Logotherapy is a term derived from “logos,” a Greek word

“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 one’s life.

Frankl's theories were heavily influenced by his personal experiences of suffering and loss in Nazi concentration camps.

Victor Frankl was born in Vienna in 1905. He trained as a psychiatrist and neurologist, working from the framework of existential 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 Man’s Search for Meaning, outlining his experiences in the concentration camps as well as the basic tenets and techniques of logotherapy.

Dereflection is aimed at helping you focus away from yourself and toward other people allowing you to become "whole" and to spend less time feeling preoccupied with a problem or worry.

This technique is meant to combat "hyper-reflection," or extreme focus on an anxiety-provoking situation or object. Hyper-reflection is often common in people with anticipatory anxiety.

Practically speaking, it involves asking questions like “What would your life be like without X problem?”; “If everything went perfectly in your life, what would that look like?”; and “Is there anything in your life you would die for?”

Paradoxical intention is a technique that invites you to wish for the thing that you fear most.

This was originally suggested for use in the case of anxiety or phobias, in which humor and ridicule can be used when fear is paralyzing.

For example, if you have a fear of looking foolish, you might be encouraged to try to look foolish on purpose. Paradoxically, your fear would be removed when you set an intention to behave as foolishly as possible.

An apt illustration is in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling, 1999), where young students had to face their worst fears. To conquer their fear, they had to turn the terrifying thought into something laughable, such as a big spider on roller skates, thereby ridiculing and overcoming the paralyzing fear.

Socratic dialogue is a tool used to help you through the process of self-discovery by noticing and interpreting your own words.

During Socratic dialogue, your therapist listens closely to the way you describe things and points out your word patterns, helping you to see the meaning in them.

Socratic dialogue is used to find meaning within a conversation. It allows the client to realize they already have the answers to their purpose, meaning, and freedom.

Anxiety Depression Grief Pain Phobias3 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Schizophrenia3 Substance abuse Suicidal ideation

Frankl believed that many illnesses or mental health issues are disguised existential angst and that people struggle with lack of meaning, which he referred to as the "existential vacuum."

Logotherapy addresses that lack of meaning directly by helping people uncover that meaning and reduce their feelings of angst.

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:

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:

logotherapy isn’t inherently religious, it is focused on spiritual and philosophical concepts

it is concerned with helping people who feel lost or dissatisfied on a spiritual level.

many find comfort in this approach

it may pose problems if you’re not a spiritual or philosophical person.

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 is also not intended to be the sole treatment for some conditions.

logotherapy may offer benefits for someone living with schizophrenia, for example, treatment for their condition may also include medication and additional forms of psychotherapy.

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.

During your sessions, your therapist will educate you on core principles of logotherapy, like:

If you’re interested in logotherapy but aren’t sure you want to pursue formal treatment, you can also learn to apply some of the core concepts to your everyday life. Try:

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 May’s 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.

Man’s Search for Meaning (2006) is the best place to start for a brief background on Viktor Frankl and a great introduction to logotherapy. (Amazon) The Will to Meaning (Frankl, 2014) dives a bit deeper into the application of logotherapy (Amazon) Frankl’s The Doctor and the Soul: From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy (1986) is the first book published after his release from Nazi concentration camps. He discusses that the fundamental human drive is not sex (Freud’s view) or the need for approval (Adler’s perspective) but the drive to have a meaningful life. (Amazon) In the book Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, author Ann Graber (2019) focuses on the practical application of logotherapy and the effectiveness of using the spiritual dimension in existential therapy to find healing. (Amazon) Joseph Fabry compiles work on logotherapy in the text Finding Meaning in Life: Logotherapy (1995), which can specifically help clients with drug, alcohol, or life adjustment issues. (Amazon)

https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/logotherapy https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-victor-frankl-s-logotherapy-4159308 https://positivepsychology.com/viktor-frankl-logotherapy/

Biography. (n.d). Victor Frankl Institut. Retrieved from http://www.viktorfrankl.org/e/chronology.html 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). Man’s search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press. Smith, A.J. (2013). Logotherapy to treat substance abuse as a result of military-related PTSD. Journal of Military and Government Counseling, 1(1), 61-74.