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…