Core Premise

<aside> Existential therapy views psychological problems as natural responses to the fundamental challenges of being human. When integrated with Buddhist concepts of anatta (non-self) and śūnyatā (emptiness), it offers a unique, and profoundly liberating framework that our suffering often stems from our attachment to a fixed, inherent sense of self that Buddhist philosophy suggests is illusory.

</aside>

Therapeutic Foundations

The Five Existential Concerns (Including Buddhist Perspective)

1. Death - Awareness of mortality and the anxiety this creates
2. Freedom - The burden and responsibility of making choices in life
3. Isolation - The fundamental aloneness each person experiences
4. Meaninglessness - The challenge of creating purpose in an apparently random universe
5. The Illusion of Self - The suffering caused by clinging to a fixed identity that Buddhism teaches is empty of inherent existence

Key Principles Enhanced by Buddhist Wisdom

Traditional Principles:

• Authenticity - Living true to yourself rather than conforming to others' expectations
• Responsibility - Taking ownership of your choices and their consequences
• Present-moment awareness - Focusing on how you experience life right now
• Meaning-making - Actively creating purpose rather than discovering pre-existing meaning

Buddhist Integration: