Meaning is What is Meant – Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy

Sabine Indinger,

Abstract

Viktor E. Frankl put forward a revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy, referring to the Greek word ‘logos’ for ‘meaning’. The following article outlines the basic assumptions and ideas of Viktor E. Frankl’s logother- apy starting with the Frankl’s concept of man and his philosophy of life. Furthermore, it delivers insight into resources of the human spirit such as will to meaning, task orientation, conscience, self-transcendence, self-distancing and humour – logotherapy’s medicine chest. The article explores what ‘meaning’ in the context of logotherapy means and ways to discover meaning by use of improvisation, indi- vidualisation, dereflection, modification of attitudes and guideposts to meaning. In the course of this article some parallels and differences with reference to Solution-Focused thinking are mentioned as a basis for further exploration.

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