What is the difference between existential and humanistic psychology?
While both therapies focus on understanding the human experience through the patient rather than the symptoms, humanistic therapy takes a more altruistic stance than existential therapy. Humanistic therapy views human nature as basically good and making choices that are in the best interest of the self and other people. Existentialist therapy is more concerned with the patient finding the philosophical origin of their anxiety by helping them act with self-awareness and responsibility. Since problems people face are caused by their anxiety over loneliness, isolation and the inevitably of death, using authenticity and free will are the potential paths to finding meaning and enabling people to live worthwhile lives.