You’ve already tried waiting for the crisis to pass. You’ve tried keeping your mind occupied, traveling, and changing your routine. Nothing worked. The question remains there, deep down, unanswered. If an existential crisis has already set in, the good news is that treatment is available—and the path is simpler than it seems.
This post is a practical guide on what to do once you’ve recognized that you’re in an existential crisis. You’ll understand why waiting doesn’t work, what the five evidence-based therapeutic approaches are, what to expect from each one, and how to choose the one best suited to your situation.
An Existential Crisis Can Be Treated
Before we dive into the approaches, it’s important to dispel a common misconception: an existential crisis isn’t just “a phase,” and you don’t have to go through it alone, in silence. Frankl, Yalom, and most of the contemporary clinical community agree: an existential crisis is a treatable condition. It has a name, a cause, and a way out.
What’s confusing is that an existential crisis is not a disease in the classical sense. There’s no single remedy that can eliminate it. What does exist are therapeutic approaches that create the conditions for a person to rebuild—at their own pace—a sense of purpose that sustains their daily life. The focus isn’t on “positive thinking,” but rather on reorganizing one’s relationship with life’s big questions.
Whether you’ve been in an existential void for weeks, or if existential anxiety has already set in, or if the crisis arose after a specific trigger, there is work to be done. And it begins with choosing a therapeutic path.
5 Proven Therapeutic Paths
There is no single path. What exists are different entry points, and the best choice depends on how the crisis manifests in you, your history, and what you’re ready to do. These five are the most commonly used in clinical practice, with evidence of results.
1. Clinical Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is one of the most direct approaches to an existential crisis, for a specific reason: it accesses the level where beliefs about oneself, about life, and about time were formed. In an existential crisis, it’s not enough to simply talk about the question—you have to go to the place where it took root.
In practice, the work follows three directions:
- Identify the core belief behind the crisis. There is almost always a silent phrase—“I’m not good enough,” “I don’t deserve it,” “I have nothing of value to offer”—that shapes everything else. Bringing this phrase into consciousness weakens the system.
- Working on the relationship with finitude. The existential crisis revolves, in part, around the awareness of death. Hypnotherapy helps transform this relationship—not to deny it, but to make it livable.
- Reconnect with values and direction. After identifying what lies beneath, the work is to build a new direction. Not a ready-made answer—but a path that makes sense to you.
The advantage of hypnotherapy is its depth. The disadvantage is that it requires a qualified professional and a commitment to the process. To better understand how a session works, see what a hypnotherapy session is like.
2. Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy
Logotherapy, developed by Viktor Frankl in the 1930s, is the “therapy of meaning.” Frankl drew on his own experience in concentration camps to develop an approach centered on three possible paths to finding meaning:
- Through the creative path — work, creation, contribution. It doesn’t matter whether it’s art, science, or caring for others. What matters is that something flows from you out into the world.
- Through the experiential path — love, connection, beauty, nature. Moments when you feel part of something greater.
- Through the attitudinal path — one’s stance toward the inevitable. Even in the face of pain, loss, and finitude, it is possible to choose how to respond.
Logotherapy is especially useful when the crisis revolves around the question “What for?” When the question isn’t “how do I feel,” but “why do I do what I do.” It works as a complement to other approaches and has growing evidence of effectiveness in the treatment of existential depression.
3. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the psychotherapy approaches with the most scientific evidence. For an existential crisis, it plays a specific role: addressing the thought patterns that keep the crisis active.
An existential crisis creates cognitive loops—“nothing is worth it,” “I’ll feel this way forever,” “no one understands me.” These loops aren’t factual, but they function as if they were. CBT helps to:
- Identify automatic thoughts that perpetuate suffering
- Test the evidence for these thoughts (which is usually weak)
- Develop alternatives that are more helpful and grounded in reality
CBT is particularly effective when a crisis triggers physical symptoms of anxiety and insomnia, because it has specific protocols for these cases (see also the NHS page on GAD). It doesn’t replace existential work, but it’s an excellent support.
4. Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness does not resolve an existential crisis—and it was not designed to do so. What it does is create a different relationship with what is happening. Instead of running away from the question or being swept away by it, you learn to observe it.
In practice, mindfulness helps in three ways:
- It reduces emotional reactivity to existential thoughts. The question remains, but it loses its hold on you.
- It breaks the autopilot. An existential crisis feeds on empty routine. Mindfulness restores presence to what is happening.
- It increases tolerance for discomfort. You learn to inhabit uncertainty without needing an immediate answer.
Mindfulness is especially useful as a daily maintenance practice. It does not replace an in-depth therapeutic process, but it provides stability.
5. Support Network and Community
An existential crisis has a silent enemy: isolation. The more you shut yourself off, the deeper the crisis becomes. A support network acts as an antidote.
What counts as a support network:
- Trusted people — friends, family, partners with whom you can speak honestly, without putting on a show
- Support groups — in person or online, with people who are going through something similar. Sharing the experience lightens the burden.
- Communities of practice — spaces where you engage with something bigger than yourself (causes, collective projects, secular spirituality, etc.)
- Mental health professional — psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist. This doesn’t replace networking, but it complements it.
An existential crisis often coincides with a life that has become too narrow. Reopening your life to the outside world is part of the treatment.
How to Choose the Right Path for You
There is no single path. But there are clues to help you decide.
| If your crisis is more… | Main Path | Complementary Approaches |
|---|---|---|
| …a question about meaning | Logotherapy | Hypnotherapy, support network |
| …a persistent emptiness | Hypnotherapy, logotherapy | Mindfulness, support network |
| …a loop of negative thoughts | CBT | Hypnotherapy, mindfulness |
| …a body on high alert (insomnia, tension) | CBT, mindfulness | Hypnotherapy |
| …isolation and a loss of connection | Support network, community | Logotherapy, CBT |
| …something deeper and more diffuse | Hypnotherapy | Any of the others |
In practice, most cases involve a combination of two or three approaches. Hypnotherapy is often the main focus, because it addresses the level where the crisis originated. But you don’t have to start with it. The important thing is to get started.
What to Expect from Treatment
Treatment for an existential crisis isn’t instantaneous. But it also doesn’t take years. Here are some practical guidelines:
- First phase (1–3 sessions): stabilization. Reducing the intensity of symptoms, creating a sense of safety, and mapping out what is at stake.
- Intermediate phase (4–10 sessions): in-depth work. Identifying beliefs, reframing, and building new reference points.
- Final phase (10–15 sessions): consolidation. Integrating what has been worked on, creating a maintenance plan, and follow-up.
The total duration depends on the severity of the crisis and the level of commitment. On average, a serious course of treatment takes between 8 and 15 sessions. Hypnotherapy sessions are usually weekly at first, then every two weeks.
What to expect in the first few sessions:
- Deep listening — a space to speak without judgment
- Shared assessment — you understand what’s going on
- Therapeutic plan — a combination of techniques, pace, and estimated duration
- Initial relief — usually appears within the first 2–3 sessions
What not to expect: a “quick fix” promised by someone, or someone who says “just think positive.” An existential crisis requires serious work.
When to Seek Urgent Help
An existential crisis, in and of itself, is not a medical emergency. But it can escalate into situations that require immediate attention.
Seek urgent help (CVV 188, emergency room, psychiatrist) if:
- You have recurring thoughts of death or that “it would be better not to be here”
- Your sleep is completely disrupted for more than two weeks
- You’re increasingly using alcohol, medications, or other substances to “zone out”
- Your eating, hygiene, or work are seriously affected
- You experience psychotic symptoms (hearing voices, seeing things, paranoia)
These signs do not mean you are “weak.” They mean that the crisis has exceeded the limit of what you can handle on your own, and that your body is asking for concrete help.
How Hypnotherapy Treats an Existential Crisis
Hypnotherapy has a specific role in treating an existential crisis. It’s not the only possible approach—but it’s one that addresses the level at which the crisis originated.
What makes it different:
- It accesses the preverbal level. An existential crisis isn’t just a problem of thought—it’s a feeling of detachment from oneself that resides in the body. Hypnotherapy reaches this place where language has not yet arrived.
- It works with active imagination. Instead of just talking about the crisis, you connect with your internal representation of it. You can visualize it, transform it, and engage in a dialogue with it.
- It reorganizes core beliefs. The unspoken phrase that underpins the crisis—“I’m not good enough,” “I don’t deserve it”—can be reframed in a state of heightened focus, with greater flexibility than in ordinary conversation.
- It integrates the body. An existential crisis immobilizes the body (chronic tension, insomnia, fatigue). Hypnotherapy uses the body as an ally in the process.
In practice, the work is personalized. It’s not a ready-made formula; it’s a process built on what you bring to the table. And it’s deeply practical: the goal isn’t to “understand everything,” but to work through the crisis and emerge on the other side with a new foundation.
If you want to better understand the setting, read what a hypnotherapy session is like.
Frequently Asked Questions About Existential Crises
Is there a cure for an existential crisis?
The word “cure” doesn’t really apply to an existential crisis. It’s part of the human condition—not a disease to be eliminated. What does exist is treatment, management, and the construction of meaning. With appropriate therapeutic work, the crisis loses its invasive nature and becomes a passage—not a prison.
How long does treatment take?
It depends on the depth of the crisis and the level of commitment. Mild cases may stabilize in 4–6 sessions. Deeper crises require 10–15 sessions. The important thing is not to rush—everyone has their own pace.
Can I deal with an existential crisis on my own?
Practices of self-awareness and mindfulness can help. But a full-blown existential crisis with persistent symptoms requires professional help. On your own, the cycle tends to become self-perpetuating—and the risk of it escalating into more serious conditions is real.
How do I know if I need therapy or something more urgent?
If you’re able to work, sleep, and maintain relationships, and your distress is tolerable, regular therapy should suffice. If your sleep is severely disrupted, you’re having thoughts of death, or substance use has become a factor, it’s time to seek more immediate help (psychiatrist, CVV 188).
What type of therapy is best for an existential crisis?
There is no universal “best” option. Hypnotherapy, logotherapy, CBT, psychoanalysis, and humanistic approaches all have their place. The choice depends on the available professional, your openness to different approaches, and the nature of the crisis. The best path is the one you’ll actually follow.
Does an existential crisis return after treatment?
Yes, it can return—during times of transition, loss, or new realizations. The difference is that, after effective treatment, you’ll have the tools to recognize it sooner and get through it with less suffering. When it does return, it tends to be shorter and more manageable.
Conclusion
An existential crisis can be treated. It’s not a death sentence, it’s not forever, and you don’t have to go through it alone. The path involves choosing a therapeutic approach, committing to the process, and allowing yourself to rebuild—at your own pace—a relationship with life that sustains your daily existence.
Clinical hypnotherapy is one of the most direct entry points. It works at the level where the crisis originated, integrates body and mind, and creates real conditions for rebuilding meaning. It’s not the only option, but it’s the one that has shown the most results in the cases I see in my practice.
If you want to start with a simple step, download the free ebook ZERO ANXIETY. And if you feel you need more direct support to get through this crisis, contact Fabio Morus and schedule a session.
