Van Deurzen sees anxiety not as a symptom to be removed but as a signal pointing to an important life choice or the need for change. Anxiety is "the normal price for human freedom" and a sensitivity to reality. The task of therapy is to help the client hear what anxiety is saying, not to silence it. A distinction is made between basic existential anxiety (ontological, not removable) and neurotic anxiety (defensive, signaling avoidance).
Step-by-step guide
- Accept the anxiety without trying to soothe or explain it at once — create space for its presence
- Inquire into the context: when exactly does the anxiety appear, what precedes it, in which dimension of life it arises
- Ask the question: what is this anxiety calling for? What wants to be heard?
- Distinguish existential anxiety (ontological — not removable) from neurotic anxiety (defensive, signaling avoidance)
- Help the client "face" what the anxiety is signaling — a choice, a given, a change
When to use
- With complaints of anxiety, panic attacks, anxious states
- At moments of life transitions, when the client stands before a choice
- When important topics are being avoided in therapy
- When the client wants to "just get rid of" the anxiety — as a step toward reframing
- In an existential crisis accompanied by anxiety
Key phrases
What would it be if anxiety could speak — what would it tell you? What is it warning you about right now?
Follow-up questions
What in your life now requires your attention and your choice?
What would it be if you did not try to remove this anxiety, but listened to it?
When exactly does it appear — what is happening in your life in those moments?
Alternative phrasings
This anxiety is like a watchdog. What or whom does it guard? What is it worried about?
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not apply this approach in acute clinical anxiety without prior stabilization of the state
- ⚠️ Anxiety as a signal is not a universal frame; sometimes direct support and reassurance are required, not inquiry
- ⚠️ Do not force the meeting with the source of the anxiety — the client must be ready
Source: van Deurzen E. 1997, 2002, 2015; Heidegger via van Deurzen
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.