Existential therapy is a fit when you are not only seeking relief but seeking to understand your experience. It is a slower paced, depth-oriented way of working that turns inward toward what is meaningful rather than trying to immediately reduce symptoms. People who resonate with this approach are often at a point in life where quick solutions have not felt satisfying and where there is a desire to understand the self more truthfully.

It is also a fit if you sense that your concerns touch who you are, who you are allowed to be, authenticity, agency, belonging or desire and you want space to explore these without being hurried. Some clients arrive after previous therapy and feel they are ready for a different kind of work, one that asks different questions and honors complexity rather than trying to eliminate it.

Existential therapy is less suited for moments when someone needs rapid stabilization or is navigating psychosis or intense emotional dysregulation. Those seasons often require a different kind of structure and immediacy. There is nothing wrong with needing that. It simply means timing matters.

If you are unsure, the simplest way to know is to spend time with my writing. Notice how your body responds as you read. If you feel a quiet recognition or relief that someone is naming what you have been living, this work may meet you. If you feel urgency, overwhelm or the need for clear instructions, it may not be the right season.

Still unsure, send me a message: genevieve@genevievemarcel.com

My work is grounded in existential psychology and philosophy, integrating Stoic thought, attachment theory and mindfulness.

I approach sexuality as a meaningful expression of how a person lives in relation to themselves, others and the realities of being human.

Rather than focusing on techniques or quick fixes only, existential sex therapy explores desire, intimacy and sexual concerns within the broader context of identity, freedom, responsibility and meaning. Sexuality is understood as lived experience, both emotional and embodied, not a performance to optimize.

Much of life remains outside our control. What remains is how we choose to respond. How we respond is entirely within our control. This work emphasizes presence over outcome, depth over symptom reduction and authenticity over compliance. Therapy here is unhurried and oriented toward understanding your lived experience as it relates to sexual health, intimacy and desire.

Individuals drawn to existential sex therapy often seek a deeper psychological approach. One that honors complexity and allows meaningful change to emerge rather than be imposed.

While my practice is primarily focused on individual existential sex therapy, limited couples sessions may be incorporated when integration with a partner is clinically indicated in support of an individual’s work.

Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (Texas)

PhD Clinical Sexology (doctoral candidate - expected completion in 2026); Research on Sex Therapy for women through an Existential psychotherapy lens

MA Clinical Psychology, Emphasis in Marriage & Family Therapy (4.0 GPA) - Pepperdine University

BS Microbiology with Honors - University of Arkansas

Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Sexology (Member #24166) - American Board of Sexology (ABS)

American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)

Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality - Member

American Psychological Association - Associate Member

Trauma Professional Certification (CTP)

Bilateral Stimulation for Complex Trauma & Anxiety

Narrative Exposure Therapy for Complex Trauma

Mindfulness & Meditation Teaching Certification (CMMT)

Trauma Focused - Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Narcissistic Abuse Therapy

The first session is a full clinical hour devoted to understanding you and the concerns that led you here. We begin with what feels most present or difficult right now and what you are hoping will shift through therapy. I ask questions that help me understand how you have been living with these experiences and what they have come to mean in your life.

All paperwork required by the state is completed prior to the first meeting so we are not spending the hour on forms. At the start of the session we review confidentiality and client rights. I explain the legal and ethical protections you have, along with the limits of confidentiality, so the frame of the work is understood before anything personal is shared.

For most clients we also explore a brief family of origin history and a brief relationship history. This is not about collecting every detail. It is a way of understanding how you learned to relate, how you learned to protect yourself and how early experiences shaped your sense of intimacy, desire and authenticity. These contexts give depth to what is happening now.

There is no expectation that you arrive with complete clarity. Many people enter therapy with ambivalence or uncertainty about how to speak about their inner life. The first session makes space for that. We also talk about pace. Moving quickly can create fast shifts at the level of behavior, but the changes that endure usually unfold after insight at a slower rhythm as deeper patterns come into view and begin to loosen. Clarity often arrives in waves. Existential work honors those realities without forcing either.

By the end of the hour most people have a sense of how I think and how the work progresses. If it feels aligned, we schedule ongoing sessions at a pace that supports the work.

Understanding the person in front of you before investing in therapy can help you feel more comfortable and confident in your decision.

My website offers comprehensive information about my background, specialties and therapeutic approach. The Essays and About page will help you get a sense of my personality and style, illustrate my expertise and provide insights into my practice philosophy.

If there are still questions beyond the information provided on the website, feel free to message me at genevieve@genevievemarcel.com

If you are unsure
Uncertainty is welcome here. You do not need to be fully decided. You can take your time and return to this page when you are ready. Sometimes clarity comes quietly and it may arrive after sitting with the language and noticing how it meets you. If and when you feel a sense of recognition, the door will still be open.

50 Minute Sessions are $175

Insurance & EAP are not accepted