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The Case for Existential (Spiritual) Psychotherapy

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Abstract

As I conceive it, existential psychotherapy has deep spiritual roots. Following in the tradition of existential-spiritual philosophy, I describe the nature of these roots, the implications of them for existential-integrative therapy, and a case vignette to illustrate their application. I conclude with a reflection on the importance of contextualizing and integrating existential themes into general therapeutic practice.

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Notes

  1. The case of Janice is a composite drawn from my practice combined with elements of my work with a client in the APA video series Existential-Humanistic Therapy Over Time (Schneider 2009), and not reflective of any individual client.

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Correspondence to Kirk J. Schneider.

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Schneider, K.J. The Case for Existential (Spiritual) Psychotherapy. J Contemp Psychother 45, 21–24 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-014-9278-8

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