The Search For Authenticity; An Existential Analytic Approach To Psychotherapy

by James F.T. Bugental

A person is authentic in that degree to which his (sic) being in the world is unqualifiedly in accord with the givenness of his own nature and of the world. . . . Authenticity is the term I will use to characterize both an hypothesized ultimate state of at-oneness with the cosmos and the immense continuum leading to that ultimate ideal.

Genres: Psychology, Counselling

437 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1965

About the author

James Frederick Thomas Bugental was one of the predominant theorists and advocates of the Existential-humanistic therapy movement. He was a therapist, teacher and writer for over 50 years. He received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University, was named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in 1955, and was the first recipient of the APA's Division of Humanistic Psychology's Rollo May Award. He held leadership positions in a number of professional organizations, including president of the California State Psychological Association.

Reviews

[Andrew Klob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely fascinating book that not only educated me, but also personally impacted me over and over again. There were so many times throughout this book that I had to pause and almost rewire the way I look at my life. Bugental writes in a very personal way to where, at times, you feel like you are almost in a counseling session with him. Other times you feel like you are in a small classroom with him learning about the different components of Existential Therapy. He does a great job at combining personal experience and stories with heavy existential counseling concepts in a way that feels accessible to all readers. Highly recommend this book!

[DeAnna Knippling · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for this, it's available on the Internet Archive for checkout.

The basics of existential/humanistic psychology, connecting the dots for the underlying framework.

I'm reading up on existential psychology not because I'm a psychologist but because it's interesting and I've been working through personal issues for the last few years, and existential thinking has been helpful. Reading this felt relatively easy, more like being nagged about stuff that I already know, like someone was constantly going, "You KNOW this but are you APPLYING it in your own life?"

I walked around whining about it a bit, but the thoughts here weren't particularly new or difficult to grasp the way, say, Rollo May's were. I watched a few videos of Bugental talking to people--he's a much more interesting person than he is an interesting writer per se. But this book was solid.

Recommended if you're looking to fill in gaps or to make sure you have the basics down. This probably would have been a useful starting point. I just didn't happen to have started here!

[Sarah Forcey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rare book, I don't think they sell it anymore. But it is very good for those interested in existential therapy.