An Existential Approach to Psychological Obstacles and Clinical Treatments

Authors

  • Brooke Zevon The College of New Jersey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/pur.2026.157

Keywords:

clinical psychology, existential philosophy, existential psychiatry, Ludwig Binswanger, Rollo May, Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to integrate knowledge of clinical psychology and psychiatry with existential philosophy to understand the theories and treatment modalities of existential psychologists. This paper centers around existential psychology pioneers Ludwig Binswanger and Rollo May, and how their work connects to existential philosophers. This paper broadens the understanding of clinical psychology by incorporating a philosophical perspective into the human mind. Existential psychology is a framework to better understand and treat cases of anxiety, despair, and other maladaptive thoughts or behaviors.

Author Biography

Brooke Zevon, The College of New Jersey

Brooke Zevon is a junior majoring in psychology and double minoring in English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at The College of New Jersey. She enjoys photography, reading, and doing puzzles.

References

“About Rollo May | Life and Work.” Rollo May. Accessed November 26, 2024. https://www.rollomay.net/about-rollo-may/

Binswanger, Ludwig. “Heidegger’s Analytic of Existence and Its Meaning for Psychiatry .” Essay. In Being-in-the-World; Selected Papers of Ludwig Binswanger, translated by Jacob Needleman, 206–21. Basic Books, 1963. https://archive.org/details/beingintheworlds00bins/page/220/mode/2up

“Existential Therapy.” Psychology Today, September 9, 2022. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/existential-therapy#:~:text=Existential%20therapy%20can%20be%20useful,%2Dawareness%20and%20self%2Dunderstanding

Ghaemi, S. Nassir. “Rediscovering Existential Psychotherapy: The Contribution of Ludwig Binswanger.” Psychiatry Online, 2001. https://www.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2001.55.1.51

Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time. Translated by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson. 7th ed. Oxford, England: Blackwell, 1967. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://pdf-objects.com/files/Heidegger-Martin-Being-and-Time-trans.-Macquarrie-Robinson-Blackwell-1962.pdf

Kamber, Richard. On Sartre. Australia: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2000.

May, Rollo, Gordon Allport, Herman Feifel, Abraham Maslow, and Carl Rogers. Existential Psychology. Random House, 1961. https://archive.org/details/existentialpsychmayr/page/26/mode/2up

May, Rollo. The Discovery of Being: Writings in Existential Psychology. W.W. Norton, 1983.chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://wiragen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/The-Discovery-of-Being-Writings-in-Existential-Psychology-_Rollo-May_-_z-lib.org_.pdf

“Philosophy.” Cambridge Dictionary. Accessed November 16, 2024. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/philosophy

“Psychology.” Cambridge Dictionary. Accessed November 16, 2024. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/psychology?q=psychology%5D

Sartre, Jean-Paul, and Hazel E. Barnes. Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology. Internet Archive. London: Methuen & Co LTD, 1957. https://archive.org/details/beingn-and-nothingness/mode/2up.

Spear, Jane. “Existential Psychology - History of the Movement.” JRank Psychology Encyclopedia. Accessed November 26, 2024. https://psychology.jrank.org/pages/229/Existential-Psychology.html

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Published

2026-03-27

How to Cite

Zevon, B. (2026). An Existential Approach to Psychological Obstacles and Clinical Treatments. Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.5195/pur.2026.157

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): Pittsburgh Undergraduate Review

Section

Review

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Brooke Zevon

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