Existential therapy encourages clients to confront which of the following?

Existential therapy emphasizes the importance of individual choice, freedom, and the inherent responsibilities that accompany those choices. This therapeutic approach encourages clients to confront their existential dilemmas, which often involve questions about meaning, purpose, and the essence of their existence. By focusing on the choices they make and the freedom they possess, clients are led to explore how these factors influence their lives and contribute to their sense of self.

This focus on existential choices and freedom is crucial because it allows individuals to recognize the power they have over their lives and the implications of their decisions. It fosters a deeper understanding of their personal values and beliefs, enabling them to live more authentically and intentionally. Ultimately, this confrontation with existential issues can lead to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

The other options, while relevant in various therapeutic contexts, do not encapsulate the core focus of existential therapy in the same way. Confronting past traumas, evaluating relationships, or understanding coping mechanisms may be elements in different therapeutic frameworks but do not target the foundational existential issues of choice and freedom central to existential therapy.