Drawing on Heidegger ("Dasein" = being-in-the-world), van Deurzen sees the human not as an isolated subject but as a being inseparable from their world. "Being-in-the-world" is always already thrown, projecting, and being-with-others. The analysis helps to understand how exactly the client "is" in their world: what was given to them without choice, where they are going, and where they get lost in everydayness.
Step-by-step guide
- Inquire into "thrownness": into what world was the client "thrown"? Family, culture, body, historical time
- Inquire into the "project": where is the client going? How do they see their future, their direction?
- Inquire into "falling": how does the client "lose themselves" in everydayness, in others' expectations and habits?
- Help to see the wholeness: thrownness + project + everydayness = their concrete being
- Inquire: where can the client take responsibility for their being, despite the thrownness
When to use
- When working with the feeling "I do not understand who I am"
- In identity crises
- With the sense of being estranged from one's own life
- When inquiring into deep existential questions in long-term therapy
- When working with the influence of family and culture on life choices
Key phrases
Into what world were you born — what was given to you without your choice? How did this shape you as a person?
Follow-up questions
Where are you going — what is your project, your striving in life?
Where do you feel that you "get lost" in others' expectations or habits?
What of what was given to you have you accepted as your own — and what do you want to revise?
Alternative phrasings
If you described the world you fell into without choice, and the world you are building yourself — how do they differ?
Warnings
- ⚠️ Heideggerian concepts are not explained to the client in Heidegger's terms — they are used by the therapist as an inner frame
- ⚠️ The client speaks about their life in their own words; the therapist's task is to see through this analysis, not to expound it
- ⚠️ Do not impose a "project" — it must arise from within, not be offered by the therapist
Source: van Deurzen E. 1997, 2002; 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.