To treat this broad and varied spectrum of
contemporary psychology and psychologists, it is necessary to have a brief but
working knowledge of existentialism, a philosophical movement of the twentieth
century. Simply put, existentialism contends that a human lives in an unknowable
universe, that he or she must make choices and assume responsibility for
decisions, and that he or she must exercise free will without living under
absolute certainties of right or wrong. Existential psychology is based on the
premise that existence takes precedence over essence, that nothing is
determined, and that freedom of choice is paramount. This school does not deal
with abstractions and opposes the intellectualism of classic psychoanalysis.
Existential therapy has no rigid set of tenets in its approach to mental health.
Most therapists are in general eclectic and in particular adhere to existential
doctrine. Since "being" is prime in the movement, the interaction of the patient
to the inner and outer world is deeply explored, with the knowledge that he or
she is able to determine his or her own future. Because freedom of choice is
stressed, a natural anxiety arises on the part of the patient as to risk taking,
etc., and fears that are generated are dealt with in sessions. A goal is
eventually to shed the past by emphasizing the present and
the future.
Self-fulfillment is considered of primary importance.
