About existential therapy
Existential Therapy explores questions of meaning, freedom, responsibility and how you relate to your life circumstances. Below you can browse therapists who list Existential Therapy among their approaches and read more about how this work is typically practiced.
If you are curious about addressing big-picture concerns or shifting how you make sense of your life, use the profiles below to learn more about practitioners and their focus areas.
What to compare in entries
| Credentials | A US state licence, or membership of a professional body such as BACP or NCPS. They are different kinds of thing; each profile shows what was supplied. |
|---|---|
| Focus | Whether existential therapy is listed as a main focus or among the wider list of areas. Entries show both. |
| Way of working | The approaches named on the entry. Two people working with the same concern can describe very different sessions. |
| Time in practice | Years in practice, as supplied. A fact to weigh, not a ranking. |
| Language | The languages sessions can be held in, where that matters to you. |
Common questions
How were these entries chosen?
Everyone listed on this page names Existential Therapy among the approaches they told the platform they use. They are not ranked, rated or endorsed by this directory, and the order is not a recommendation.
Do I need a referral to start?
No. You can contact a therapist through their entry directly. A GP referral is not required for independent online therapy.
What if the first therapist is not right?
Changing therapist is normal and expected, and can be done at any point. One session is a small sample of how someone works.
Entries for existential therapy
Savithri (Savi) Jayaweera, NCPS
Ref 151058
Compassionate counsellor for complex life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Hindi, Sinhala
View listingJames French, BACP
Ref 203032
Practical support for anxiety and life transitions
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingTomasz Konieczny, BACP, NCPS
Ref 199992
Practical, compassionate online counselling
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Anger Languages: English, Polish
View listingDavid Potts, LCSW
Ref 23255
Practical, compassionate therapy for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingVictoria Postles, BACP
Ref 164179
Practical, person-led counselling for everyday struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingFaryal Choudry, LCSW
Ref 266995
Compassionate guidance for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingDestiny York, LPC
Ref 340789
Compassionate, practical counseling for life changes
Works with: Addictions, LGBT, Relationship Languages: English
View listingFaith Beaulieu, LCMHC
Ref 23986
Somatic-minded counselor for focused change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Relationship Languages: English
View listingMegan Warner, BACP
Ref 241754
Short-term practical counselling and coaching
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Self esteem, Career Languages: English
View listingMaria Wilson, LCSW
Ref 138055
Understanding, practical support for everyday struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingDr. Robert Nolan, LMHC
Ref 15781
Steady, practical counseling for real-life struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Bipolar Languages: English
View listingColette Mattos, BACP
Ref 138095
Relationship and self-esteem focused counsellor
Works with: Relationship, Family, Parenting Languages: English
View listingPaul Bryan, LPC
Ref 175985
Compassionate counselor guiding steady change
Works with: Family, Self esteem, Career Languages: English
View listingKelley Sullivan, LCSW
Ref 526
Compassionate, practical therapy for real life struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Spanish
View listingDr. Robert Hunt, LPC
Ref 187307
Experienced therapist for life changes and emotion work
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingPatrick Gribel, LMHC
Ref 348422
Therapist focused on depth and steady change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Self esteem Languages: English, Portuguese
View listingSally Henderson, ACA, PACFA
Ref 224972
Compassionate trauma and addiction counsellor
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingRines Shanthakumar, BACP
Ref 251123
Practical, relational counselling for life’s challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Self esteem Languages: English, Tamil
View listingChris Rottcher, NCPS
Ref 167547
Compassionate integrative counsellor for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Afrikaans
View listingJamie Finkelstein, LPC
Ref 16744
Compassionate counselor for practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingChase Carter, LCSW
Ref 330670
Skilled LCSW focused on relationships and recovery
Works with: Addictions, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingStephony Mark, LPC
Ref 101941
Client-centered care with practical tools
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingPeter Bramhill, BACP
Ref 236747
Practical, compassionate counselling for life’s challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingElaine Bell, BACP
Ref 183764
Calm, relational counselling for life changes
Works with: LGBT, Grief, Anger Languages: English
View listingRosalind Oliver, BACP
Ref 232595
Gentle practical therapy for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, German
View listingBrittany Meredith, LCPC
Ref 310847
Practical support for stress and life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingBrandi Garner, LPC
Ref 209377
Practical, sex-positive counseling for adults
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Intimacy-related issues Languages: English
View listingAvril Harding, BACP
Ref 197916
Practical support for stress, anxiety and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingAngela Lindl, BACP
Ref 155213
Calm practical therapy for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingErin Allison, LCSW
Ref 349898
Compassionate LCSW offering practical, skill-based support
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingJoel Miranda, LPC
Ref 152518
Practical, person-focused counseling for life challenges
Works with: Relationship, Grief, Anger Languages: English, Spanish
View listingPuja Attul, NCPS
Ref 173304
Compassionate therapist offering practical tools
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingDr. Betsy Puentes, LMFT, LPC
Ref 212361
Calm guidance for lifes tough moments
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Self esteem, Career Languages: English
View listingKimberley Roberts, LCSW, CSW
Ref 103862
Practical support for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingJai Pitre, LCSW, CSW
Ref 144830
Practical therapy grounded in client strengths
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingLinda Losi, LCSW
Ref 69906
Experienced LCSW offering practical, collaborative care
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, LGBT Languages: English
View listingLuisvet Barragans Villarroel, BACP
Ref 242347
Warm bilingual counsellor for practical change
Works with: Parenting, Self esteem, Career Languages: English, Spanish
View listingElizabeth Wilson, LCMHC
Ref 126846
Everyday support for stress and life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Family Languages: English
View listingSeaneen Madden, BACP
Ref 129946
Practical, compassionate counselling for everyday struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingWilliam Signey, BACP
Ref 113870
Practical, person-focused counselling for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingMonica Rawlings, LCMHC
Ref 129620
Calm guidance for hard life moments
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingRenee Capanna, LCSW, LISW
Ref 198813
Person-focused therapy with practical tools
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingCora Benedict, LMFT
Ref 143297
Compassionate practical therapy for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingIoana Mitrache, BACP
Ref 144658
Practical, relational counselling for everyday struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Romanian
View listingGarrick Lawton, LPC
Ref 180839
Helping people build clearer coping skills
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingNelly Kamwa, NCPS
Ref 155299
Practical support for stress and relationship strain
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Depression Languages: English
View listingWilliam (Russell) Glass, LPC
Ref 43026
Experienced counselor helping practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingTina Resneck, LMHC
Ref 205499
Experienced, practical, compassionate mental health counseling
Works with: LGBT, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingMore about existential therapy
What Existential Therapy Is and the Principles Behind It
Existential Therapy is a philosophical and psychotherapeutic approach that centers on human experience and the choices you face. It draws on questions that have been explored in philosophy for centuries - ideas about freedom, mortality, meaning, isolation and responsibility - and brings them into the therapeutic conversation. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all technique, this approach encourages deep reflection on how you understand your life and what values and commitments guide your decisions. Therapists who list Existential Therapy among their approaches typically focus on helping you clarify what matters to you, notice patterns in how you relate to others and yourself, and confront fears or assumptions that limit your sense of possibility.
The work is often exploratory and conversational. It does not promise a quick fix. Instead, it creates space for you to examine how larger life conditions - loss, transitions, ethical dilemmas and the awareness of finitude - shape everyday choices. Many practitioners who use existential ideas emphasize authenticity, the acceptance of uncertainty, and the cultivation of personal agency. The therapeutic relationship becomes a place to test new ways of being, to name difficult feelings, and to practice making decisions that align with your emerging sense of purpose.
Issues Commonly Addressed in Existential Therapy
Existential Therapy is frequently sought when people face questions about meaning and direction rather than discrete symptom targets. You might turn to this approach during major life transitions such as career change, retirement, the end of a relationship, or the experience of aging. It can also be helpful when grief, chronic illness, or a sense of emptiness prompts you to re-evaluate priorities. Anxiety and depression may appear in existential work as reactions to the perceived lack of meaning or overwhelming responsibility, and those experiences are explored as understandable responses to human conditions rather than merely clinical problems to be reduced.
Other concerns that often arise in existential sessions include moral or ethical dilemmas, creative blocks, a sense of existential guilt about choices not taken, and struggles with identity. If you find yourself repeatedly asking big questions - who am I, what matters, how do I want to live - existential approaches create a framework for making those questions the central focus. Therapists who list this approach may integrate it with other ways of working to address both the immediate distress you feel and the broader life questions underlying it.
What a Typical Existential Therapy Session Looks Like
A typical session tends to be dialogical and reflective rather than prescriptive. You and a therapist will spend time exploring your current concerns, examining the meanings you attach to events, and noticing the ways you might be limiting your own choices. Sessions often involve careful listening, open-ended questions, and gentle challenges that invite you to consider different perspectives. The pace can be contemplative, allowing space for silence or for you to articulate complex feelings without pressure to move quickly to solutions.
Sessions usually begin with what is most pressing for you in the moment and then broaden to consider how present difficulties connect to larger themes in your life. A therapist who lists Existential Therapy among their approaches may encourage you to reflect on values, fear of loss or failure, and what you would do if practical constraints were different. Rather than focusing exclusively on symptom reduction, the emphasis is on supporting you as you craft a life that feels meaningful and coherent. Practical exercises are sometimes offered, such as values clarification or imagined future scenarios, but the core of the work is conversational exploration sustained over time.
How Existential Therapy Differs from Other Approaches
Existential Therapy differs from more technique-driven modalities in that it prioritizes philosophical inquiry and personal meaning over standardized interventions. Cognitive and behavioral approaches emphasize identifying and changing thought patterns and behaviors using specific methods. Psychodynamic work explores unconscious processes and developmental histories. Existential work overlaps with these schools in many ways, but it is distinctive in keeping existential themes - mortality, freedom, meaning, isolation and responsibility - at the center of inquiry. The aim is not only to reduce symptoms but to help you live in a way that aligns with your values and capacities.
Another difference is the stance toward uncertainty. While some therapies may emphasize measurable symptom change and concrete goals, existential work openly acknowledges that uncertainty and anxiety are inherent parts of the human condition. Rather than trying to eliminate all anxiety, you will often be supported to tolerate uncertainty and to make choices despite it. Therapists who list existential approaches may draw on narrative techniques, emotion-focused exploration, or experiential methods, but their defining feature is attention to the larger questions that shape your inner life.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Existential Therapy
Existential Therapy is well suited to people who want to address big-picture concerns and are willing to engage in self-reflection. If you are wrestling with questions of meaning, purpose, identity, or responsibility, this approach can provide a thoughtful framework for exploration. It may be particularly appealing if you prefer a therapy that treats distress as meaningful and informative rather than as something to be quickly corrected. Because the work often involves facing uncomfortable truths, it helps if you are prepared for introspection and for making changes that may follow from new insights.
That said, existential ideas can also be useful alongside other forms of support when symptoms like anxiety or depression are present. Therapists who list Existential Therapy among their approaches often integrate it with practical strategies to help you manage intense emotions while attending to life direction. You do not need to have a philosophical background to benefit; what matters is a readiness to reflect on your life and to consider how different choices might change your experience. If you value an honest, collaborative exploration of what matters to you, this work may be a good fit.
Finding a Therapist Who Uses Existential Therapy
When you are looking for a therapist who lists Existential Therapy among their approaches, think about the qualities that will matter most to you. Some therapists emphasize discussion of values and meaning, while others combine existential thinking with practical tools and symptom management. Reading practitioner profiles can help you understand their focus areas, professional background, language abilities, and the populations they work with. Consider whether you want someone who leans more toward reflective, philosophical conversations or someone who blends existential questions with behaviorally oriented strategies.
It can also be useful to look for descriptions of clinical interests and experience, such as work with grief, life transitions, identity questions, or moral dilemmas, because these indicate how a therapist applies existential ideas in practice. You may prefer practitioners who mention relational style, session structure, or examples of what a typical conversation looks like. If you are unsure, reaching out through an initial message or intake form can give you a sense of how a therapist communicates and whether their approach resonates with you. Use the profiles below to compare focus areas, approaches, languages and experience so you can choose a therapist whose way of working matches your needs and preferences.