Existential therapy: Supporting youth through anxiety
Date
2018
Authors
Rey, Kaleigh
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education
Abstract
The intent of my Master of Counselling project was to introduce existential therapy as a
viable theoretical framework for counsellors to utilize when addressing youth anxiety and
to provide a manuscript for counsellors practicing existential therapy with youth. Anxiety
is the most prevalent mental health concern among children and adolescents (Beesdo,
Knappe, & Pine, 2009). Weems and Berman (2011) found that youth experience
existential anxiety and suggested youth have the capacity to directly address existential
concerns; however, empirically validated research on practicing existentialism with youth
in a clinical setting has been difficult to locate. Therefore, the focus of this project was to
present a literature review on existential therapy and youth anxiety, offer a proposal to
empirically investigate the lived experience of youth working through anxiety using an
existential approach, as well as include a manuscript in the hope to assist other therapists
in using existential therapy with youth struggling with anxiety.
Description
Keywords
Anxiety in youth , Youth -- Mental health