Susan recruited responses from ten eminent psychologists who are existentially-oriented.   Interviews enriched the current literature in this area by providing a deeper understanding of the subjective, descriptive accounts from “recognized” psychologists who adhere to an existential orientation in their practice.

The minimum inclusion criteria included that participants: (i) were either a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical psychology; (ii) had to have been licensed for a minimum of 5 years; (iii) had to be 35 years or older; (iv) identified themselves as being members of the American Psychological Association Division #32 Humanistic Psychology; and, (v) identified themselves as being existentially-oriented.

Bily used qualitative methodology to examine and study the narrative of the participants through their words and actions (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994), explaining and interpreting the meaning of the participants'  psychotherapeutic orientation and practices as existential psychotherapists.

Current research linking the role of existential theory in the practice of existential psychotherapy has revealed two significant and disturbing findings: (i) that an attempt to formulate an existential treatment modality has few precedents in the therapy literature (Schneider and May, 1995); and, (ii) that a rigorous, cohesive, and systematic approach defining the process of existential psychotherapy remains vague and undefined.  


In an effort to explore, assess, and redefine this phenomenon, Bily focused on two arenas of relevance: (1) fundamental themes of existential thought; and, (2) an examination of methods used by current existential practitioners.  She sought to assess whether, in fact, existential psychotherapy can be used as an umbrella term in relationship to existential thought and philosophy.

This investigation used a structured yet open-ended questionnaire to explore the techniques and therapeutic style of existentially-oriented psychotherapists.  Through  qualitative analysis, the data derived from the interviews revealed:

(i) that existential practitioners lack a common language when describing similar thoughts and techniques;
(ii) that there is a process which defines existential technique .  However, without a systematic and rigorous defining of terms, one participant might describe the exact phenomenon as another clinician, yet use completely different words to describe it.  While seemingly incongruent, in fact the participants were congruent in both their approach and technique;
(iii) that, unlike other modalities mentioned in the Literature Review (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy), which is applicable to a majority of populations, existential psychotherapy is not. For example, the fragility and rigidity of a patient may deter an existential practitioner from embarking on a process-oriented existential exploration;
and, (iv) that the parameters of what constitutes defining oneself as an existential psychotherapist remains vague, with further investigation needed.

This study concludes that further investigation to assess, clarify, and develop current existential terms and practices among those identifying themselves as being existentially-oriented is warranted.  Despite the ambivalence among many clinicians to embrace existentialism as a treatment modality, its approach and philosophy in therapy reports powerful and dynamic transformation of  persons'   being-in-the-world .  

Dr. Bily fervently hopes that her research becomes a foundation for many other researchers to explore existential thought and philosophy as a paradigm for psychotherapy.