Viktor Frankl and his Theory of Logotherapy Essay Sample

Viktor E. Frankl’s unique perspective on human psychology is his own theory of logotherapy. According to Frankl (1959), he created this word by using the Greek word logos that signals “meaning.”This therapeutic approach creates a relationship between the person and their purpose that they may not have encountered or experienced before. Frankl (1959) states, “...I jotted on little scraps of paper many notes intended to enable me to rewrite the manuscript, should I live to the day of liberation.” Even during a distressing experience, Frankl discovered his purpose and it propelled him to continue his writing of his book. From reflecting on his experiences in the Holocaust, Frankl develops a therapeutic practice that differs from mainstream psychology and therapeutic practices and takes a unique approach to psychoanalysis. 

Frankl’s theory is empowering to those who adopt a humanistic approach as it uses individualized and ongoing practices to better the person being treated. In logotherapy, ,the patient is confronted with and reoriented towards the meaning of his life. (Frankl, 1959). The humanistic approach “emphasizes individuals’ motivation to continually progress toward higher levels of interactive functioning…” (Bland & DeRobertis, 2019). This is empowering for people who adopt a humanistic approach as it allows individuals to be more interactive with their process of treatment. Although Frankl’s theory has empowering qualities to the humanistic approach, his theory specifically counteracts Haslow’s hierarchy of needs. Haslow’s hierarchy of needs works from the outside inwards towards self-actualization while Frankl’s logotherapy works towards self-actualization starting furthermost inwards. 

Furthermore, logotherapy not only differs in theory, but also practice. This approach can be used in the real-world context by paradoxical intention. Logotherapy uses paradoxical intention to detach the patient from their true intentions. Frankl (1959) cites a case in which one of his patients was attempting to avoid their phobia and with their efforts made the phobia worse. Logotherapy detaches the patient and allows them to reorient themselves to better understand their problems. Frankl (1959) asserts, “Now in logotherapy the patient may remain sitting erect but he must hear things which sometimes are very disagreeable to hear.” This differs from the psychoanalytical approach where the patient states unpleasantries that the therapist must hear. The psychoanalytical perspective also looks into unconscious thoughts and behaviors to get a deeper understanding of why a person does the things they do (Allen, 2020). A focus on meaning makes the difference between a patient feeling more or less fulfilled after treatment.  

To conclude, Frankl has created an impactful therapeutic approach that has reoriented many patients towards an effective lifestyle. Not only does this theory differ from mainstream psychology in a few ways, it has a strong therapeutic usefulness that gives each patient a purpose. This makes logotherapy one of the more useful and effective therapeutic practices.