6 existential therapy techniques to help clients find meaning

Again, there is no set way to practice existential therapy. Even the same therapist might practice it very differently with one client versus another. If you’ve never used it in your work, however, consider starting with these techniques.

1. Philosophical questioning

Existential therapy embraces complex questions about life and meaning. To help clients create lives of purpose and fulfillment, you might prompt them to consider questions like:

• “What does a truly meaningful life look like?”
• “What do you value in life?”
• “Why do you think we are all here?”
• “What do you want to do/achieve before you die?”

2. Creating a shared reality

Developing an “I-Thou” relationship — a deep connection between therapist and client, in which both parties can show up as full, accepted individuals — is a crucial part of existential therapy, Light says. The therapist may share their own views on certain philosophical questions while non-judgmentally validating the client’s. Doing so can help clients learn to foster genuine connections based on shared vulnerability and disclosure.

Any therapist interested in trying existential work should “focus on becoming a genuine companion who risks revealing oneself,” Light says.

3. Embracing change

Existential therapy acknowledges that our views about life’s meaning — and our goals for life — can change, even though we remain the same people. Learning to embrace change in therapy can help enforce the message that we are all constantly growing and have the power to make new choices and live life differently.

4. Explaining the four worlds

The four worlds approach encourages clients to explore different aspects of human existence. A therapist using this approach guides their client to ponder:

• The physical world (how we relate to our surroundings and the realities of the external world)
• The social world (how we relate to others and our place in the wider culture)
• The personal world (how we relate to interior selves)
• The spiritual world (how we relate to the unknown and develop a value system)

By actively listening as clients explore these topics, you’ll hopefully begin to notice worlds that are worthy of more discussion — either because they are neglected or seem important to the client.

5. Mapping worldviews

Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we all have a distinct worldview: a set of beliefs, attitudes, and expectations about the world and our place within it. In existential therapy, the clinician and client often work together to map the client’s worldview. This can help the client define a meaningful life and better understand how to get there.

6. Focusing on the present

While existential therapy may explore the past — including the client’s past values and goals, as well as how past experiences or beliefs affect current life — it is largely a modality grounded in the present. Existential therapists often encourage their clients to practice a form of mindfulness that stresses the importance of living in the “here and now,” rather than ruminating about the past or projecting about the future.

Using existential therapy techniques in group therapy sessions

Existential therapy is largely about the shared human condition, which makes it a natural fit for group therapy. Facilitators can lead the whole group through discussions of universal concepts, such as what it means to create a meaningful life and how to cope with fears of death. Doing this work in a group setting can actually reinforce the messaging behind the four givens.

Facilitators often use interpersonal and mindfulness techniques to keep the session therapeutic, rather than purely philosophical — for example, asking clients to notice what happens internally when difficult topics come up, or probing how group members relate to one another. For more tips, check out our guide to group therapy techniques.