Derived from the works of existential philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and Soren Kierkegaard and further developed in the early 1900s by the work of philosophers Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre, existential therapy has been used as part of the therapeutic process for decades.
Typically, an existential therapy program includes five main areas of focus:
Taking personal responsibility: Life is all about making choices. In existential therapy, a patient will learn just how many choices they are confronted with every day and will be expected to start taking personal responsibility for those choices.
Living in the present: Many people enter therapy dwelling on one or more past events or experiences, but you cannot change the past, you can only learn from it. Existential therapy helps patients learn from their past to make better choices in the here and now.
Managing anxiety: Anxiety can be paralyzing. Existential therapy helps patients identify the source or sources of their anxiety and gives them the tools to cope.
Living authentically: Living a life based on the expectations of others can lead to unhappiness and conflict. Existential therapy teaches patients how to become more self-aware so that they can make decisions based on what is right for them, not other people’s expectations.
Finding meaning in life: The feelings of emptiness that can be caused by a life without meaning can lead to substance addiction and a variety of other problems. Existential therapy helps patients find the direction they need to continue moving their life forward.
The Asana Recovery Center offers a supervised detoxification and residential treatment program that includes a variety of different therapy options for those struggling with a substance addiction. Call us at (949) 438-4504 to learn more about our program and facilities today.
