Logotherapy

It is a term derived from logos, a Greek word that translates as meaning,

and therapy, which is defined as treatment of a condition, illness, or maladjustment.
Developed by Viktor Frankl, the theory is founded on the belief that human nature is
motivated by the search for a life purpose; logotherapy is the pursuit of that
meaning for ones life. Frankl's theories were heavily influenced by his personal
experiences of suffering and loss in Nazi concentration camps.

Origins of Logotherapy
Victor Frankl was born in Vienna in 1905. He trained as a psychiatrist and
neurologist, working from the framework ofexistential therapy. During World War II,
Frankl spent about three years in various Nazi concentration camps, an experience
that greatly influenced his work and the development of logotherapy. Frankl
observed that those who were able to survive the experience typically found some
meaning in it, such as a task that they needed to fulfill. For Frankl personally, his
desire to rewrite a manuscript that had been confiscated upon arrival at Auschwitz
was a motivating factor. After the camps were liberated, Frankl resumed his work as
a neurologist and psychiatrist. In 1946, he published Mans Search for Meaning,
outlining his experiences in the concentration camps as well as the basic tenets and
techniques of logotherapy.

Components of Franklian Philosophy

There are three main components that are at the heart of the Franklian philosophy:

Bottom of Form

Each person has a healthy core.

The primary focus is to enlighten a person to their own internal resources and
provide them with the tools to use their inner core.

Life offers you purpose and meaning; it does not owe you a sense of
fulfillment or happiness.

Finding Meaning with Logotherapy

Logotherapy is based on the premise that humans are driven to find a sense of
meaning and purpose in life. According to Frankl, lifes meaning can be discovered
in three different ways:
By creating a work or accomplishing some task
By experiencing something fully or loving somebody
By the attitude that one adopts toward unavoidable suffering

Frankl believed that suffering is a part of life, and that mans ultimate
freedom is his ability to choose how to respond to any set of given circumstances,
even the most painful ones. Additionally, people can find meaning in their lives by
identifying the unique roles that only they can fulfill. For example, when a man
consulted with Frankl due to severe depression following the death of his wife,
Frankl asked him to consider what would have happened if he had died first and his
wife had been forced to mourn his death. The man was able to recognize that his
own suffering spared his wife from having that experience, which served as a
curative factor and helped relieve his depression.

Logotherapy Techniques

Dereflection
Dereflection is used when a person is overly self-absorbed on an issue or
attainment of a goal. By redirecting the attention, or dereflecting the attention away
from the self, the person can become whole by thinking about others rather than
themselves.
Paradoxical intention: Paradoxical intention involves asking for the thing we fear the
most. For people who experience anxiety or phobias, fear can paralyze them. But by
using humor and ridicule, they can wish for the thing they fear the most, thus
removing the fear from their intention and relieving the anxious symptoms
associated with it.

Socratic dialogue
Socratic dialogue is a technique in which the logotherapist uses the own
person's words as a method of self-discovery. By listening intently to what the
person says, the therapist can point out specific patterns of words, or word solutions
to the client, and let the client see new meaning in them. This process allows a
person to realize that the answer lies within and is just waiting to be discovered.

Conditions Treated with Logotherapy

Logotherapy is founded on a belief that many illnesses or mental health

issues are actually due to existential angst. Through his work, Frankl found that
people struggled with feelings of meaninglessness, a situation which he referred to
as the existential vacuum. Logotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of issues
that are existential in nature. More specifically, logotherapy has been found
effective in the treatment of substance abuse, posttraumatic stress, depression,
and anxiety.

Criticism of Logotherapy

One of the primary criticisms of logotherapy comes from Rollo May, who is
considered to be the founder of the existential movement in the United States. May
argued that logotherapy is authoritarian, in that it suggests that there are clear
solutions to all problems and that Frankl provides people who utilize this therapy
with meaning if they are unable to find their own. Frankl was aware of Mays
criticism and refuted the idea that logotherapy takes responsibility away from the
individual; He maintained that logotherapy actually educates the person in therapy
about his or her own responsibility.

References:
Biography.

(n.d). Victor

Frankl

http://www.viktorfrankl.org/e/chronology.html

Institut. Retrieved

from

Bulka,

R.P.

(1978).

Is

logotherapy

authoritarian? Journal

of

Humanistic

Psychology, 18(4), 45-54.

Delavari, H., Nasirian, M., & Baezegar bafrooei, K. (2014). Logo therapy effect on
anxiety and depression in mothers of children with cancer. Iranian Journal of
Pediatric Hematology Oncology, 4(2), 42-48.
Frankl, V.E. (1959). Mans search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.
Smith, A.J. (2013). Logotherapy to treat substance abuse as a result of militaryrelated PTSD. Journal of Military and Government Counseling, 1(1), 61-74.
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