The weight of individuality

This chapter examines the existential theme of individuality as a central concern of both existential philosophy and existential wellness coaching. While clients rarely articulate a direct desire to “be an individual,” their struggles with conformity, alienation, and authenticity reveal the underlying pursuit of individuality. Drawing on Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, and other existential thinkers, the chapter explores the philosophical roots of individuality, emphasizing freedom, responsibility, authenticity, and the risks of conformity and bad faith. A coaching vignette illustrates how individuals may feel diminished by societal pressures and how existential wellness coaches can guide them toward reclaiming their uniqueness through value clarification, authentic decision-making, creative expression, and narrative reconstruction. Special attention is given to the challenges faced by creative individuals, whose heightened drive for individuality often produces both extraordinary accomplishments and existential struggles, including susceptibility to dissatisfaction, addiction, and alienation. The chapter concludes with eight practical coaching strategies for helping clients regain and retain their individuality, including resisting conformity, normalizing the anxiety of freedom, supporting value creation, and cultivating ongoing reflection. Individuality is presented as both a burden and a gift: a lifelong project requiring courage, vigilance, and authenticity, yet also the condition for a meaningful, self-directed life.