My reaction, as a client, to existential therapy would likely be an unpleasant one. As I understand it, the goals of existential therapy include finding personal meaning, coping with anxiety, taking responsibility for decisions and living in the present, all of which I firmly believe are important elements of living a satisfying life. However, I believe that I would find several of the strategies used to attain these goals very uncomfortable and a bit "far out" for my tastes. Although existential therapy is derivative from existentialism, this is a philosophy that does not have any particular appeal for me.
As a therapy, I think of existential therapy as relentless in its quest for the client to live in the present. However, I believe it is difficult to live in the present when so much of the present is seen through a lens of childhood traumas and conflicts. Thus, to at least some extent, I feel that looking at the past and reflecting upon it is an extremely important element of therapy. I feel that an existential therapist would basically ignore, or worse, belittle any need I might feel to leave the present and "be in the past" for awhile. I also think this form of therapy is way too directive for me and I would feel too controlled and resentful of said. I need a far gentler approach.
As an existential therapist, I would still embrace and feel positive toward the basic goals of existential therapy but I would not feel comfortable being as directive as this form of therapy often requires of the therapist. Also, it seems to me that existential therapy assumes that the therapist must have a strong notion of what it means to be a human being, and be able to then apply this notion in terms of directing the client. I think that believing I really have a scope on what it means to be a human being is pretty close to the height of arrogance. I would find trying to "come from this place" of knowledge in terms of working with clients c...