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LOGO THERAPY
Prof. Ms. Rajeswari. H
M.Sc(Psy), M.Sc (C & P),
HOD of Mental Health Nuring,
Narayana College of Nursing,
Nellore.
“Best way to find a meaning - especially in a situation we cannot change - is to change our attitude!
A new meaning will be often dawn by doing so”
Number of questions arises in a human mind about his life. Man can never be free from condition, such
as, biological, sociological, or psychological determinants. Man is “capable of resisting and braving
even the worst conditions”. In doing so, man can detach from situations, himself, choose an attitude
about himself, determine his own determinants, thus shaping his own character and becoming
responsible for himself.
Logo therapy was developed by neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. It is considered the “Third
Viennese School of Psychotherapy. Logo therapy is founded upon the belief that it is the striving to find
a meaning in one’s life that is the primary, most powerful motivating and driving force in humans
Definition Latent Motivation: It is suppressed by the survival,
Logo therapy is finding meaning pleasure, power instinct .When latent motivation
Basic assumptions of logotherapy: becomes manifest the will to meaning surfaces.
1. Life has meaning under all circumstances: 3. People have freedom under all circumstances
A meaning to fulfill or a person to encounter, the more to activate the will to meaning and to find
one gives to serve, or to another person to love, the meaning: Individuals have the freedom to choose a
more the meaning of life will be defined. positive attitude, even under the most appalling
It can be discovered in 3 different ways conditions.
Creating a work or doing a deed Dimensional ontology image of man:
By experiencing something The human being is an entity consisting of:
The attitude one take toward unavoidable 1. Body (soma)
suffering 2. Mind (psyche)
2. People have a will to meaning: There is a univer- 3. Spirit (noetic core)
sal, primary motivation to find meaning
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Attributes of the noetic dimension: questions and answer to Life by listening for
1. Responsibility (not from, but responsibility to) discernment of the meaning of the moment; then, by
2. Authenticity and creativity making responsible decisions within available area of
3. Choices freedom. The choices will be based on ones values
4. Values and guidance received from the voice of ones
5. Self-transcendence conscience.
6. Will to meaning Existential vacuum
7. Love When life has no meaning, it becomes empty. “ It is a
8. Conscience state of inertia, boredom, and apathy experienced by
9. Ideals and ideas many. If this state persists, it progresses into
Finding meaning in life existential frustration, and eventually becomes a
Frankl points to three ways the “meaning triangle:” “noogenic neurosis.” One tries to fill the existential
1. Creativity (giving something to the world through vacuum with drugs, violence, also with food,
self-expression): Using ones talents in various ways; over-work, sports, etc., yet remain unfulfilled.
i.e., the work we do, the gifts we give to life. Noogenic neurosis
2. Experiencing (receiving from the world): Through This state is refered to as “somatization disorder”. In
nature, culture, relationships, interactions with about 20% of these cases, the maintaining cause of
others and with ones environment. somatization disorder lies in the noetic level, not in
3. Change of attitude (even if one can’t change a the psycho-physical. Noogenic neurosis can be the
situation or circumstance): One can still choose the result of protracted existential vacuum or a conflict
attitude towards a condition. This is often a of values that result in conflicts in conscience.
self-transcending way of finding meaning, especially The tragic triad: Since life is dynamic; all are faced
in unavoidable suffering. all the time with elements of the tragic triad:
The two levels of meaning in life 1. Unavoidable suffering
Viktor Frankl specified two different meanings in 2. Guilt
life. 3. Death
1. Ultimate meaning: A meaning one can never reach Logo therapy: Indicated when people are experiencing:
but just glimpse at the horizon. It can be God, but Loss of direction
also science as the search for truth, nature, and Values confused
evolution for those who do not believe in God. A shaken identity
2. Meaning of the moment: one has all the time to Personal alimentation
answer the questions life asks and, therefore, it is Boredom, meaninglessness, ambivalent
important to understand the meaning of each moment Priority shifts, direction change
by fulfilling the demands life places on oneself. Depression
Demand quality of life Anxiety
Logo therapy teaches that it is not one who can ask Neurosis
life, “WHY, WHY, WHY...?” Rather, it is Life, who is Obsessive compulsive disorder
the questioner. One have to respond to Life’s Schizophrenia
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Terminal illness and values.
Approaches in Logotherapy The will to meaning empowers our capacity for
Welter’s Four Step Approach: self-transcendence. The will to meaning is the
1. The Approach: Self Distancing primary motivation to find meaning and purpose of
The basis for a healthy resistance is a crisis. Loosen life. This inner urging causes us to seek and reach out
the grip of the symptoms. Ask thought provoking towards people to love and values to fulfill.
questions “you do not need to know the origin of a Thus as meaning seekers one naturally activate the
fire in order to put it out” “as if” the symptoms were capacity for self-transcendence unless something
not present . prevents the occurrence of this natural phenomenon.
2. Attitudinal Change The technique of dereflection works by helping to
Situations that have no meaning and cannot be access the capacity for self-transcendence and
changed; ex. ‘blows of fate, incurable diseases, mobilizing the will to find meaning that is always
irrevocable ending of a career, relationship’. seeking a transcendent value.
Relationships do not need to control one’s life. It is Paradoxical Intention
possible to find a meaningful attitude toward a Paradoxical intention is indicated in cases of phobias
situation that which in itself is meaningless. Meaning and obsessions. Paradoxically wishing for the thing
does not have to be found in the event itself, but may one fears and laughing about it breaks the vicious
be discovered through the transformed attitude. cycle in which the anxiety keeps the feeling like a
3. Actual Reduction of Symptoms helpless victim. Instead of fleeing from the fear one
After one achieves a transformation of attitudes, the has to ridicule it.
symptoms often diminish or disappear; sometimes In the application of paradoxical intention one uses
unexplainable. the capacity for self-distancing or selfdetachment
4. Orientation to Meaning Before through humor, heroism and the defiant power. One
Therapy is jeopardized if the person gets discharged can poke fun at a tragic situation. Animals do not
to a life lacking meaningful content; person should be know how to laugh. Only humans can laugh. Only
filled with a mission and a meaningful life. humans have a hierarchy of values that gives them
Logo therapeutic techniques something to live for.
Dereflection Here too the capacity for self-distancing is made
Dereflection is indicated in cases of hyper intention possible only because of a different human capacity:
(trying too hard to succeed) or hyper reflection (overly freedom of will. This is the core of self-detachment.
focused self-observation). When a person is overly While one is not free from conditions that are free in
self-absorbed, attention is taken away from a the attitude we take towards those conditions. Once
self-focus and redirected towards a focus on another one loosen the grip of fear, we are free us to see what
person to love or a value to respond to. confronts us as something we are called upon to do
The person’s distress is seen in the context of the something about! We’re not determined; we can take
spiritual essence of the person “behind” the problem. a stand. We are meant to be victors, not victims! No
Self-transcendence is the essence of human longer immobilized we are empowered to change
existence. One transcends self to focus on meanings
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things. discovered.
Thus with our freedom of will naturally one chooses 1. The first thing is to make the client realize that he
to see self from different perspectives and is NOT A VICTIM of circumstances! He might have
paradoxical intention reactivates the ability to do this. symptoms, but he IS NOT his symptoms.
Socratic dialogue: Socratic dialogue is a means of 2. Try to help client find a meaning within his
listening and asking provocative questions or “meaning triangle.”
highlighting hints to meaning that come through the 3. Make client independent of the therapist by
person’s words. The faculty of mind that guides this helping him find his guidance within.
process of discernment is called as“conscience.” Conclusion
In Socratic dialogue one draws on the human Accepting that our life (where we stand today) is a
capacity for consciousness of ones responsibility. We consequence of the choices made in the past, the
are not driven; we can evaluate and judge and seek future will consequently be shaped by the choices one
out the meaning of an event. Frankl defines make today! Every day one have many possibilities
responsibility as response-ability, or the ability to from which to choose within the area of freedom.
respond to the call of the meaning of the moment. One must choose the most responsible option; make
The therapist’s questions in effect illuminate the the best choice, not only for themselves, but also for
questions life itself is asking the client. We are the people around them.
questioned by life and we must answer with our References:
life.The most basic capacity that is required to 1) Frankl, Viktor (1 June 2006). Man’s Search for
evaluate and think about our lives is self-awareness. Meaning. Beacon Press. ISBN 978-0-8070-1427-1.
When one have lost the self-awareness Socratic Retrieved 8 May 2012.
dialogue helps reinstate it. The questions that are asked 2) Maria Marshall; Edward Marshall (4 August 2012).
in Socratic dialogue forces one to rethink what we’re Logo therapy Revisited: Review of the Tenets of Viktor E.
all about. Frankl’s Logo therapy. Ottawa Institute of Logo therapy.
Helping people to find meaning: ISBN 978-1-4781-9377-7.
3)http://www.voidspace.org.uk/psychology/logotherapy.
I am the spirit.
shtml VIKTOR FRANKL’S LOGO THERAPY Logo
I am unique: There are always situations where we
therapy: The The Approach:
experience our uniqueness, in relationships, in
4) http://www.nacsw.org/Publications/Proceedings 2011 /
creativity.
MiceliCFromtheHereE.pdf “FROM THE HERE AND
It is through transcending our previous limitations, NOW” TO THE “NOW WHAT”: AN INTRODUCTION
striving toward a worthwhile goal, encountering other TO LOGOTHERAPY By: Chuck Miceli, MSW.
human beings that tofind meaning and fulfillment in 5) https://meaningtherapy.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/
their lives. logotherapeutic-techniquesand-their-spiritual-source/Logo
I can change my attitude. therapeutic techniques and their spiritual source june 2010
The tools of logotherapy 6) http://66.199.228.237/mofo/pdf/Logotherapy.pdf Logo
The main tool is the Socratic dialogue where the therapy: An Overview Melvin A. Kimble, PhD James W.
therapist and the client together try to find a meaning Ellor, PhD.
in life. Meaning cannot be given, it must be
