Existential therapists mostly regard engagement with the ultimate concerns as a way to achieve psychological and existential wellness. This article challenges this viewpoint. According to the authors confrontation is not always the way to go. People manage to relate to their existential themes in several ways. The article tries to capture these distinctive ways of relating with existential dilemmas. It describes an alternative 3-dimensional model that describes the way people relate to the ultimate concerns in a more accurate way. A case study is presented to illustrate the model. The article closes with some theoretical and practical implications of the model.
The tPeP (Journal Person-centered experiential Psychotherapy) is the scientific journal for Dutch and Flemish psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, that work from, or are interested in a client-centered perspective.
