Existential & Meaning-Making Concerns
Not a mental disorder; may overlap adjustment disorders, V/Z codes
Questions about purpose, mortality, freedom, isolation, and meaning — particularly during life transitions, terminal illness, or crises. Not a disorder but a common presenting concern. Existential, logotherapy, and meaning-centered approaches most directly address these.
Prevalence: Universal human concern; heightened during transitions and illness
33 Therapeutic Approaches
Sorted by evidence tier: guideline-recommended first, then RCT-supported, then emerging/limited evidence.
RCT-Supported (11)
Social Justice
Feminist Therapy
Various (Lerman, Brown, Worell, Enns) · 1970
Humanistic
Interpersonal Process Group Therapy
Irvin Yalom · 1970
Humanistic
Life Review Therapy
Robert Butler · 1963
Humanistic
Person-Centered Therapy
Carl Rogers · 1951
Psychedelic
Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
Griffiths / Carhart-Harris · 2016
Psychoanalytic
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud · 1895
Psychoanalytic
Analytical Psychology
Carl Jung · 1913
Psychedelic
EMBARK
Brennan / Belser · 2022
Integrative
Pluralistic Therapy
Mick Cooper / John McLeod · 2011
Humanistic
Positive Psychotherapy
Nossrat Peseschkian · 1977
Existential-Humanistic
Process Group Therapy
Irvin Yalom · 1970
Emerging / Limited Evidence (22)
Psychoanalytic
Adlerian Therapy
Alfred Adler · 1912
Somatic
Bioenergetic Analysis
Alexander Lowen / Wilhelm Reich · 1956
Contemplative
Buddhist Psychology / Contemplative Psychotherapy
Chögyam Trungpa / Jack Kornfield / Mark Epstein · 1974
Humanistic
Collaborative Therapy
Harlene Anderson / Harold Goolishian · 1988
Family Systems
Contextual Therapy
Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy · 1973
Existential
Daseinsanalysis
Boss / Binswanger · 1942
Existential
Existential Psychotherapy
Rollo May / Irvin Yalom · 1958
Somatic
Feldenkrais Method
Moshé Feldenkrais · 1949
Expressive
Focusing
Eugene Gendlin · 1978
Humanistic
Gestalt Therapy
Fritz & Laura Perls · 1951
Somatic
Hakomi
Ron Kurtz · 1980
Psychedelic
Holotropic Breathwork
Stanislav Grof / Christina Grof · 1976
Psychoanalytic
Lacanian Psychoanalysis
Jacques Lacan · 1953
Existential
Logotherapy
Viktor Frankl · 1946
Contemplative
Morita Therapy
Shoma Morita · 1919
Eastern-Influenced
Naikan Therapy
Ishin Yoshimoto · 1940
Postmodern
Narrative Therapy
Michael White / David Epston · 1990
Psychedelic
Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Integration (PHRI)
Various (Gorman, Nielson, Gael) · 2015
Expressive
Psychodrama
Jacob Moreno · 1921
Psychoanalytic
Relational Psychoanalysis
Stephen Mitchell / Lewis Aron · 1988
Integrative
Transactional Analysis
Eric Berne · 1958
Existential
Transpersonal Psychology
Abraham Maslow / Stanislav Grof · 1969
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