Existential Thought and Therapeutic Practice: An Introduction to Existential Psychotherapy

by Hans W. Cohn

`A lucid and much-needed account of existential psychotherapy... As well as locating existential psychotherapy within a historical and philosophical context, Hans Cohn encompasses various therapeutic issues and provides some vivid and sensitive passages of case material... I found the book provided a concise and clarifying account of the underlying philosophy and of the psychotherapeutic practice... The existentialist challenge to Freud outlined in the book provides an alternative point of view to counter potentially engulfing aspects of a psychoanalytic vision. This is a stimulating book which is a valuable contribution towards dialogue between different approaches of psychotherapy′ - International Journal of Psychotherapy

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

Reviews

[Tara]

I liked this book. It ws easy to read and concise with material which is often difficult to write about. The only thing I would have liked is more examples and a more in depth view of each example.

[Heiki Eesmaa]

Dry but at least brief.

[Michael Kulyk]

Clearly written and comprehensive, one of the best 'not too long' books on the subject. Goes into sufficient detail regarding Heidegger, Boss and Sartre to do the job.

[Andrew]

Although it's 20 years old, this book is still useful and relevant to existential therapists, providing a blend of existential and phenomenological ideas, alongside some application to therapy and illustrative case material. Clear and generally concise, it's relatively accessible for the newcomer to the field. Cohn's particular emphasis throughout is on contrasting existential therapy with psychoanalysis, so it may be especially helpful for analysts who want to make some sense of existential therapy in their terms, or for existential therapists who want to develop their critique of psychoanalysis. There are stronger and more detailed books that focus on existential therapy in more depth and with more practical application, but Cohn's work is a key text and he organises the subject thematically (dreams, sexuality, anxiety and guilt, mind and body, etc) in a way that others do not.