Articles And Interviews

Existential-Humanistic

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Krista Tippett on the Immensity of Our Lives

by Lawrence Rubin
Departing from tradition, our Editor, Lawrence Rubin, turns the microphone on Peabody Award-winning journalist Krista Tippett to explore questions around what it means to be truly human 

Russell Siler Jones on Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy

by Lawrence Rubin
 If you have wondered how to integrate spirituality into psychotherapy, our interview with Russell Siler Jones will be enlightening.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

An Existential-Spiritual Journey During COVID-19

by Robert Gordon
In the shadow of COVID, a therapist and his client address their own uncertainties in order to experience freedom and deeper meaning.

Working in the Here-and-Now of the Therapeutic Relationship

by Nancy Gunzberg
Working in the here-and-now of the therapeutic relationship requires therapists to be fully engaged, and take risks in revealing themselves. But utilizing the transference and counter-transference makes for rewarding and powerful therapy.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

The Existential Importance of the Penis: A Guide to Understanding Male Sexuality - Daniel N. Watter, EdD

by Daniel Watter
In this excerpt from “The Existential Importance of the Penis: A Guide to Understanding Male Sexuality”, sex therapist Daniel Watter helps us to appreciate how existential issues often lay just below the surface in sex therapy. 

Existential-Humanistic Therapy in the Age of COVID-19 in Vulnerable Populations

by Robert Gordon
Discover how Existential-Humanistic therapy techniques can be used as a catalyst for hope when working with clients who are struggling with the anxiety and fear left in COVID’s wake.

If You Kill Yourself, Don’t Make a Mess: Paradoxical Intention with a Suicidal Client

by Dan Williams
In this raw but compelling clinical vignette, therapist Dan Williams uses paradoxical intention in an all-out effort to save his client from committing suicide.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

Satya Byock on the Search for Meaning and Stability in Quarterlife

by Lawrence Rubin
Successful psychotherapy with young adults requires an appreciation for the true meaning of balance, according to clinician and author Satya Byock.   

Irvin Yalom on Existential Psychotherapy and Death Anxiety

by Ruthellen Josselson
Irvin Yalom reflects on instrumental moments in his career as a psychotherapist and writer. This excerpt from his biography, Psychotherapy and the Human Condition, begins with him recalling his first case presentation in medical school.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

Dr. Shelley F. Diamond: A Psychotherapist Facing Death

by Shelley Diamond
After being diagnosed with aggressive terminal cancer, a psychotherapist shares how she addressed grief, gratitude and loss professionally and personally.

James Bugental on Existential-Humanistic Psychotherapy

by Victor Yalom
The late existential-humanistic psychotherapist James Bugental reflects on his life and work. His insistence on therapist and client presence predated the current interest in mindfulness and psychotherapy.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

In Search of Self: My Therapy with Rogers, Satir, Bugental, Polster, Yalom, & Maslow

by Deb Hammond
A psychotherapy student assembles her dream team for guidance toward self-actualization.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

Looking Out the Patient's Window Redux: Self-disclosure and Genuineness

by Irvin Yalom
Yalom is confronted to live up to his ideals of therapist self-disclosure and authenticity. Excerpted from the recently updated version of The Gift of Therapy.

The Challenge of Retirement: Finding Meaning and Self-Esteem in New Ways

by Geraldine K. Piorkowski
A twice-retired clinician and educator shares insights from 50 years of working with and attempting to understand the human condition.

Letting the Patient Matter: Some Thoughts on Irvin Yalom's View of the Therapeutic Relationship

by Barbara Jamison
Jamison reviews highlights of Yalom's book, The Gift of Therapy. focusing on his willingness to engage fully and reveal himself in the therapeutic relationship.

Thomas Moore on the Soul of Psychotherapy

by Deb Kory
Drawing upon his background in religion, psychology and the arts, Care of the Soul author, Thomas Moore, shares about the wisdom of creating a "psychotherapy of one's own."
Earn 1.5 CE Credits

Diana Fosha on Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

by Polly Ely
AEDP founder Diana Fosha discusses the journey that led her to create a new model of psychotherapy, the strong community support that ties the AEDP community together and how men have traditionally gotten a bum rap in couples therapy.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

Anita Barrows on Love, Poetry and Autism

by Deb Kory
Psychologist, poet, translator and autism specialist, Anita Barrows, PhD, shares about the pain that first led her to psychotherapy, the importance of bringing love into our work, her identity as a poet, and entering the world of autistic children.
Earn 2.0 CE Credits

Gary Greenberg on the DSM and Its Woes

by Deb Kory
Psychotherapist and muckraking author, Gary Greenberg, shares the critical insights—and skepticism—that formed the basis of his two best-selling books, Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease and The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry.
Earn 1.5 CE Credits

Psychotherapy Isn't What You Think: Bringing the Psychotherapeutic Engagement into the Living Moment

by James Bugental
In this exclusive excerpt from his book, renowned existential-humanistic psychologist Jim Bugental reflects on his philosophy of psychotherapy.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

The Gift of Therapy

by Irvin Yalom
Existential psychotherapist Irv Yalom offers insights into the therapist's role as an obstacle remover and fellow traveler. Excerpted from his book The Gift of Therapy. 

Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death

by Irvin Yalom
In this exclusive excerpt from his latest book, Irvin Yalom delves into the ultimate existential concern, and how therapists can help clients in facing death anxiety. 
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

The Schopenhauer Cure

by Irvin Yalom
An excerpted introduction to psychiatrist Irv Yalom's new novel about the challenging reunion between a therapist and his long-ago patient, who is now a philosophical counselor. 

Food for the Soul

by Myrtle Heery
Dr. Heery travels to Russia at the summoning of her soul, and rediscovers the living moment.

Words Against the Void: Poems by an Existential Psychologist

by Tom Greening
Humorous yet profound musings on psychotherapy and the human condition, excerpted from his recent book, Words Against the Void.

Awakening to Awe: A Book Review

by Bob Edelstein
A review of existential psychologist and author Kirk Schneider’s latest work, which explores the nature and power of awe through interviews of people personally transformed by an emotion which has been much neglected by psychology.

The Spinoza Problem: An Excerpt

by Irvin Yalom
By imagining the unexpected intersection of Jewish philosopher Spinoza’s life with that of powerful Nazi ideologue Alfred Rosenberg, bestselling novelist Irvin Yalom explores the mindsets of two men separated by 300 years. Psychotherapy.net is pleased to publish this exclusive excerpt.

Trusting the Client as the Agent of Change

by Tracy A. Knight
Reflections on the client's capacity for change, including a case study of a successful single-session therapeutic intervention.

Jeffrey Kottler on Being a Therapist

by Rebecca Aponte and Victor Yalom
Prolific writer, professor and psychologist Jeffrey Kottler imparts his wisdom and a healthy dose of humor, curiosity and unflinching honesty about the therapist's actual experience in the room with cilents.
Earn 1.5 CE Credits

Existential Poems

by Tom Greening
Lyrical reflections on psychotherapy.

After the Diagnosis: Helping Patients Cope With their Emotions

by Gary McClain
Psychotherapist Gary McClain discusses the importance of understanding clients' reactions to new diagnoses, the three main responses they have, and advocating for them with healthcare providers.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

Psychotherapy and the Care of Souls

by Thomas Moore
Famed Care of the Soul author, Thomas Moore, offers insights into what makes a good therapist. Hint: You can't learn it from a manual.

Creatures of a Day

by Irvin Yalom
Read a story, "The Crooked Cure," excerpted from Irvin Yalom's new book, Creatures of a Day, about a peculiar client with writer's block.

Is Private Equity Coming for Your Therapy Practice? An Interview with Joe Bavonese

by Lawrence Rubin
Joe Bavonese discusses the potential implications of private equity investments in therapy practices and offers tips on how therapists and counselors can be prepared.
Earn 1.0 CE Credits

Existential-Spiritual Techniques for Fostering a Healthy Perspective on Aging

by Robert Gordon
Using existential-humanistic therapy, a psychotherapist helps older clients navigate the presenting problem of grief and loss while celebrating life.

Facing the Fear of Flying Together: Reconsidering Exposure Therapy

by Jelena Kecmanovic
A Cognitive Behavioral Therapist moves beyond her avoidance of exposure therapy to create an effective CBT intervention that helps a client face their fear of flying.

A Few Simple Questions

by Saul Spiro
A satiric take on the Mental Status Exam.