Existential psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that, like the philosophy which underlies it, is founded upon the belief that human existence is best understood through an in-depth examination of our own experiences. It focuses on concepts that are universally applicable to human existence including death, freedom, responsibility, and the meaning of life. Rather than being a specific means of assessing and treating patients, existential psychotherapy involves a philosophical exploration of an individual's experiences while stressing the individual's freedom and responsibility to facilitate a greater degree of meaning and well-being in his or her life.

According to this approach, psychological dysfunction results from the individual's refusal or inability to deal with the normal existential anxiety that comes from confronting life's "givens": mortality, isolation, meaninglessness, and freedom.

Existentialism suggests that it is possible for individuals to face the anxieties of life head-on and embrace the human condition of aloneness, to revel in the freedom to choose and take full responsibility for their choices. They can aim to take control of their lives and steer themselves in any direction they choose. There is no need to halt feelings of meaninglessness but instead to choose and focus on new meanings for living. By building, loving, and creating, life can be lived as one's own adventure.