ABSTRACT
Directionality is a concept derived from existentialism that human nature is focused on ‘going somewhere’. Indeed, there is a view among many humanistic practitioners that if the people give someone the right environment, they will inevitably and naturally grow and heal. Of course, there are some exceptions to the notion that therapy needs to actually have a clear and well-defined outcome. There are a number of potential reasons why therapy ends up drifting or getting stuck. While there is some merit in this argument, it seems to overlook the possibility that unconscious processes are arguably always present and occurring from the outset of therapy. Long-term supportive therapy or exploratory therapy are perfectly viable options, and are the best choice for number of the clients the people see, however, they need to be clearly contracted for and explicitly stated in terms of their purposes, aims and intended outcomes.
