily follow up with more detailed explanations in future blog posts.
Integrating existential philosophy into mental health counselling may be helpful for some conditions and the approach may work for some clients. For example, the emphasis on self-responsibility, authentic living, and reframing anxiety as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block may be helpful for addressing depression, anxiety, grief, and turbulent life transitions. Ultimately, the focus of existential philosophy goes beyond alleviating distress with the goal of empowering individuals to construct lives imbued with meaning and purpose.