Logotherapy is also known as the "third Viennese school of psychotherapy". The first psychological school was the school of Sigmund Freud, the second was the Adler school, and the third was the school founded by Victor Frank.
Freud said that man is "pleasure" oriented. Adler then said that he was "power" oriented. Frankl, however, had a vision of man as directed toward “meaning.”
Historians of psychology agree that the study of psychoanalysis is also, to some extent, the study of Freud's life. In the same way, we could say that by studying logotherapy we come closer to understanding Frankl's life. We can hardly understand the development of the third school of psychology without understanding the life history of the person who started it.
Quote! I found meaning in my life by helping others find meaning in their lives.
What it is
Logotherapy is a direction of existential psychotherapy based on the search for the meaning of one’s existence, which should become a powerful motivation in life. It was formalized as an independent doctrine in the middle of the 20th century. Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. The point is to direct your inner gaze to the outside world, distract yourself from your own suffering and realize your need, first of all, for other people, and not for yourself. Hence the name: “logos” translated from Greek means “meaning”.
According to this concept, all problems begin at the moment when a person focuses on his own experiences. By focusing on them, he inflates any little thing to a universal scale and makes himself unhappy by self-digging. The way out is to abstract yourself from them, look at yourself from the outside and see that everything is far from so bad, and there are people nearby who are several times worse and who need help and support.
This approach to solving personal problems helps those who are desperate, who have lost the meaning of life and are prone to suicide. It is believed that of all areas of psychiatry, logotherapy is one of the most effective practices for preventing suicide. It is also effective in treating phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Logotherapy in psychology is helping people for whom their own existence seems dreary, aimless vegetation. Apathy, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, indifference are just a few of the problems that it can solve.
Frankl's systems of meaning
In the process of its development, humanity has formed several semantic systems, which logotherapy focuses on. Frankl identified three value-semantic attitudes:
- creation;
- experiences;
- relationship.
The values of creativity include what creates a personality and gives it to the world. These creations always evoke a lot of emotions and give meaning to certain categories of individuals. The surrounding world gives value to experiences; they grow into experience and become part of the personality, merging with it. The value of relationships is the most controversial value. After all, it is expressed not only in personal relationships, but also in one’s position regarding one’s destiny and communication with the outside world.
The psychiatrist paid special attention to conscience. Frankl's logotherapy methods distinguished it as a special mental organ, which is an integral part of the existence of the individual. Conscience functions as a kind of system, the coordinates of which are aimed at searching for a common meaning, one might say universal. He guides a person and coordinates his actions, regardless of the assessment of individuals and society.
History of creation
The founder of logotherapy, Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) is a man of amazing destiny. Austrian psychiatrist, neurologist, psychologist. It is difficult to count how many people in his lifetime he saved from suicide and how many continue to get rid of these thoughts now, thanks to his teaching.
Initially, he was keen on the ideas of Sigmund Freud, but soon he not only moved away from them, but also opposed psychoanalysis to his direction. Before the war, for 10 years he implemented his own program to support students. During this time, there was not a single case of suicide among those with whom he worked, although this had previously been not uncommon.
Everything changed with the Nazis coming to power. Victor was prohibited from practicing medicine because of his Jewish origin. In 1942, he, along with his wife and parents, were deported to the Theresienstad concentration camp. It was there that Frankl's logotherapy took shape as an independent direction.
Victor noticed that all the camp prisoners were divided into two groups. Some were depressed, deeply unhappy, constantly suffering and often took their own lives, either throwing themselves onto the barbed wire fences or refusing to eat. Others, despite exactly the same conditions, tried to patiently endure all the hardships, ate in silence, worked just as silently and never complained.
Frankl began to secretly work with prisoners and conduct conversations. He concluded that the first group of prisoners had no reason to exist, while the second group tried to survive for some purpose. Some did this because their relatives were waiting for them in the wild. The second - because they wanted to finish an unfinished novel. For others, religion did not allow this. Everyone had their own motivation.
Based on his observations and conclusions, Viktor Frankl began to save those who could no longer endure the hardships of the concentration camp. He talked with them, convinced them, helped them find the meaning of life.
In 1944 he was transferred to the Dachau camp, where he was not allowed to practice or communicate with other prisoners. That same year he lost all his loved ones - his wife and mother were killed, his father died of illness.
In 1945 he was released. Literally immediately from his pen came the book “Saying YES to Life” about his stay in a concentration camp, which became famous all over the world.
For about 25 years, Frankl headed the Vienna Neurological Clinic, then taught at the University of Vienna and lectured at Harvard. He married second time. His daughter became a famous child psychologist. He traveled to many countries with seminars, including Russia. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages. Thousands of patients were grateful to him, whom he saved from depression and suicidal thoughts.
Logotherapy
As we have already said, logotherapy is recognized as the third Viennese school of psychotherapy. He debuted in the 40s. Logotherapy is a method of overcoming human conflicts that cause suffering.
It allows us to find meaning in difficult, painful situations. Instead, they become opportunities for growth. This method allows us to find meaning in all life events, allowing us to live a fulfilling life.
Logotherapy refers to “meaning,” something that people are always looking for. Thus, logotherapy means therapy through “meaning.”
Concepts
Frankl took the ideas of existentialism as the conceptual foundations of his direction, namely:
- the teachings of Socrates, Aristotle and Epicurus, which helped people understand themselves through awareness of the essence of the world around them;
- the philosophy of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus: life is a series of conflicts and suffering that lead to a rethinking of values and personal development;
- Husserl's phenomenology: suffering purifies a person;
- directly existentialism of Jaspers and Binswanger: the goal is to comprehend and change life, with full acceptance of responsibility for the choice of values;
- design analysis by Medard Boss: life is the present moment without looking back at the past.
These ideas, combined with the vast experience gained in the camp, served as the basis for logotherapy. In Russian psychology, the ideas of this direction are poorly represented, despite the fact that Frankl gave lectures and seminars in Russia.
Victor Frankl
The semantic sphere of personality development is partially revealed in the works of Vygotsky, Rubinstein, Leontyev, Petrenko, Artemyeva. Research in terms of meaning formation was carried out by Znakov, Asmolov, Agafonov, Chudnovsky, Karpova. Today the direction is actively developing. In particular, the Viktor Frankl Center operates in St. Petersburg, whose employees put his ideas into practice.
This area is much more developed in Europe. Frankl left behind students who now officially represent foreign concepts of logotherapy. This is Alexander Battiani, a professor at the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, who oversees the work of the Frankl Center in St. Petersburg. As well as psychotherapists Alfried Längle and James Crumbo, PhD Elisabeth Lucas and Dr. Eleanor Frankl (Victor’s second wife).
Basics of Logotherapy
Even before the war, a book was published about the new method of psychoanalysis, the author of which was Frankl. The basics of logotherapy were presented there for the first time, but they produced the effect of a bomb exploding in the scientific community of Vienna. The name of Viktor Frankl has become quite famous, and his works are in demand.
The psychotherapist believed that all his life a person is looking for his purpose or meaning, designed to move him forward. In these long searches, he very often compares himself with other people and their meaning in life; at these moments, a rather complex analysis is carried out in the subconscious, the result of which can be both depression and spiritual euphoria from a newfound understanding of his individual meaning.
Frankl imagined personality as a kind of three-dimensional value. The physical and mental principles lie on the same plane and do not intersect with each other. Perpendicular to them is the spiritual component, which is a set of certain processes that fundamentally distinguish people from animals. All these three values ideally make up a healthy personality; they cannot be separated from each other without causing harm to the individual.
Frankl separated the spiritual vertical from the religious; he clearly isolated these concepts, recognizing precisely in the spiritual the beginning of all motives, forces and aspirations that push a person to achieve what he wants. The psychotherapist believed that on the spiritual vertical a peculiar tension arises between what a person has already achieved and what he wants to achieve in the future. This tension is the key to a harmonious personality. As soon as a person achieves what he wants and the tension disappears, a new goal immediately arises and the process continues. The absence of this tension on the spiritual vertical leads to psychosis, various disorders and a vacuum, the way out of which many see in suicide.
Indications
- Life crisis;
- family problems;
- depression or stress;
- causeless anxiety, panic attacks;
- addictions of various kinds: alcohol, drugs, gaming;
- obsessive-compulsive disorder;
- phobias;
- sleep problems;
- sexual dysfunction;
- life situations associated with incurable diseases, death of a loved one;
- dissatisfaction with oneself, boredom, apathy, indifference, disappointment.
Basic principles
According to logotherapy, human life acquires meaning only in three cases.
1. Activity, creativity, creation
When a person realizes his potential, wanting to leave a mark behind himself or simply help others free of charge. He becomes active. He becomes motivated: to finish the painting, achieve career growth, save as many stray animals as possible, etc.
Having achieved a goal, he sets a new one and starts all over again. This focus on the outside world leaves no room for exaggerating one’s own problems. They resolve themselves over time when the need arises.
2. New experiences, new sensations, new acquaintances
The same thing happens to people who are constantly enriched with something new. They want to read as many books as possible, visit as many places as possible, try extreme sports. This also includes love, friendship, family, when someone’s life becomes more important than your own.
On the one hand, this is done to satisfy personal needs, but the methods of implementation still lie outside the person and are aimed at the outside world. This prevents you from getting hung up on your internal conflicts and contradictions.
3. Suffering is the path to rethinking
If the first two paths to finding the meaning of life are not given to a person, only in this case does logotherapy allow one to turn inward. It is necessary to look at personal problems as if from the outside and subject them to logical analysis. Is there any meaning to your own suffering? What will they lead to? The answers to these questions become the beginning of a rethinking of life values.
Frankl's Logotherapy: Basic Principles
Frankl argued in his works that man is a free creature. Nothing can limit him, he moves along his spiritual vertical and within it he is able to make absolutely any decisions. Working with mental disorders of varying severity, the psychotherapist believed that a part or foundation always remains within the personality, which cannot be disturbed. It remains free even in cases of severe illness, when the impression is created that the patient is completely inadequate. It is this basis that the logotherapist needs to “reach out” to; it is always a static quantity.
In this regard, Frankl identified three main principles of his scientific theory:
1. Free will.
In any given conditions, a person remains able to choose and make decisions independently. Moreover, the individual uses this freedom in internal decisions determined by upbringing, temperament and experience. And also in external or social ones, when certain conditions are offered by society and the situation.
This freedom allows patients to overcome various diseases, because the individual comes to understand that health and illness are also his own free choice. This fact fills the lives of many patients with new meaning.
2. The will to meaning.
Freedom in itself has no meaning, but once you understand that it is given for a purpose, everything falls into place. Self-realization, that is, the desire to achieve one’s goal, is the most important meaning in life for an individual. Any obstacles on this path that clearly or subconsciously interfere with the completion of the intended tasks lead to psychological problems of varying severity.
The logotherapist enables the patient to see and become aware of these obstacles in order to eliminate them and return to his original path. Moreover, this work must be done by the patient himself only with the help of a psychotherapist.
3. The meaning of life.
Logotherapy explains human existence not simply by the search for meaning, but also by a set of certain transformations as a result of this activity. Each individual must improve himself and the world around him, but this does not at all mean some commonality of meaning. Each person has his own and can change depending on the circumstances. This is due to the first two principles of logotherapy.
Basic Concepts
The essence of logotherapy
Free will is the ability to make choices not limited by circumstances.
The will to meaning is the primary motivation of man. And not physical pleasure at all, according to Freud’s ideas.
The meaning of life is the ultimate goal of human existence as a biological species and an individual, a key concept in logotherapy for the formation of the spiritual and moral image of the individual.
Difficult cases
Frustration is when a person doubts his choice and prioritization (according to logotherapy, it is not a mental illness).
Existential vacuum - loss of meaning in life, apathy, indifference, often occurs after frustration.
Noogenic neurosis is a consequence of an existential vacuum. Clinical diagnosis. It becomes the cause of depression, drug addiction, alcoholism, uncontrollable aggression, and suicidal obsessive thoughts.
Techniques
Logoanalysis (inventory) is an objective view from the outside at all aspects of one’s own personality.
Paradoxical intention is a contradictory attempt to do what you fear most.
Dereflection is the switching of attention from oneself to the surrounding world.
Logotherapy: tasks and methods
The goal of logotherapy is to help a person focus on the task that life poses and successfully solve it. Illness, loss and suffering are not accidental, they have meaning.
Frankl developed many methods of interaction between therapist and client, however, two are the most popular in modern science: dereflection and paradoxical intention.
Dereflection is opposition to reflection. The method is useful if the patient is prone to pathological useless soul-searching and self-flagellation.
This practice helps to get rid of obsessive-compulsive neurosis and sexual disorders.
Dereflection involves self-forgetfulness, complete surrender without analyzing the situation. The goal of the logotherapist is to teach the patient this process.
Paradoxical intention is a method based on self-hypnosis. Within the framework of this method, it is interesting to consider Frankl's attitude to fears. The scientist claims that “fear begets fear.” If a person was scared once, then in the future he will be afraid not only of a repetition of this situation, but also of the fact that previously experienced feelings will remind of themselves again. A person programs himself to experience a situation negatively, which means he builds his own behavior in accordance with a given program.
To "break" this algorithm, Frankl suggests using it in the opposite direction. The individual, through an effort of will, inspires himself that he wants to experience these unpleasant feelings again, to live them more vividly.
Logotherapy is unique. Her mission is to teach the patient to make decisions and take responsibility. Without these components, it is impossible to gain meaning in life; its significance will be leveled and devalued.
From the point of view of a logotherapist, there is no one-size-fits-all life task. It is necessary to do not the best, but “the best that you can do in a particular situation.” We have the right to make a mistake, but a mistake is not a reason to abdicate responsibility. Logotherapy helps you accept mistakes with gratitude, benefit from the experience gained, and see meaning in every minute of your life. Valuable skills, aren't they?
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- effectiveness in the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, addictions and suicidal tendencies;
- humanistic orientation (to the outside world, not to oneself);
- moral aspect (the sexual component of Freud's psychoanalysis is leveled);
- careful study of the concept, starting with ancient philosophers;
- not just philosophy and empirical reflection, but a way to actually save lives;
- long-lasting results: often eliminates phobias for life.
Minuses:
- does not help in severe clinical cases of personality disorders;
- few professional centers and logotherapists;
- involves the patient’s careful work on himself;
- some cases require long-term treatment (up to 1.5 years).
Methods and techniques
Logotherapy uses 3 main techniques for working with patients.
Logoanalysis
The author of the technique is one of Frankl’s students, American psychotherapist James Crumbo. He himself called it inventory.
A method of logical analysis of a person’s life, a detailed analysis of his values, teaching him to look at his inner self from the outside. Techniques used:
- expansion of the field of conscious knowledge;
- stimulating creativity.
The logotherapist tells the patient step by step how to act. The results obtained are discussed together. The full course of treatment is 1.5 years.
Paradoxical intention
The author of the technique is Viktor Frankl himself. Used to treat phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The technique involves a deliberate desire to want what a person is afraid of (in the case of phobias). Examples:
- for bromhydrophobia (fear of sweating) - try to sweat even more every time than before, to set a new record;
- for cynophobia (fear of dogs) - deliberately get yourself a pet;
- for thalassophobia (fear of the sea) - go on vacation to a seaside resort.
With the help of paradoxical intention, almost any phobia can be cured. There are real cases of recovery after just a week of active use of the technique.
Dereflexion
The author of the technique is Viktor Frankl.
It consists of completely disconnecting from your own experiences, forgetting about them, directing all your energy to the outside world. It is used in the treatment of narcissism, depression, neurosis and even sexual dysfunction. A person learns to gradually put into the background what bothers him, replacing him with thoughts about others.
For example, if self-esteem is high, the patient is asked to become a volunteer or do charity work.
For depression, group therapy is arranged, with the logotherapist acting only as a guide, not a leader: patients should deal with each other’s problems, but not their own.
In case of sexual dysfunction, it is proposed to focus on the partner, and not on one’s own discomfort and fiasco.
The specialist decides individually which methods of logotherapy to use in a particular case.
Goals of logotherapy
Frankl's psychoanalysis is based on the technique of self-immersion. Many people call this self-examination, but it is this approach that makes it possible to completely immerse yourself in your life and analyze all situations. Sometimes the answer to a question is practically on the surface, but you can only find it after going through all the stages of self-analysis.
Together with the psychotherapist, the patient discusses all the important events in his life, he analyzes disappointments, joys and sorrows. Each event and emotion gradually leads to an understanding of the meaning of life. After all, life consists of a mass of different interconnected moments that ultimately make up the road along which you can come to important decisions.
If we consider the human essence as striving for knowledge and finding meaning, then any neurosis and depression can be cured with the help of logotherapy. After all, it gives the patient the opportunity to find himself and find meaning in any situation. Frankl argued that different life situations have their own meaning. In addition, he wrote in his writings that there is always a common meaning that leads a person along his path and is his destiny. But in various ups and downs, we should not forget about the many meanings that allow us to survive and move forward. Finding them allows you to overcome any difficulty and return to your main path in life.
Application in practice
When working with children
Logotherapy is quite applicable at an early age, starting in kindergarten. Specialists work with children who are withdrawn, apathetic, uninterested in anything, as well as those who have experienced the death of one of their parents. Depending on the situation, different methods are used.
- Verbalization of experiences
Little children are not able to reflect deeply and look at themselves from the outside. Therefore, logoanalysis is built in a different way - through toys or a fictional fairy-tale character. The specialist tells the child a story that is as similar as possible to his, which supposedly happened to a baby elephant (for example). Then a dialogue is built about how the baby elephant feels, how he should behave and how he can be helped.
- Free Word Associations
A diagnostic technique used in logotherapy that allows one to understand how a child’s relationships with parents, educators and other children are built.
When working with problem children, logotherapists also actively use various art techniques: drawing, modeling, fairy tale therapy.
When working with teenagers
Many psychotherapists believe that logotherapy is one of the most effective areas for treating adolescent suicidal tendencies. Deviant behavior is the result of the decay of moral ideals in society. Therefore, dereflection is actively used here, aimed at the formation of meaningful life orientations and one’s own values.
Help in understanding the meaning of life has a beneficial effect on mental health. After a course of treatment, teenagers begin to understand how harmful and destructive alcohol and drugs are. They try to consciously choose their moral ideals, without looking back at existing idols.
Not long ago, a new subdirection was created, which was called “LogoArt Therapy”. Her goal is to help teenagers find themselves in this life and realize their creative potential.
Foundations of logotherapy
Viktor Frankl had his own professional credo, the meaning of which was that a person cannot be reduced to his illness or its symptoms. In his work “Man’s Search for Meaning,” the scientist presents his credo through the example of working with mentally ill people.
Thus, he said that not a single conceivable circumstance could limit a person so much that he would be 100% deprived of freedom. Based on this, a person remains even a small part of freedom, regardless of the restrictions created by neuroses or psychoses. Even the most severe psychosis is not able to touch the innermost core of the personality.
For a logotherapist, a person is always “something more,” and he always pursues the goal of finding common ground with that part of the client’s gut that is “not affected by the disease,” and will try to help him come to an awareness of his capabilities and resources.
The basis of the logotherapeutic approach is made up of three philosophical and psychological components:
- free will
- The will to meaning
- Meaning of life
What does this mean:
free will
Logotherapy suggests that man is only partially conditioned and has both the original freedom to make decisions and the ability to take positions in relation to psychological, biological and social conditions. Freedom here should be understood as a space in which a person can shape his life within the limits of specific possibilities.
Freedom comes from their sphere of spirituality, which prevails over the physical and mental. As spiritual beings, people not only respond to stimuli, but also have a certain independence, and therefore the ability to build their own lives.
Free will is of great importance in psychotherapy and provides the opportunity for people to act autonomously, even if they are bothered by spiritual or physical illnesses. With this resource, people can manage the symptoms of illness and regain self-determination and control over their lives.
The will to meaning
A person is not just free, but free to achieve specific goals. The pursuit of meaning is the primary motivating force. If a person does not have the opportunity to realize his meanings, he will be bothered by a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness. He may also begin to worry about depression, addiction, aggression, psychosomatic illnesses and neurotic disorders.
Through logotherapy, people can understand and neutralize the factors that prevent them from pursuing meaningful goals in their lives. Logotherapy develops the sensitivity in people to perceive the possibilities of meaning, but it must be understood that it should not be used as a means to determine goals. The logotherapist acts in the process of logotherapy only as an accompanying client who helps him realize the possibilities of meaning that the latter must discover on his own.
Meaning of life
The main idea of logotherapy is the idea that meaning is an objective reality. Logotherapy postulates that the task of man is to create a better self from “raw material”, as well as to create a better world around him, through the exercise of his freedom and responsibility, as well as through recognizing and realizing the meaning of all events that occur.
Particular attention must also be paid to the fact that the potential for meaning, which is objective in nature, relates to specific situations and people, and is therefore in a process of constant transformation.
Based on this, the person who has resorted to logotherapy receives invaluable support in his quest for maximum flexibility and openness, which can help him give his daily life the maximum possible meaning.
