Training Therapists in
Existential-Humanistic Practice
EHI specializes in Existential-Humanistic therapy (E-H) professional enrichment programs, training, and events for both licensed therapeutic professionals & graduate students.
At the heart of EHI’s existential psychotherapy training programs is the Experiential Training Course Retreat. During this retreat, attendees experience an immersion in the Existential-Humanistic perspective and have the opportunity to develop therapeutic skills in a safe, supportive and intensive residential setting.
Congratulations to the 2025 Training Cohort!
2026 Enrollment is Open
8 Openings for Training Retreat Cohort
Two Enrollment Options are available.
Please see each enrollment track page for details about the programs.
In-Person Experiential Training Retreat
“Existential-Humanistic Therapy: Principles of Practice”
Residential Dates: May 21 - May 26, 2026
Sonoma, CA
2 Enrollment Tracks for
the In-Person Training Retreat*
Track 1. EHI Certificate in Foundations
of Existential-Humanistic
Therapy Practice
For students looking to gain a foundation in Existential-Humanistic Therapy practice; annual experiential retreat & theory courses, and case consultation included.
Track 2. EHI Experiential
Training Course
(Attend the Residential Retreat Only)
For new or returning attendees who want to attend the experiential training featured in the Certificate programs, no additional coursework. Consultation group optional.
Workshops
Existential-Humanistic Events
*APA Division 32, Society for Humanistic Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. APA Division 32, Society for Humanistic Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Workshops, gatherings, symposiums, and conferences. EHI nurtures professional partnerships that have grown over the years to bring quality learning opportunities to the Existential-Humanistic clinical community. We also share recommended events from our Friends and Partners.
Join US On
December 2nd!
The Path to Being in Contact with Others
Facilitated by: Sonja Saltman, EHI Core Instructor and Joshua Diliberto, EHI Teaching Assistant
Contact is vitalizing. Contactful experiences center around our senses and involve being touched. Seeing is being touched by light waves, hearing happens via sound waves, smelling and tasting is being touched by various substances. Talking and moving are also ways to create contact. Once contact has been fully established through one of these functions, a sense of full engagement is the result. In contrast, diminished contact can result in personal distancing, such as inertia, disinterest, environmental hindrances, or psychological overload, causing distress.
Training in Action
See more photos from the residential training and workshops in our photo Gallery.
From the EHI blog...
EHI Welcomes Dr Chris Duessing as an Affiliate Instructor
The board and instructors are excited to have Chris join EHI as an Affiliate Instructor. Chris was one of the instructors at this year’s recent Core Skills in E-H Psychotherapy workshop, which is held annually each November for 32 clinicians.
Chris Deussing, DSW, LCSW, C-DBT, is a licensed clinical social worker and a leading clinician specializing in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and contemporary psychoanalysis. He is the owner and director of Integrative DBT & Psychotherapy LLC, a practice dedicated to offering humanistic, action-oriented, and client-centered care to individuals seeking “a life worth living.”
The Existential Moment Will Return Soon!
The Existential Moment will return soon. For this mini-break we will share links to some of the posts.
Over time, Scott has shared posts about the relational foundation of E-H therapy, an understanding of which can be deepened by looking at the interpersonal dimension of the therapeutic encounter.
New Edition of Existential-Humanistic Therapy Textbook Arriving November 18th!
By Kirk Schneider and Orah Krug
“EH therapy blends the European heritage of self-inquiry, struggle, and responsibility with the American tradition of spontaneity, optimism, and practicality. This book helps therapists and trainees understand how to help people address critical life questions and attune to how clients relate to themselves and to others, appropriately reflecting back aspects of themselves that are evident but unnoticed.
New to this edition are significant updates to research and theory, including the work of Otto Rank, an often-overlooked pioneer in EH therapy, and new concepts like existential unconsciousness and life-enhancing anxiety. The cultivation of presence as a central component of the therapeutic relationship is also emphasized.”