In this assignment I will summarize, compare and contrast two comparative models of counseling in terms of underlying assumptions, key concepts, interventions and the therapeutic relationship. The two models I chose are Existential and CBT. • Existential counseling does not use fixed techniques like other counseling approaches; It is philosophical in nature. They focus more on truth and reality rather than personality, illness or cure as they prefer to think in terms of the client's ability to deal with the challenges that life presents to us. Dreurzen, E. V. and Adams, M. (2011) p.8. He believes that we are all free and responsible for our lives and the consequences of the choices we make. • Existential counseling focuses on exploring life challenges, Irvirn Yalom believed that there are four facts of existence that cause inner conflict in a person. Yalom, I. (1980) states: “And I mean by the 'givens' of existence some ultimate concerns, some intrinsic properties which are part and an inevitable part of the existence of human beings in the world.”P.8. these data are freedom and responsibility, death, isolation and meaninglessness. • A key concept of the approach is that anxiety is a life condition and that the problems people face are embedded in anxiety through loneliness, isolation, despair and death. Having awareness of death and non-being gives importance to life. • The relationship between counselor and client is collaborative, the counselor should be aware of his/her own world to help the client understand the meaning of life. They must respect and trust the client to discover other ways of being. • An existential counselor can be conflicted, especially... halfway through the article ......the point is that existential therapy is not focused on technique, although they sometimes take techniques from other approaches. This is different from CBT in that it relies heavily on techniques and systems to help clients. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a practical approach to counseling, helping the person cope with daily life and deal with the symptoms of their negative thoughts and behaviors. CBT sets specific goals with clients and finds methods to help achieve these goals. Existential therapy, on the other hand, emphasizes the fundamental conditions of human existence such as freedom and responsibility, isolation, anxiety and desperation that shape a person's life. Mcleod, J. (2013) states: “Existential informed therapies strive to enable a person to do something else, that is, make fundamental choices about who they are and what direction their life will take.” P.244