Finding Meaning Through Existential Therapy: A Path for Women
Life is full of transitions, uncertainties, and deep questions about identity, purpose, and belonging. These existential concerns often take shape for women through the unique challenges of relationships, career shifts, motherhood, aging, and societal expectations. Existential therapy offers a compassionate and empowering framework to explore these struggles, helping women reclaim their sense of self and meaning.
What is Existential Therapy?
Existential therapy is a humanistic approach that focuses on the fundamental aspects of human existence: freedom, responsibility, isolation, meaning, and mortality (Yalom, 1980). Instead of viewing distress solely as a symptom to be treated, existential therapy sees emotional pain as a natural response to life’s uncertainties. It encourages clients to engage deeply with their experiences, question limiting beliefs, and take ownership of their choices (van Deurzen, 2010).
In practical terms, existential therapy does not impose a fixed structure or set of techniques. Instead, it encourages open dialogue and reflection, helping clients achieve self-awareness and personal growth (Cooper, 2003). This approach is especially beneficial for women who feel disconnected, overwhelmed by expectations, or uncertain about their next life steps.
How Existential Therapy Applies to Women
Women often face societal, cultural, and personal challenges that trigger existential concerns. Here are some key areas where existential therapy provides deep support:
1. Identity and Self-Discovery
Women frequently navigate shifting roles—daughter, partner, mother, professional, caregiver—which can blur their sense of self. Existential therapy provides a supportive space for women to explore their true selves beyond societal labels (Joranger, 2016). Through reflective conversations, women reconnect with their values, passions, and core beliefs, leading to greater self-acceptance and understanding. This journey focuses on discovering identity and embracing their unique experiences and feelings.
2. Freedom and Responsibility
While external pressures often dictate how women ‘should’ live, existential therapy highlights personal freedom—the ability to make choices aligned with one’s values (May, 1958). With freedom comes responsibility, meaning that while we cannot control every circumstance, we can decide how to respond. This shift in perspective allows women to honor their needs and desires, giving them the courage to set boundaries, chase their dreams, and reshape their lives without feeling guilty or afraid.
Menopause
This stage of life often comes with a mix of relief and loss. It's a time of redefining your identity and purpose. For expat women, the challenges of menopause may be compounded by cultural differences in how society views older women, aging, and self-care.
3. Navigating Uncertainty and Transition
Transitions in our careers or relationships can be daunting and often bring about a sense of existential anxiety, stemming from our discomfort with the unknown. It’s completely natural to feel this way. Existential therapy offers a compassionate approach for women, guiding them to reframe this uncertainty as a chance for personal growth (Spinelli, 2015). By learning to embrace impermanence, they can begin to face life’s challenges with curiosity and openness, rather than fear. This journey can truly transform the way we view our experiences.
4. Finding Meaning in Suffering
Many women carry emotional wounds from past experiences like trauma, loss, or heartbreak. Existential therapy does not minimize suffering but instead helps women find meaning in their struggles. Viktor Frankl (1984) argued that suffering ceases to be suffering once it gains meaning. Women can reclaim a sense of purpose and resilience by exploring their hardships through an existential lens.
5. Mortality and Aging
Aging often brings existential concerns about time, legacy, and fulfillment. Women may question whether they have lived authentically or “wasted” time meeting external expectations. Existential therapy encourages them to embrace their current stage of life, make peace with the past, and focus on creating meaningful experiences in the present (van Deurzen, 2010).
Embracing the Journey
Existential therapy is not about providing answers but about asking the right questions. It is an approach that values depth, honesty, and courage. For women seeking greater fulfillment, existential therapy offers the space to explore life’s uncertainties with openness and strength, leading to a life lived with greater intention and connection.
If you question your path, feel disconnected from your true self, or yearn for deeper meaning, existential therapy may offer the perspective you need.
Healing begins when we dare to ask, reflect, and redefine what truly matters.
References
Cooper, M. (2003). Existential therapies. SAGE Publications.
Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man’s search for meaning. Beacon Press.
Joranger, L. (2016). The history of existential psychotherapy and counseling. Springer.
May, R. (1958). The origins and significance of the existential movement in psychology. In R. May, E. Angel, & H. Ellenberger (Eds.), Existence: A new dimension in psychiatry and psychology (pp. 3–36). Basic Books.
Spinelli, E. (2015). Practising existential psychotherapy: The relational world. SAGE Publications.
van Deurzen, E. (2010). Everyday mysteries: A handbook of existential psychotherapy. Routledge.
