Logotherapy Part 1: A Brief Introduction And Toolkit

In this brief introduction to logotherapy, we will cover the basic tools available to make meaning from suffering and our past. We will begin to lean towards a more purposeful future, and share logotherapy's unique spiritual approach of hope and trust in one's own values and conscience.

Transcript

Hello everyone and welcome to our logotherapy session for today on transforming suffering.

We'll be diving into how Viktor Frankl developed logotherapy and how we together can find a spiritual calling,

Our unique meaning and purpose.

Logotherapy is often referred to as meaning therapy,

As a way in which we develop our will and we find where we are being called.

The spiritual dimension is one which is often neglected in today's contemporary society.

With the advent of technology and fitness we often lack the tools to grow spiritually.

The basic tenants of logotherapy are that human life always has meaning,

That human beings long to experience their own sense of life's meaning and that humans have the potential to experience meaning under any and every circumstance,

Under any circumstances.

Dr.

Viktor Frankl was a psychologist at the University of Vienna and at the time he was drawn into Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War.

He found that even in the most difficult of conditions amidst the grave human suffering that individuals could find meaning in self-transcendence and being called to something greater than self and that this worked in every single case that it was applied.

Our attitude and our actions,

The things that we can control were the focus of Viktor Frankl's work.

The transcendental power of love,

Even finding humor and discovering courage in the face of difficulty,

Even in the worst of circumstances.

Together we'll train on finding,

Finding that space where we connect with our own calling,

Where we can find meaning.

Both the philosophical and psychological foundations of the 12 steps were found in Viktor Frankl's work.

The first of positive psychology,

Finding the spiritual dimension,

This is what we'll do together.

So let's start with the freedom of will and we'll talk about various studies that have shown the effectiveness and different groups,

Different populations struggling with different issues in life but all of them suffering to some extent.

We'll notice together how life is equal joy and suffering,

How contained within every moment there's an opportunity to adjust our reality based upon the meaning that we find within that joy or suffering.

So to begin the freedom of will asserts that we as humans,

We are free to decide to take a stand on both our internal and our external conditions.

This freedom will help shape our life.

The moment that we acknowledge that freedom and find the space,

The autonomy to move away from whatever illness or suffering or negative thoughts are circling in our heads,

That is the time when we are free to choose.

We notice our freedom and we act upon it,

Even no matter how limited that freedom might be.

A second pillar that we'll discuss today is the will to meaning.

We as humans are free to achieve our goals and our life purposes when we encounter frustration about some aspect of our day or existential reality,

When we react with some sort of aggression or even when we're in the throes of depression or addiction.

As extreme as suicidality,

We still have the power to realize that we have a will,

That deep within us,

Our true selves is yearning to discover that meaning.

As humans,

Our primary motive is to search and find meaning and purpose which transcends ourselves and provides a compass for our lives.

Pleasure and pain,

They are passing,

But they are all within the context of meaning.

Thus,

Victor Frankl and all those that have followed in positive psychology in his footsteps assert that the meaning of life can be found within the moment,

Can be found each moment as our perspective changes,

As we face suffering,

Trauma,

Difficulty,

That we as humans,

We find our freedom and our response ability,

Our ability to respond to life,

To be our best possible selves under any and all circumstances.

We have that freedom and that response ability.

During these five days together,

We will find those unique clues that are hidden within our consciousness,

That life is presenting to us and allowing us to see,

Giving us clues to our values,

What is meaningful for us,

And where our conscience or our higher power is drawing us to.

Before we dive into logotherapy tools and the methods that we'll be using,

I want to briefly talk about the amazing success that has been found in logotherapy.

PTSD,

Acute stress,

And several studies in the early 2000s.

Psychologists use a simple logotherapy technique for treating PTSD and acute stress in combat related individuals or people who had seen large amounts of violence.

And indeed,

It was very successful in these individuals with acute stress or PTSD.

They were able to construct new meaning that led to significant decreases in their symptoms.

In terms of alcohol and drug treatment,

Frankel himself found the great value in recognizing the neurosis triad of aggression,

Depression,

And addiction in which they are often found together when people experience an existential vacuum or a lack of meaning in their lives.

The treatment for this was to guide individuals to recognizing their freedom of choice,

To find meaning that was more powerful than that addiction.

And yes,

Here again,

It worked exceptionally well in several studies in the late 90s and in 2008.

Group logotherapy was especially useful when combined with other types of traditional recovery work,

Leading to fewer relapses and much better engagement with 12-step programs.

Alcohol and drugs in their core being mind-altering substances.

Frankel worked on the mind itself,

Altering itself through a will to meaning and recognizing purpose,

Therefore altering the mind through logotherapy and through finding meaning.

Finally,

With regard to anxiety,

Anxiety and depression combined are the largest mental health crisis of our time.

While no one can give it just one reason,

Researchers have noticed that high cortisol levels,

The stress hormone,

Make it so that we are in a constant state of heightened anxiety.

And this leads many people to depression,

Therefore combining the two,

The depression inventory and the anxiety inventory,

Can lead to a clearer focus for psychological studies.

In a particular study in 2017,

After receiving a logotherapy treatment for only six weeks,

The group had marked improvement over those with traditional therapy.

They improved the meaning of life for people experiencing chronic depression,

Stress,

And even for cancer patients.

Coming back to our recognition that suffering is always present in some form in our life,

So is the opportunity for meaning,

For striving towards one's purpose in alignment with values.

What is most important for you,

Whether struggling through cancer,

Diagnosis,

Treatment,

Or for addiction?

Experiencing trauma or loss,

Logotherapy has the potential to be that space that helps you connect holistically.

I hope that our journey through a few logotherapy tools in this mini course will help you too to find that self-transcendence,

To work towards your higher meaning one day at a time.

A few of the tools that we'll be using in the next few days.

First is dereflection.

This aims at helping us to focus our attention away from problems and towards purpose,

Away from me and towards meaning.

Paradoxically,

This allows us to self-distance to place our problems outside of us and hold them lightly by focusing on what we truly care about.

A second tool we'll be using is paradoxical intention,

Which allows us to approach with humor and a little self-introspection,

Any phobias,

Fears,

Or anxieties that we have,

To approach them with a gentle heart,

A light heart,

And inject some humor into them.

With the help of friends and family,

We even overcome fears that we once thought paralyzing through our action and intention in very focused way.

If you struggle with fear of rejection or fear of making the wrong choice,

Paradoxical intention will be very useful for you.

And finally,

The tool which is most used in many,

Many disciplines,

Psychology and medicine,

Psychiatry,

That of Socratic dialogue,

Where we'll just ask a few questions and allow your heart,

Your guiding compass,

To answer as you reflect in a purposeful way.

We'll go through several questions to give birth to your own values and the unique purpose that are always inside.

They may be hidden,

But they are always inside waiting to be discovered.

We'll find meaning through Socratic dialogue and questions and responses that I think you will find extremely,

Extremely helpful.

So thank you for dedicating this time,

For combining both courage and compassion,

And being willing to take this journey with me.

Let's get started.

I can't wait to see you.

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