This textbook reviews for the first time the thinking of six major existential philosophers; Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Simone de Beauvoir with respect to their ideas about human development. Martin Adams presents a philosophical and psychological analysis, and critically evaluates the different ways that existential philosophy can illuminate the way we all strive for meaning and purpose in life. Written in a detailed, well-structured manner, this text offers a fundamentally different way to understand not only life in general but the practice of psychotherapy in particular.

This textbook reviews for the first time the thinking of six major existential philosophers; Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Simone de Beauvoir with respect to their ideas about human development. Martin Adams presents a philosophical and psychological analysis, and critically evaluates the different ways that existential philosophy can illuminate the way we all strive for meaning and purpose in life. Written in a detailed, well-structured manner, this text offers a fundamentally different way to understand not only life in general but the practice of psychotherapy in particular.

With this work, the editors present a forum for an array of international viewpoints and recent research that address the notion of optimal human growth.

An Existential Approach to Interpersonal Trauma provides a new existential framework for understanding the experiences of interpersonal trauma building on reflections from Marc Boaz’s own personal history, clinical insight and research. The book suggests that psychology, psychotherapy and existentialism do not recognise the significance of the existential movements that occur in traumatic confrontations with reality. By considering what people find at the limits and boundaries of human experiencing, Boaz describes the ways in which they can disillusion and re-illusion themselves, and how this becomes incorporated into their modes of existing in the world and in relation to others. In incorporating the experience of trauma into the way people live – all the existential horror, terror and liberation contained within it – Boaz invites them to embrace an expansive ethic of (re)(dis)covery. This ethic recognises the ambiguity and spectrality of interpersonal trauma, and expands the horizons of our human relationships. The book provides an important basis for professionals wanting to work existentially with interpersonal trauma and for people wanting to deepen their understanding of the trauma they have experienced.

Social and personality psychologists traditionally have focused their attention on the most basic building blocks of human thought and behavior, while existential psychologists pursued broader, more abstract questions regarding the nature of existence and the meaning of life. This volume bridges this longstanding divide by demonstrating how rigorous experimental methods can be applied to understanding key existential concerns, including death, uncertainty, identity, meaning, morality, isolation, determinism, and freedom. Bringing together leading scholars and investigators, the Handbook presents the influential theories and research findings that collectively are helping to define the emerging field of experimental existential psychology.

Explore the concept of time as it applies to the therapeutic setting Following the innovative first edition which she co-authored with her late father, Freddie Strasser, in the newly revised Second Edition of Time-Limited Existential Therapy: The Wheel of Existence, distinguished therapist Alison Strasser delivers an insightful aid to integrating and working with existential givens as they arise within a therapeutic encounter. She locates the concept of Time as central to all therapies, regardless of their theoretical modality, and demonstrates how it can be used in brief, short-term, and open-ended therapies. The book relies on the concept of The Wheel to provide a framework for understanding existential and phenomenological philosophies and to help readers put them into practice with clients. It includes meaningful case vignettes that bring existential themes to life and is accessible to both therapists and interested lay members of the public. Finally, the author highlights how our experience with COVID-19 has impacted, and been impacted by, the existential themes we all deal with on a regular basis. A thorough overview of a commonsense existential approach and a discussion of the mystery of time Practical discussions of the limitations and possibilities of time-limited existential therapies, as well as concepts and methods in the area. Comprehensive explorations of the tyranny of high morality, and examinations of the body, the "givents" and "connectedness". Time-Limited Existential Therapy: The Wheel of Existence is an indispensable resource for experienced psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, coaches, and psychologists, as well as trainees in these fields seeking a common-sense approach to existential ideas in the context of therapy.

An existential therapy handbook from those in the field, with its broad scope covering key texts, theories, practice, and research The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy is a work representing the collaboration of existential psychotherapists, teachers, and researchers. It's a book to guide readers in understanding human life better through the exploration of aspects and applications of existential therapy. The book presents the therapy as a way for clients to explore their experiences and make the most of their lives. Its contributors offer an accurate and in-depth view of the field. An introduction of existential therapy is provided, along with a summary of its historical foundations. Chapters are organized into sections that cover: daseinsanalysis; existential-phenomenonological, -humanistic, and -integrative therapies; and existential group therapy. International developments in theory, practice and research are also examined.

This is the definitive practical introduction to a skills-based approach in existential therapy. Accessible for those without a philosophical background, it describes the concrete and tangible skills, tasks and interactions of existential practice. It covers the theoretical background and history of existential therapy, along with taking a phenomenological approach to practice and individual clients. This second edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect recent thinking, and expanded to include: * A new chapter on the applications of existential therapy in wider contexts, such as supervision and coaching. * A new chapter covering professional issues and challenges, such as working in the NHS, engaging with research and the use of the Internet in existential therapy. * A companion website which includes video content, featuring the authors explaining each chapter’s underpinning theory, and demonstrating the principles in practice. A much needed resource for trainees as well as experienced practitioners keen to expand their knowledge, the authors make the existential approach accessible to all those who wish to find out what it has to offer.

In this book is realized a brief presentation of the main orientations and features of the Humanistic Theory and Method in the major socio-human sciences, domains and practices. As construction, structure and content this book cumulates, incorporates, synthesizes and develops in a new, original and unitary work a number of the author’s previous works consecrated to the humanistic approach and method in some socio-human sciences and practices, especially in Psychology and Psychotherapy, Sociology, Social Work, Education and Management, published up to the end of 2012, both in print and electronic format. In the process of realization of this works, including of this book, was taken into consideration and was consulted the universal "social" and "therapeutic" literature of humanistic orientation, with the two main directions – existential/positive and spiritual/ontological/humanitarian, or the one that describes it or refers to it. Essentially, the Existential/Positive Orientations represent and approach, in theory or practice (therapy, education, social work etc.), the Person and Personality through traits (objectives) like high level of personal and social autonomy, free will and high capacity/ ability for self-determination, high level of personal development, high resilience, high capacity to control the emotions, high degree of awareness, self-knowledge, high self-esteem, high level of interpersonal development, adaptability, mature personality, activism and initiative, assertiveness, etc., while the Socio-Human (Micro-)Community is represented through features such as high autonomy, strong organizational culture, high socio-human functionality, high cohesion, unity, solidity, adaptability, resilience, resistance to crisis and challenges, good management, etc. The Ontological/Spiritual Approaches/Theories promote core concepts (and objectives of the intervention) such as spiritual-humane personality and humane/good community, spiritual-humane development of the person and humane-cultural development of the community. These paradigms highlight and promote Personality traits and qualities such as spirituality, virtue, humanness, altruism, empathy, love, faith, etc. Regarding the theoretical representation of the Community these approaches/theories highlight ideas and features as people-centered community, the dominance of the inter-personal relationships of attachment, love, respect, the dominance of the practices and customs of mutual helps, social/group/community solidarity, harmony, unity, inter-personal congruency, socio-human, inter-personal, community functionality, socio-human, moral and cultural integration/ cohesion. *** Regarding the destination of this paper, its design, content and bibliography are made in such a way to be useful both to the academic community, to students and teachers, and also to the professional community, to psychotherapists, educators, managers, social workers, artists, etc.

An existential therapy handbook from those in the field, with its broad scope covering key texts, theories, practice, and research The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy is a work representing the collaboration of existential psychotherapists, teachers, and researchers. It's a book to guide readers in understanding human life better through the exploration of aspects and applications of existential therapy. The book presents the therapy as a way for clients to explore their experiences and make the most of their lives. Its contributors offer an accurate and in-depth view of the field. An introduction of existential therapy is provided, along with a summary of its historical foundations. Chapters are organized into sections that cover: daseinsanalysis; existential-phenomenonological, -humanistic, and -integrative therapies; and existential group therapy. International developments in theory, practice and research are also examined.