I believe that a significant part of my professional identity, paradoxically, rests more on a critical analysis of existential therapy — its ambitions, and the place of both the therapist and the client in the therapeutic relationship built in accordance with its fundamental principles — than on personal professional beliefs and philosophical intuitions that, it would seem, originally led me professionally to where I now stand.

From every corner of the internet the message now rings out: “Love yourself!”, “Live as you want!”, “Be happy!”, “Everything is in your hands!” In the modern world a person constantly hears that they should not blame or criticize themselves, that they must treat themselves with love and respect, approach their own life consciously, accept themselves and their emotions — cry when sad, laugh when funny.

Have you ever noticed how often people fail to respond to questions? Questions in the broadest sense — not only literal questions, but also remarks of self-disclosure, proposals, and even accusations (!). – It infuriates me that you caved in to the head office and succumbed to their pressure, even though we had agreed that during the call we would defend the production department’s position! – Listen, we work for the same corporation, and we…

What if, in an attempt to understand 'what is therapy?' Care is brought to the center of the hermeneutic situation? And how does ontological Care appear when it refracts into therapeutic care? Let's suppose. The therapist's care is to create a space and be present in such a way that the client's concern about their life situation becomes more accessible for exploration and broadens the possibilities for describing both their situation and understanding of who and how they are right now.

On the impossibility of controlling the influence one exerts on the Other. The Other is precisely that — the Other. One cannot get inside their head. From this it follows that we can never know with certainty how others see us, perceive us, or experience us. One can try to please others or produce a desired impression — and achieve the opposite effect. One can exert every effort to minimize one’s influence — and still end up living in the other person’s head for years.