Practising Existential Psychotherapy: The Relational World

Existential psychotherapy has emerged as an approach that is distinctively different to that of the other models and systems within psychotherapy. It provides a set of significant challenges to, and critiques of, contemporary Western psychotherapy both at the level of theory and of practice. Although a substantial amount of writing that seeks to describe and delineate the theoretical underpinnings of existential psychotherapy already exists, this is not the case with texts dealing with the application of theory in the form of practice.

This new text by Ernesto Spinelli examines the unique qualities and possibilities of an existential approach to psychotherapy. Drawn from his own experience as an internationally recognized theorist, lecturer and practitioner, its overall aim is to provide a thorough and accessible explication of existential psychotherapy in practice.

Beginning with an overview of the theoretical underpinnings and distinguishing features of existential psychotherapy, the text describes and develops a three-phase structural model for its practice. As well as describing the key components of each phase, the text provides descriptive examples and topic-focused exercises designed to assist readers in developing their own practice-based understanding of existential psychotherapy.