Whilst the theories and beliefs of existentialism and mindfulness are often perceived as being the exact opposite of each other, they are both focused to helping the client move on from difficult time. I.e. these therapies focused on helping the individual self-discover the healing process, leading to improve self-esteem.
Both approaches aim to help the client to develop their behaviour and to heal and grow inside as individuals, accepting all the suffering such as fear and sadness and dealing with them; even though their execution is very different in both modalities (Langdridge, 2010, p.1). Existentialism is about acceptance of the fate and face the word with courage and passion. Mindfulness is focus on awareness of the present moment (Barker, 2010, p.).
A similarity of existentialism and mindfulness therapy is that both therapies were influence by cognitive-behavioural despite they chose different paths and developed differently.
Existentialism therapy is based on philosophy and phenomenological (Langdridge, 2010, p.130). Mindfulness approach developed from philosophy and religious beliefs, although nowadays the therapy took distance from religion in western country (Barker, 2010, p.172).
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However, these similarities are also accompanied by a significant amount of differences between the two therapeutic approaches. Between the two approaches, therapists have different roles in handle difficult feelings. Success existential therapy depends on the therapist’s method; the therapist and the client are engaged in a common project where they are working together and they need to establish a good relationship. Therapist does not have a specific structure framework, existential therapy is generally technique free; however, the therapist’s aim is to guide the client to find the direction in its life (2010, audio, excerpt 10).
In mindfulness therapy the therapist is a guide, the therapist’s aim is to improve the strategy to help sufferers to deal with all sorts of conditions and to learn and to live with, and accept their psychological and physical limitations. Mindfulness is also useful for therapists themselves to practice, also before session (Barker, 2010,