Approach
Lauren practices counseling and psychotherapy from an existential perspective. The term “existential” can feel intimidating and unrelatable. Yet, it simply refers to “matters of existence”. From this perspective, no one is immune to the inherent tragedies of existence. As such, the issues that clients bring in are understood to arise from just being. It is hard to make sense of the past and the inevitable, to relate well to others, and to always know what choice to make. Existential therapists operate from the perspective that everyone is doing their best to cope with life’s hardships and realities. Moreover, existential therapy is deeply life-affirming and rooted in the belief that change is always possible.
Existential therapy is particularly helpful for those with grappling with aging anxiety, death anxiety, grief, life-transitions, guilt and regret, personal responsibility, and career choice.
Clinical priorities of existential therapy
Form an authentic relationship between the therapist and client based on transparency, honesty, and spontaneity
Use the therapeutic relationship as a healing agent for prior adverse life experiences
Use here-and-now experiences in the counseling interaction to gain clarity into presenting issues
Capitalize the counseling hour as a workspace to explore and develop skills and solutions
Empower the use of creativity and responsibility in problem-solving
Foster radical acceptance of life’s unavoidable woes (e.g., aging, death, etc.)
