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Logotherapy, or “healing through meaning” in Greek, is the psychological theory developed by Viktor Frankl. Based on his experiences as a medical doctor, psychiatrist, neurologist, and philosophy student, he formulated his meaning-centered approach which promotes freedom of choice and personal responsibility.
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Logotherapy is a therapeutic approach that helps people find personal meaning in life. It’s a form of psychotherapy that is focused on the future and on our ability to endure hardship and suffering through a search for purpose.
Psychiatrist and psychotherapist Viktor Frankl developed logotherapy prior to his deportation to a concentration camp at age 37. His experience and theories are detailed in his book, "Man’s Search for Meaning."
Frankl believed that humans are motivated by something called a "will to meaning," which is the desire to find meaning in life. He argued that life can have meaning even in the most miserable of circumstances and that the motivation for living comes from finding that meaning.
Viktor Frankl, MD, PhD
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
Frankl believed that it was possible to turn suffering into achievement and accomplishment. He viewed guilt as an opportunity to change oneself for the better and life transitions as the chance to take responsible action.
In this way, logotherapy is aimed at helping you to make better use of your "spiritual" resources to withstand adversity. Three techniques intended to help with this process include dereflection, paradoxical intention, and Socratic dialogue.
Perhaps not surprisingly, there is evidence that meaning in life correlates with better mental health. This knowledge might be applied in areas such as:
•Anxiety
•Depression
•Grief
•Pain
•Phobias
Logotherapy may improve resilience—or the ability to withstand adversity, stress, and hardship. This may be due to the skills that this form of therapy encourages people to develop, like:
•Acceptance
•Allowance of "healthy" stress
•Altruism
•An active approach to life (rather than an avoidant or overly passive one)
•Cognitive reappraisal, or reinterpreting the meaning of an event
Having a meaning or purpose in life (or engaging in a search for meaning) appears to be connected to your overall health, happiness, and life satisfaction. It also acts as a positive influence on your resilience. Research supports this connection and shows that some people with mental or physical health conditions may struggle to feel like their lives have meaning.
Logotherapy appears to improve people’s sense of meaning and is effective at:
•Improving the quality of life for early adolescents with cancer
•Reducing depression in children
•Reducing job burnout and empty nest syndrome
•Increasing marital satisfaction
While logotherapy isn’t inherently religious, it is focused on spiritual and philosophical concepts, and it is concerned with helping people who feel lost or dissatisfied on a spiritual level. While many find comfort in this approach, it may pose problems if you’re not a spiritual or philosophical person.
Similarly, logotherapy is focused on helping people uncover purpose or meaning. If you already feel that you understand the meaning of your life or your problems aren’t existential in nature, this form of treatment may not be a good fit for you.
Logotherapy may be offered as a primary therapeutic approach, or its principles might be combined with another form of therapy or treatment option. Logotherapy can be offered in person or online, and can be administered individually or as group therapy. Your doctor may be able to recommend local treatment options.
During your sessions, your therapist will educate you on core principles of logotherapy, like:
•You are made up of a body, mind, and spirit, and your spirit is your essence.
•Your life has meaning no matter your circumstances.
•All people have a motivation to find meaning in their lives, and uncovering that meaning allows us to endure pain and suffering.
•You always have the freedom to find your own meaning, and you can choose your attitude even in situations that you can’t change.
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Sep 7, 2023 · Logotherapy is a form of psychotherapy developed by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. The word “logos” in Logotherapy refers to meaning or purpose, emphasizing the central focus of this therapeutic approach.
Logotherapy was developed by neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl and is based on the premise that the primary motivational force of an individual is to find a meaning in life. Frankl describes it as "the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy " [3] [4] along with Freud 's psychoanalysis and Adler 's individual psychology .
Jun 6, 2022 · Frankl viewed logotherapy as a way to enhance existing therapies by emphasizing the “meaning-dimension” or spiritual dimension of human beings. Three philosophical and psychological concepts make up Frankl’s logotherapy: freedom of will, will to meaning, and meaning of life (Batthyany, 2019).
Logotherapy - The Viktor E. Frankl Institute of America. Skip to content. Menu. MENUMENU. VIKTOR FRANKL. Biography. News Articles. Current. Archived Articles. LOGOTHERAPY. Logotherapy Course. What is Logotherapy? Logotherapy in Action. Meaning from a Logotherapy Perspective. BOOKS. Viktor Frankl Books. Related Books.
Jul 2, 2015 · 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 one’s life....
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