Sieves: Existentialism in Counseling
I could have titled this blog post something clever like “What It All Means” or “Making Sense of It All” – something to instill hope that this article will reveal the meaning of life or provide a silver bullet for finding it. Instead, I’ve chosen a simpler title, one that I promise to explain later on in this post. But to start, I’ll say this: The purpose of this article is not to make promises it cannot keep. What I offer here is a collection of summaries – possible pathways, if you wish. Where do they lead? What do we hope to find along the way? The destination varies by the person, and the choice (read as ‘opportunity’!) is yours. As for what we’re finding along the way: resilience.
Chicken, Egg, or Existence?
It’s important to know some definitions of the concepts that will be explored here. To start, let’s review Existentialism. When capitalized, Existentialism refers to the philosophical movement that emerged in the late 19th century and continued into the 20th century by philosophers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche (yes, the Nihilist), Sartre, and Camus. If you know anything about these names, you might notice that they cover quite a broad spectrum of ideas. What ties them together, however, are the questions each strived to answer. These questions, which you may be familiar with and are typically the fuel for existential dread, include (but are not limited to...):
Why do we exist?
What is purpose?
What things have meaning?
How do we manage the immense responsibility/freedom that comes from existing?
What does it mean to be my authentic self?
How do we confront and make sense of our mortality?
In addition to these questions, these individuals agreed (however loosely) that existence precedes essence. To translate, Existentialism posits that we are not born with intrinsic, inherent purpose – or, exist first, make meaning later. It’s easy to see how this assumption places an urgency in answering the aforementioned questions.
The ‘Flavors’ of Existentialism
Now that you have a general understanding of Existentialism, let’s explore how these questions have been answered by various theorists. Disclaimer: Given the nature of this post, we’ll be focusing on the mental health/counseling applications of these theories, and not so much on the sociological implications. I promise we’ll mostly stay out of the weeds.
Let’s now think about the ‘flavors’ of Existentialism. As we explore, I encourage you to really put some thought into which of these flavors resonate most with you (if any of them do); you may surprise yourself with a paradigm shift, so be gentle!
Nihilism: The Overman and the Will to Power
The first flavor we’ll discuss is one you may have heard of before: Nihilism. A more classic branch, Nihilism emphasizes individual experience, subjectivity, the razor’s edge of faith versus reason, and “will to power.” In therapy, we may borrow some of these ideas to guide us in understanding meaning and purpose. Several of these ideas are common in therapy, perhaps without the therapist even knowing. For example, Carl Rogers’ concept of ‘self-actualization,’ or the realization of one’s own potential/self-fulfillment, shares a lot of ground with Nietzsche’s ‘Übermensch’ (Overman). Nietzsche’s view is slightly different as it focuses more on transcending conditional morality in favor of one’s own values, but I promised we’d stay out of the weeds! The Übermensch is typically misunderstood as a concept, but the major takeaway is that this approach places the formation of meaning in the hands of the individual, encouraging a life of fulfillment and personal growth. Fun fact: Nietzsche’s famous “God is dead” quote is actually a metaphorical statement about his observation of the times in which he was living, suggesting that mankind’s focus had shifted away from traditional religious and abstract/metaphysical beliefs, leading to the need to answer the questions listed earlier.
Humanistic Existentialism: Freedom and Autonomy
Humanistic Existentialism is another flavor, and we have our friends Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir to thank for it. This view focuses more on individual freedom, and it’s here that we get the famous quote, “existence precedes essence.” In counseling, ideas and concepts from this school of thought would focus on individual autonomy both in life and the creation of meaning in life. Many traditional counseling theories such as Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and even the CBT umbrella borrow from this philosophy.
Absurdism: Finding Meaning in the Face of Mortality
Some of the Existential questions hit harder than others, particularly those dealing with mortality. Fortunately, there have been many attempts at reconciling this, including the Absurdist movement. Here, we find Camus and his observations about the Myth of Sisyphus (which I highly encourage you to read!). Absurdism is a formidable opponent, capable of standing up to an indifferent, chaotic universe and even death itself. It does this by utilizing paradoxes and just the right amount of spite. The main focus of Absurdism is finding joy and meaning in the face of mortality, a task that could otherwise be easily seen as absurd; if we die in the end, why should the journey even matter? Why continue? Camus argues that we continue on because it’s absurd. Humans value order and purpose while the universe seems indifferent. So we fight on, finding meaning in our choices and experiences. We embrace the struggle, an act of defiance and revolution fueled by acknowledgment of the absurdity and validation of our own choices. In therapy, we see this form of Existentialism in Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (a sibling of CBT). This philosophy is also entwined with paradoxical interventions, a concept that deserves a post all to itself!
Frankl’s Existential Psychology: Meaning in Suffering
Finally, we arrive at what is probably the most intentional crossover of Existentialism into counseling, which is Frankl’s Existential Psychology. You may feel a bit like we’re zooming out here, and you’d be right; Existential Psychology borrows from the listed types of Existentialism and even those not described here (e.g., Feminist Existentialism, Structural Existentialism, Existential Marxism, etc.). The main objective in Frankl’s Logotherapy is to find meaning in suffering. It’s easy to see how this might be used to explore and understand a host of things that could bring an individual to therapy. This branch is also utilized heavily in positive psychology.
Sieves: A Metaphor for Meaning
So, why such a pretentious title? Because I’m a sucker for metaphors. If one were to imagine the universe and the many chaotic, sometimes senseless, experiences it provides to us as an infinite bucket of earth, sand, rocks, and dust, then it might make sense to think of Existentialism as a sieve. By sifting through the overwhelming, inexhaustible, and perhaps even absurd amount of debris and material, we may find gems, interesting stones, and minerals: meaning and purpose. In acknowledging these items, placing value on them, and putting them to the side, we may very well find that the rest of the material begins to flow through the sieve more easily; it becomes lighter, less cluttered, and – most importantly – we get better at finding the gems.
Existentialism and Counseling: A Shared Journey
You don’t have to do this alone. As we’ve discussed in this post, therapy is rife with Existentialism, whether it’s intentional or not, and can provide valuable support in reflecting on these hard questions. We as humans will never parse through everything, and the bucket will remain perpetually full. But we persevere, bolstered and supported by Existentialism and our fellow humans, all of whom share at least one common trait: existence.
About the Author
Jared Montague Associate Licensed Counselor; Under the Supervision of Dr. Daniel Birdsong, LPC-S
Jared holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He specializes in anxiety, depression, and trauma, using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and a solutions-focused, systems-informed approach. Jared enjoys working with individuals 19+ and has a special interest in chronic illness and helping professionals.
