by Elissa Habinsky, M.A., M.S.
Existential Therapy is any psychotherapy which contains elements of the philosophies, phenomenology and existentialism. Although perhaps not readily apparent, Existential Therapy and REBT overlap quite a bit, and many would argue are compatible. Within Existential Therapy, clinicians work with their clients to accept responsibility for their lives, which is something that REBT therapists do as well. Taking ownership of one’s thoughts, emotions and behaviors is first required in REBT, before any challenging or replacing of irrational beliefs can occur.
Furthermore, existential therapists assist their clients in becoming what they call the “existentially authentic self”. I find this concept particularly intriguing. What does it mean to be your authentic self? How do you know if you have achieved it? By definition, authenticity is the degree to which one is true to his/her own personality, spirit, or character, despite external pressures. However, being authentic doesn’t necessarily have to be acting in ways in which others would disapprove. The concept of the authentic self got me thinking about my own authenticity. What do I do that is authentically me? While this may seem like a relatively simple question, the answer was not something that I could easily generate.
Moreover, the notion of authentic self is analogous to REBT’s unconditional self-acceptance, which is the idea that we are all fallible human beings with worth, despite having both positive and negative attributes. In other words, just because you may engage in behaviors that you don’t particularly like, such as drinking or yelling at your coworker, doesn’t mean that you are a worthless person. Thus, accepting responsibility for your actions, while simultaneously working towards changing your maladaptive behavior, is what REBT teaches.
In sum, learning about existential therapy has opened my mind. Since there are shared elements within Existential Therapy and REBT, I am interested in discovering how to incorporate components of Existential Therapy into my REBT work. This discussion also begs the question of what other theories or philosophies are compatible in REBT. Currently, I do not entirely know but, I certainly intend to find out.
