The Humanistic-Existential therapy is compared to CBT.
An integral part of psychiatric-mental health care is psychotherapy, and this is crucial to enhancing emotional, behavioral and psychological health. There are many modalities that psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) should know and know what modality is right for a specific patient. The Humanistic-Existential therapy is centered on the person’s awareness of growth, freedom and meaning in life experiences. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) works, however, on the relationship between thought, feeling and behavior, and attempts to alter the negative thinking patterns. They both have their pros and cons, and both are effective based on the patient’s treatment objectives, culture, personality and diagnosis (Trimyer, 2022). This paper presents a comparison of humanistic-existential Therapy and CBT in terms of theory, strengths, weaknesses and outcomes that can be anticipated.
This course is an overview of Humanistic- Existential Therapy.
Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Viktor Frankl and James Bugental are the humanistic existentialists. This way, personal responsibility, free will, authenticity, self-awareness and finding meaning in life are emphasized. Humanistic-existential Therapy has the premise that every human being has the capacity to grow and develop, to become a fully functioning human being, if he or she is provided with a therapeutic environment that is supportive. The therapist attempts to develop a therapeutic relationship grounded in empathy, genuineness and unconditional positive regard. The therapist does not lead the way of the patient, is not symptom-oriented, but allows the patient to discover and explore him/herself as well as their emotions (Picardi & Filastro, 2025). Examples of the more specific treatment approaches of existential Therapy are death, freedom, isolation, meaninglessness and anxiety. Humanistic-existential Therapy is usually utilized for sufferers experiencing depression, loss, identity problems, relationship issues, modification and existential crises. It also can be beneficial for those desiring to know themselves better and to develop.
This course is an introduction to the cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) model.
Structured, evidence-based psychotherapy technique developed primarily by Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is rooted in the idea that negative thoughts and feelings go hand in hand, and that these feelings can be unhelpful, or even negative. If patients are aware of and can change these thoughts, they will have more control over their feelings and develop better coping strategies. CBT is action-oriented, time bound, and collaborative. Cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, exposure therapy, thought records, and skills training are some of the therapeutic strategies used by therapists to help patients recognize their negative thoughts and change them for more adaptive thoughts and behaviors. CBT is a treatment that has received significant research and is very effective in treating depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, insomnia and substance use disorders.
There are several benefits to Humanistic-Existential Therapy. There are numerous advantages of Humanistic-Existential Therapy.
One of the major strengths of the humanistic-existential Therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client. This makes patients feel heard, valued and understood, fostering a more trusting and participative relationship in care. This process will facilitate patients’ awareness and expression, to explore their feelings and life experiences more deeply. Also, it’s a wonderful quality as far as personal meaning and authenticity. Existential exploration is very useful for patients who are challenged with issues related to identity, purpose, grief or life transitions. Humanistic-existential Therapy also promotes independence and allows patients to make meaningful decisions. This is a flexible approach to a variety of patient experiences. It can be helpful when patients are not responding to very structured therapies or when they prefer to engage in an exploratory therapeutic process.
There are some challenges in Humanistic-Existential Therapy.
But there are some issues with humanistic-existential Therapy. A difficulty is that there is no structure like for therapies like CBT. Where patients are uncertain or frustrated if they want to avoid developing goals, strategies, or interventions to reduce symptoms then it may help to have symptom focused interventions. In addition, the approach might not be suitable for patients with severe cognitive impairments, psychosis, acute crisis, or those who need acute symptom stabilization. Humanistic-existential Therapy also may not have a finite period of Therapy and may not be as feasible in some clinical scenarios. Another restriction is that there has been less empirical research on this than with CBT. While a lot of patients will speak of personal growth and insight, objective symptom reduction data may not be as clearly documented in research studies.
There are many benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. There are several strengths of cognitive behavioral Therapy.
There are several benefits of CBT. It has a strong body of evidence, which is one big advantage. It has been demonstrated to be effective for a variety of psychiatric disorders in several studies. CBT is structured, goal-oriented, and patients can expect to see measurable change in a relatively short period of time. CBT entails teaching and using effective coping skills that are available to the patient upon the end of Therapy. Gkintoni et al. (2025) state that patients will be able to identify distorted thinking, manage their emotions, and cultivate healthier behaviors. CBT is also very structured, enabling treatment responses and progress to be more easily monitored. It has another advantage of being adaptable to various populations, settings, and formats. CBT can be delivered as a group, brief, or online treatment. It can be modified for different cultural groups and developmental stages.
There are challenges with CBT.CBT has its challenges.
Although CBT works, there are some limitations. Some may find the process to be too structured or too problem-solving, versus exploring feelings. For those who wish to explore their meaning, their identity and their existential questions further, CBT may not be as fulfilling. CBT is also an individualized therapy, in that patients are expected to be actively involved; homework exercises and practices outside of therapy sessions. There are some people who have low motivation, high depression, cognitive challenges and lack of insight who may have difficulty with these expectations. CBT may also not be effective for treating unconscious conflict, emotional processing of trauma and spiritual matters. CBT is effective in reducing symptoms, but some critics believe that it does not go deep enough into emotional experiences.
Humanistic-Existential Therapy is contrasted to CBT. Humanistic-Existential Therapy is compared to CBT.
CBT and humanistic-existential Therapy are quite different in structure, philosophy, and therapeutic outcomes. CBT emphasizes changing the negative thoughts and behaviors, while humanistic-existential Therapy emphasizes self-discovery, emotional awareness, and meaning-making. The therapist’s function also varies by Therapy. A humanistic-existential therapist is the one who serves as a helper to explore and understand. CBT is an approach in which the therapist is more active and instructive, teaching skills to cope with thoughts and challenging them if they are distorted. One of the other major differences is how the treatment is structured. While CBT is more time-limited and goal based, Humanistic-existential Therapy may be more open-ended and flexible. CBT can have measurable goals and homework, while the humanistic-existential Therapy focuses on the therapeutic relationship and the emotional experience. There are variations, but both share a penchant for teamwork, compassion and concern for the patient. With the right patient to the right Therapy, both treatments have the potential to increase psychological function and quality of life.
Appropriate Patient Populations
Humanistic-existential Therapy may be the most suitable Therapy for patients with:
- Identity crises
- Grief and loss
- Existential anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Relationship difficulties
- Life transitions
A desire to learn more about oneself and expand.A need for growth and self-awareness.
CBT might be the best option for patients with:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Insomnia
- Substance use disorders
- Maladaptive thinking patterns
It is important that the PMHNP evaluates the patient individually to see which Therapy would suit their symptoms, preferences, culture, cognitive functioning, and treatments.
Expected Potential Outcomes
Humane-existential Therapy can lead patients to have better self-awareness, higher authenticity, better interpersonal relationships, better emotional acceptance, and a better sense of meaning and purpose. Results may encompass personal development and greater emotional health and wellbeing (Vanhooren, 2022). Patients undergoing CBT often notice a decrease in symptoms, an increase in coping strategies, a change in negative thinking, and a change in how they regulate their emotions. A large number of patients discover methods to avoid a relapse and to make sure long-term psychological health stability. In both treatments, the therapeutic alliance, patient motivation, cultural sensitivity, treatment adherence and severity of psychiatric symptoms are important to treatment success.
Cultural Considerations
For adopting any psychotherapeutic technique, there is a need to be culturally competent. The DSM-5-TR indicates that cultural norms and values influence the presentation of symptoms, the perception of mental illness, and the acceptance of treatment. It is important for PMHNPS to be aware of cultural differences in communication, spirituality, emotional expression and roles within the family. Humanistic-existential Therapy may be suitable for patients that enjoy the introspection and self-exploration strategies of personal reflection (Kirmayer, 2025). But other collectivist cultures have a focus on family/community, not on autonomy. CBT can be culturally modified using culturally relevant examples, values and communication styles. The PMHNP should aim to be culturally humble and modify interventions as per the client’s background and preferences.
Conclusion
In psychiatric practice, humanistic-existential Therapy and CBT are all useful psychotherapies. CBT is organized to acknowledge and modify negative thinking and behaviors, humanistic-existential Therapy focuses on meaning, authenticity and personal growth in a therapeutic relationship. There are different strengths and weaknesses to each approach, and there is no particular therapy that is suitable for all patients. For PMHNPs, the therapeutic modality should be selected according to patient needs, diagnoses, preferences and cultural factors. Recognizing and understanding these differences will help PMHNPs offer evidence-based and individualized treatments for mental wellness.
References
Gkintoni, E., Vassilopoulos, S. P., & Nikolaou, G. (2025). Next-Generation Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Depression: Integrating Digital Tools, Teletherapy, and Personalization for Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes. Medicina, 61(3), 431. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61030431
Kirmayer, L. J. (2025). Cultural competence in psychotherapy. World Psychiatry, 24(3), 341–342. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21340
Picardi, A., & Filastro, A. (2025). Development and Validation of a Self-Report Measure of Existential wellbeing. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.2174/0117450179366317250410071321
Trimyer, M. (2022, March 3). Psychotherapy and the Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Role. APNA. https://www.apna.org/news/psychotherapy-and-the-psychiatric-mental-health-advanced-practice-registered-nurse-role/
Vanhooren, S. (2022). Existential Empathy: The Challenge of ‘Being’ in Therapy and Counseling. Religions, 13(8), 752. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13080752
CLICK HERE TO ORDER A PLAGIARISM – FREE PAPER
Understanding the strengths of each type of therapy and which type of therapy is most appropriate for each patient is an essential skill of the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. In this Assignment, you will compare humanistic-existential therapy to another psychotherapeutic approach. You will identify the strengths and challenges of each approach and describe expected potential outcomes.
Resources:
Learning Resources
Required Readings
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disordersLinks to an external site. (5th ed., text rev.). https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
“Culture and Psychiatric Diagnosisâ€
Gehart, D. R. (2024). Mastering competencies in family therapy: A practical approach to theories and clinical case documentation (4th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Chapter 8, “Experiential Family Therapiesâ€
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing.
Chapter 6, “Humanistic-Existential and Solution-Focused Approaches to Psychotherapyâ€
Required Media
Grande, T. (2019, January 9). Theories of counseling – Existential therapyLinks to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvAvc2aWup0
PsychotherapyNet. (2009, June 29). James Bugental live case consultation psychotherapy videoLinks to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl8tVTjdocI
ThinkingallowedTV. (2010, September 20). James Bugental: Humanistic psychotherapy (excerpt) – A thinking allowed DVD w/ Jeffrey MishloveLinks to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjDNKGIvWPQ
Optional Resources
Optional Resources
Biophily2. (2016, October 4). Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, Carl Rogers – Existential psychology II (1962)Links to an external site. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTTqKNI7wDo
Bugental, J. (2008). Existential-humanistic psychotherapyLinks to an external site. [Video]. https://waldenu.kanopy.com/video/existential-humanistic-psychotherapy
Optional Media
The Psychology Podcast. (2021, Aug 30). Irvin Yalom- Existential psychotherapy. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2vef8W1a0k
o prepare:
Review the humanistic-existential psychotherapy videos in this week’s Learning Resources.
Reflect on humanistic-existential psychotherapeutic approaches.
Then, select another psychotherapeutic approach to compare with humanistic-existential psychotherapy. The approach you choose may be one you previously explored in the course or one you are familiar with and especially interested in.
The Assignment
In a 2- to 3-page paper, address the following:
Briefly describe humanistic-existential psychotherapy and the second approach you selected.
Explain at least three differences between these therapies. Include how these differences might impact your practice as a PMHNP.
Focusing on one video you viewed, explain why humanistic-existential psychotherapy was utilized with the patient in the video and why it was the treatment of choice. Describe the expected potential outcome if the second approach had been used with the patient.
Support your response with specific examples from this week’s media and at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources. Explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To prepare:
Review the humanistic-existential psychotherapy videos in this week’s Learning Resources.
Reflect on humanistic-existential psychotherapeutic approaches.
Then, select another psychotherapeutic approach to compare with humanistic-existential psychotherapy. The approach you choose may be one you previously explored in the course or one you are familiar with and especially interested in.
The Assignment
In a 2- to 3-page paper, address the following:
Briefly describe humanistic-existential psychotherapy and the second approach you selected.
Explain at least three differences between these therapies. Include how these differences might impact your practice as a PMHNP.
Focusing on one video you viewed, explain why humanistic-existential psychotherapy was utilized with the patient in the video and why it was the treatment of choice. Describe the expected potential outcome if the second approach had been used with the patient.
Support your response with specific examples from this week’s media and at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources. Explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.
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