The long-term aim of the International Research Network in Existential Therapy (IRNET) is to investigate the impact and outcome of existential psychotherapy.

We want to deepen and extend outcome research in psychotherapy from the purely symptom orientated in order to make it more relevant to therapies like existential therapy. We want to find out about the effects of therapy on life problems, concerns, and dilemmas that bring many people to therapy in the first place and away from a focus on uplifting the mood or improving sleep and concentration that symptom-orientated therapies target.

Despite a long history and presence in the field of psychotherapy, the existential approach today still remains relatively unknown. We believe that it is possible to improve this state of affairs. In order for existential therapy to become more visible, recognized and in demand among the public, policy makers and other practitioner-researchers, it is necessary for existential therapists and researchers to start making use of  quantitative outcome measures and studies to a larger extent than has previously been the case. We believe that it is entirely possible to do good and solid quantitative research while still remaining true to the values and unique vision of existential psychotherapy.