Our Philosophy
Gignesthai | Hellenic Association for Existential Psychology
Deepening into the Existential Approach and its Applications
in Existential Counseling & Psychotherapy
Gignesthai, the Hellenic Society for Existential Psychology, was founded in early 2004 with the aim of studying and applying the existential approach in psychotherapy and counseling. This aim arose from the conviction that the fundamental questions posed by existentialism are vital and decisive in human life.
Existential Philosophy
Existentialism focuses on the fundamental givens of human existence:
- Every person is a unique, distinct, irreplaceable, and unrepeatable being.
- Human existence involves paradoxes and contradictions.
- Each individual is free and capable of choosing their attitude toward the possibilities and limitations of life.
- The freedom of every person to create themselves entails responsibility for their choices and for their self-determination.
- Life has no inherent meaning, and thus each person is called to give meaning to their existence and to take a stance even on this very dilemma.
- Awareness of death, when faced with courage, becomes a lever for change and facilitates the ongoing and authentic creation of each person’s existence.
Existential Psychotherapy
The existential psychotherapeutic approach holds that therapists:
- Establish an equal relationship with their clients, based on respect and autonomy.
- Do not rely on dogmatic techniques and theories. Instead, they prefer a deeper, phenomenological understanding of each individual as the unique being that they are.
- Believe that there are no ready-made, predetermined answers to existential dilemmas.
- Place emphasis on the individual’s relationship with others and on the therapeutic process of the “here and now.”
Existential Psychotherapy Training
Education in the existential approach aims to create a framework in which each trainee can explore and develop their personal approach to existential psychotherapeutic and counseling practice.
Gignesthai has established an Integrated Four-Year Training Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy that focuses both on the personal development and enrichment of trainees’ experiences, as well as on their cognitive education. We firmly believe that the knowledge, values, experiences, and personal conduct that form the identity of a psychotherapist or counselor — and their ability to establish a therapeutic relationship with clients — cannot be developed solely through cognitive learning and study. It is essential that these aspects be experienced, cultivated, and expressed together and through the personality of each individual participating in the process. For this reason, trainees, as future professionals, are called upon to develop skills such as empathy and authenticity, both toward themselves and others, as well as the ability to truly listen to others while temporarily setting aside their own opinions and/or preconceptions.
Gignesthai Activities
Beyond the Integrated Four-Year Training Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy, which is primarily aimed at those wishing to expand their postgraduate studies, Gignesthai, through its activities and overall operation, also addresses the broader public. This invitation to the wider audience offers anyone interested the opportunity to engage with the existential approach to psychotherapy, both theoretically — through exposure to its phenomenological philosophical foundations — and experientially, through participation in practical exercises. At Gignesthai, we believe that both the acquaintance with and reflection on existential issues, as well as direct experiential engagement with them, can potentially contribute not only to the development of self-awareness and interpersonal skills but also to recognizing the importance of a broader awareness of existential themes in life’s journey.
More specifically, Gignesthai periodically organizes:
- Training in the theory and practice of existential psychotherapy and counseling
- Experiential workshops for exploring core topics of the existential perspective
- Self-awareness and personal development groups based on the existential approach
- Supervision of trainees, individually or in groups, with emphasis on the existential approach
- Two-day educational seminars for continuing professional development
- Continuing education program for mental health professionals in the existential approach
- Co-editing the journal Epoch and participation in other significant existentialism publications
- Conferences and workshops on the existential approach, existential psychotherapy, and counseling
- Core psychology courses as preparatory training for the specialization program in the existential approach
Discover the Specialization Program
Follow the link below to explore the structure and admission requirements of the Integrated Training Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy.