Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionIII. Humanistic/Existential
Theories- May: Existential
Psychology
(^348) © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2009
342 Part III Humanistic/Existential Theories
T
wice married, twice divorced, Philip was struggling through yet another difficult
relationship—this time with Nicole, a writer in her mid-40s. Philip could offer
Nicole both love and financial security, but their relationship did not seem to be
working.
Six months after Philip met Nicole, the two spent an idyllic summer together
at his retreat. Nicole’s two small sons were with their father and Philip’s three chil-
dren were by then young adults who could care for themselves. At the beginning of
the summer, Nicole talked about the possibility of marriage, but Philip replied that
he was against it, citing his two previous unsuccessful marriages as his reason. Aside
from this brief disagreement, the time they spent together that summer was com-
pletely pleasurable. Their intellectual discussions were gratifying to Philip and their
lovemaking was the most satisfying he had ever experienced, often bordering on
ecstasy.
At the end of this romantic summer, Nicole returned home alone to put her
children in school. The day after she arrived home, Philip telephoned her, but some-
how her voice seemed strange. The next morning he called again and got the feeling
that someone else was with Nicole. That afternoon he called several more times but
kept getting a busy signal. When he finally got through, he asked her if someone had
been with her that morning. Without hesitation, Nicole reported that Craig, an old
friend from her college days, was staying with her and that she had fallen in love with
him. Moreover, she planned to marry Craig at the end of the month and move to an-
other part of the country.
Philip was devastated. He felt betrayed and abandoned. He lost weight, re-
sumed smoking, and suffered from insomnia. When he saw Nicole again, he ex-
pressed his anger at her “crazy” plan. This outburst of rage was rare for Philip. He
seldom showed anger, perhaps for fear of losing the one he loved. To complicate
matters, Nicole said she still loved Philip, and she continued to see him whenever
Craig was not available. Eventually, Nicole lost her infatuation with Craig and told
Philip that, as he well knew, she could never leave him. This comment confused
Philip because he knew no such thing.
Overview of Existential Psychology
We return to Philip’s story at several points in this chapter. But first, we present a
brief overview of existential psychology.
Shortly after World War II, a new psychology—existential psychology—began
to spread from Europe to the United States. Existential psychology is rooted in the
philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul
Sartre, and other European philosophers. The first existential psychologists and psy-
chiatrists were also Europeans, and these included Ludwig Binswanger, Medard
Boss, Victor Frankl, and others.
For nearly 50 years, the foremost spokesperson for existential psychology in
the United States was Rollo May. During his years as a psychotherapist, May
evolved a new way of looking at human beings. His approach was not based on any
controlled scientific research but rather on clinical experience. He saw people as liv-
ing in the world of present experiences and ultimately being responsible for who they