Find Existential Therapy

At its core, existential therapy is a deeply philosophical and human-centered form of psychotherapy. Drawing from the work of great thinkers like Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger, and Viktor Frankl, existential therapy invites clients to sit with life’s most difficult — and most universal — challenges. While many forms of therapy seek to diagnose or “fix” something that’s wrong, existential psychotherapy approaches suffering differently. It recognizes that pain, uncertainty, and mortality are inherent parts of being human. Rather than eliminate these struggles, existential therapy helps clients face them with honesty and courage.

In existential counseling, the goal is not to chase symptom relief alone, but to help individuals confront what it means to live fully and authentically. Clients are invited to reflect on their values, choices, regrets, and desires. The therapist becomes a partner in this process, not an authority figure with easy answers. Through open dialogue, clients explore their unique existence and begin to create meaning, even in the midst of suffering or uncertainty.

Many people turn to existential psychotherapy during times of profound upheaval. After major life events such as divorce, the death of a loved one, career changes, retirement, or illness, individuals often feel lost, numb, or disconnected from their sense of purpose. They may find themselves haunted by difficult questions: Why am I here? What really matters? What comes next?

For others, existential anxiety can emerge from an ongoing sense of emptiness, regret over past choices, or the burden of responsibility for one’s own freedom. Some people struggle with spiritual crises, questioning previously held beliefs and searching for something deeper. And while other therapies may have provided temporary relief, clients often feel something deeper remains unresolved — a longing not just for coping skills, but for real meaning-making.

Existential therapy offers a space to explore these questions directly. It allows clients to sit with discomfort, face uncertainty, and discover personal values that can guide their lives in a more authentic direction.

Unlike therapies that focus narrowly on specific symptoms, existential therapy holds space for the full spectrum of life’s challenges. Many clients seek out existential therapy when grappling with loss, mortality, identity, and freedom. For some, the fear of death creates overwhelming anxiety, while others feel trapped in lives that no longer align with their values. Grief, regret, guilt, and spiritual emptiness often bring people to this work.

Existential therapy also helps those facing crossroads in life — whether choosing between competing life paths, experiencing an identity crisis, or wrestling with questions about purpose and belonging. Even without specific trauma, the weight of simply being alive and responsible for one’s choices can feel crushing. Existential therapy helps clients hold these paradoxes without judgment, providing support as they navigate life’s complexity.

Sessions in existential counseling are open-ended, collaborative conversations. Unlike structured therapies with set agendas, existential therapy unfolds organically. Clients are encouraged to speak freely about their experiences, values, and fears. The therapist provides a calm, reflective presence, gently helping clients examine their relationship to freedom, responsibility, regret, loss, and meaning.

Rather than give advice or solutions, the existential therapist serves as a witness — offering empathy, thoughtful questions, and a space for deeper reflection. Sometimes, sessions include periods of silence, allowing clients to sit with uncomfortable feelings rather than rushing to escape them. Clients may receive existential "homework" between sessions, such as journaling exercises or reflective readings that encourage continued exploration.

Because there’s no single “right way” to do existential therapy, each session is tailored to the individual’s needs and life context. The work moves at the client’s pace, respecting the time it takes to engage in such deep and vulnerable reflection.

Existential psychotherapy offers a different kind of healing. Rather than trying to eliminate all suffering, it helps clients find personal meaning even in the presence of pain. By normalizing existential anxiety — the natural fear of uncertainty, freedom, and mortality — clients learn to navigate life without being paralyzed by it.

Clients often report feeling more grounded emotionally after existential therapy. They become better able to tolerate ambiguity and make peace with life's inherent uncertainty. Instead of harsh self-blame, existential therapy encourages taking responsibility for choices in a compassionate and empowered way. Clients also find ways to integrate past grief, loss, or trauma into a broader life narrative that brings coherence and acceptance.

This process of meaning-making often brings not only symptom relief but also a stronger sense of resilience, purpose, and emotional stability.

While existential therapy is well-known for supporting clients through grief, loss, or spiritual crisis, it is not limited to these situations. Many people seek out existential counseling for personal growth and self-exploration even when they’re not in crisis. Career changes, relationship decisions, questions of identity, and preparation for aging or end-of-life reflection are all valid reasons to pursue existential therapy.

For some, existential therapy becomes a lifelong practice of self-reflection, helping them live with greater authenticity and intentionality as they navigate each stage of life.

Existential therapists are licensed mental health professionals who have chosen to integrate existential philosophy into their clinical practice. This includes psychologists, licensed counselors, clinical social workers, and marriage and family therapists. Many also bring in elements from related fields such as logotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), humanistic psychology, or psychodynamic work.

What sets these professionals apart is their comfort with sitting alongside clients as they wrestle with life’s biggest questions. They do not shy away from discussing topics like death, meaninglessness, or spiritual crisis. Instead, they welcome these conversations as part of the shared human experience.

Unlike cognitive-behavioral therapies such as CBT and DBT, which focus heavily on symptom reduction, emotional regulation skills, and thought restructuring, existential therapy operates on a different level. It does not aim to "fix" a person but instead helps them face life’s inherent struggles with honesty and responsibility.

Psychodynamic therapies explore the unconscious and family history, but existential therapy is often more concerned with how individuals engage with freedom, mortality, and responsibility in the present moment. It empowers clients to create their own meaning, rather than offering ready-made answers or focusing solely on symptom management.

While existential therapy may feel less structured than other approaches, it has a growing research base supporting its effectiveness. Studies have demonstrated its benefits in grief counseling, palliative care, trauma recovery, and the treatment of existential anxiety. Clients often report improved life satisfaction, stronger meaning-making capacities, and increased emotional resilience after working with existential therapists.

Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy, a form of existential therapy that focuses specifically on meaning, has particularly strong empirical support, especially among individuals coping with trauma, terminal illness, or deep grief. As more integrative approaches to trauma and loss emerge, existential therapy continues to gain recognition for its lasting impact.

The length of existential psychotherapy varies widely. Some clients engage for a few months during times of acute transition or crisis, while others continue for years as part of an ongoing journey toward self-discovery and growth. Because existential therapy addresses core identity, mortality, and meaning, many clients continue even after initial symptom relief to deepen their understanding of themselves and their life choices.

The work unfolds at each person’s unique pace, honoring the time it takes to fully explore these deeply personal concerns.

Existential therapy translates extremely well to teletherapy formats. The heart of the work is the reflective dialogue between client and therapist, which can happen just as effectively through secure video platforms. Many clients appreciate the comfort and privacy of exploring profound existential issues from home. As online therapy becomes increasingly common, more clients can now access existential specialists regardless of location.

If you find yourself wrestling with grief, major life changes, or spiritual questions that other therapies haven’t fully addressed, existential therapy may be right for you. It can be particularly helpful if you’re navigating a midlife crisis, struggling with guilt or regret, facing terminal illness or caregiving stress, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of your place in the world.

Whether you’re overwhelmed by existential anxiety or simply longing to live more authentically, existential therapy offers a space to explore life’s most important — and often most difficult — questions with honesty, courage, and support.

In most cases, existential therapy is covered under standard psychotherapy benefits when provided by licensed mental health professionals. Sessions are billed under general psychotherapy codes, making them eligible for many insurance plans. Clients should check with both their provider and insurance company to confirm coverage. Private-pay options and sliding scale fees may also be available, and many clients can use HSA or FSA funds to pay for treatment.

Existential therapy isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about sitting with the truth of existence — that life is uncertain, that suffering is part of being human, and that each of us must choose how to live in the face of both beauty and loss. A skilled existential therapist helps you explore these realities with compassion and respect, guiding you toward a life lived with greater clarity, integrity, and courage.

Whether you’re grieving, searching, or simply ready to deepen your self-understanding, existential psychotherapy offers a profoundly human path forward.