This is a book for any therapist or counselor who has sat across from a client and heard the questions that lurk beneath the surface of so many struggles: What is the meaning of my life? Why do I feel so alone? What should I do with the time I have? These are questions that can fuel emotional distress as much as any life event or maladaptive thought pattern. Yet modern psychotherapy often divides its tools: cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) teaches clients how to manage challenges, while existential therapy explores life’s deeper questions, but rarely do these approaches meet. Existential rational therapy bridges that divide.

Drawing from both centuries of philosophical thought and the structured methods of CBT, this book offers practical ways to help clients confront the big questions that underlie much of human suffering. Rather than leaving clients adrift with abstract discussions of meaning or restricting them to symptom-focused exercises, this model provides a roadmap for exploring existential concerns in ways that can be integrated into everyday life. Therapists and clients alike will find in this book an accessible, grounded approach for navigating the complex terrain of meaning, purpose, and psychological well-being.

Daniel Marston, PhD, is a board-certified clinical psychologist with over thirty years of experience and cognitive behavioral therapy expertise. He is the author of three other clinical psychology books.