The History of Existential‐Humanistic and Existential‐Integrative Therapy

Existential-Humanistic psychology, and what can be termed “Existential-Integrative psychology,” originated in the United States blending ideas from European existential philosophy and psychology with an American perspective, particularly humanistic psychology. Following a period of decreased influence and declining interest, the foundations for a renewed interest in existential-humanistic psychology began in the early 2000s. In the early 2000s, several key developments began to emerge that would help to sustain the existential-humanistic movement. Some of these were closely connected with the development of structures in humanistic psychology in the United States, in which existential-humanistic perspectives were popular. These developments fall into three primary categories: scholarship, institutes and training, and conferences. The scholarship, institutes, and conferences would not have been successful without being combined with new directions in scholarship. In existential-humanistic therapy, several new directions played a vital role in its revitalization: existential-integrative psychology, multicultural and international influences, and spirituality.