d human experiences. Existential philosophy thus provides a basis for existential counselling, which emphasizes the notion that "truth" and "reality" are subjective constructs that emerge out of individual experiences (Yalom, 1980).
Basic Theoretical Assumptions of Existential Counselling: "Givens"
Yalom (2001) has pointed out that existential counselling eludes succinct definition. However, he offers the following broad definition, out of which other theoretical tenets of existential counselling emerge: "Existential psychotherapy is a dynamic approach to therapy which focuses on concerns that are rooted in the individual's existence" (1). Accordingly, counsellors using an existentialist approach attempt to understand patients as a whole, i.e. they attempt to asses and understand the social context out of which a client emerged and try to see the world the way the client does (Cohn, 1994). Moreover, "immediate experience has priority over theoretical assumptions, and what 'appears' - the phenomenon - always has to be taken seriously" (Cohn, 1994, 700). This acknowledgement of subjective reality is an essential part of the existentialist approach to counselling.
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