Existentialism, in short, is the endeavor to understand man by cutting below the cleavage between subject and object which has bedeviled Western thought and science since shortly after the Renaissance.
Rollo May (1958)
Historical Foundations of Existential Psychology and Counselling
The existential approach is unique in that it deliberately draws on philosophy, the grand foundation of all thought. During the 20th century, when there was increased fragmentation of the individual, where each aspect became self-concealed, existentialists recognized the importance of understanding the human before them, instead of as something.
Existential Psychology
Existential psychology explores how individuals confront fundamental aspects of human existence such as freedom, responsibility, mortality, and meaning. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms or behavioural patterns, existential approaches attempt to understand the person as a being who must continually interpret and shape their own life.
- Kierkegaard
- Nietzsche
- Heidegger
- Sartre
- Binswager
- Rollo May
- Yalom
- Bugental
- van Durzen
Core Ideas
Being-in-the-world recognizes that being is a dynamic state that is in a constant flux depending on the context the individual is in. It requires the balancing of these different contexts or worlds.
| World | Meaning |
| Umwelt | Physical |
| Mitwelt | Social |
| Eigenwelt | Personal |
| Uberwelt | Spiritual |
Connections
Psychological Agency
Key thinker – Albert Bandura
While existential philosophers described the human condition as one of freedom and responsibility, Bandura’s social cognitive theory provides a psychological account of how agency operates. Humans are not merely shaped by their environment; through beliefs about their own efficacy and their capacity for self-regulation, they can intentionally influence the course of their lives.
Frameworks
Four Worlds
Starting with Binswager with the two worlds from Hadagger (Umwelt, Mitwelt) and then his edition of Eigenwelt. Then expanded by Emmy van Durzen with Uberwelt, to reflect what was missing in the inital words worlds with the spiritual aspects.
| World | Definition | Struggle | |
| Umwelt | Surrond world or physical dimension | ||
| Mitwelt | or social dimension | ||
| Eigenwelt | or personal dimension | ||
| Uberwelt | or spiritual dimension |
Umwelt
Translates to “surround world,” which traditionally reflects the biological world (Bingswager), but can also be understood to reflect the physical world as outlined by van Durzen.
Eigenwelt
Mitwelt
Überwelt
Four Givens
References
van Durzen, E. (2016)