What is the main premise of Existential Therapy?

The main premise of Existential Therapy is centered on the search for meaning and personal responsibility. This therapeutic approach emphasizes the individual's experience and the inherent challenges of existence, such as anxiety, isolation, and the quest for purpose. Existential therapists encourage clients to explore their own meanings, values, and beliefs while confronting the realities of life, including the inevitability of death and the freedom of choice.

By prioritizing personal responsibility, this therapy helps individuals recognize that they have the power to shape their own lives and identities through their choices. This empowers clients to take an active role in crafting their existence, fostering a sense of agency and accountability for their actions, rather than feeling like victims of circumstance or external factors.

In contrast, the other options primarily focus on different therapeutic frameworks. For instance, approaches that look at unconscious conflicts pertain more to psychodynamic therapies. Techniques that involve behavior modification are rooted in behavioral therapy, while cognitive restructuring is aligned with cognitive therapy, focusing on altering distorted thought patterns. These orientations do not encompass the core existential focus on meaning and personal responsibility that is central to Existential Therapy.