Existential Psychology and Logotherapy

Dimensional Anthropology: a conception of the person and a conception of human health. Logotherapy and its practical applications in the field of health. The human encounter: first therapeutic tool. The relationship of help as a privileged opportunity for the realization of creative values and the promotion of attitudinal values. Human suffering: your understanding from the Logotherapy; their relationship with the meaning of life; new approaches for health-related professions.

This study aims to examine the effects of a psychoeducation program developed on the basis of logotherapy, for the development of a healthy sense of identity among emerging adulthoods. The Solomon Four-Group Design was used in the study. There were two experimental groups and two control groups, each of which consisted of 16 members. The experimental groups participated in 11 sessions of the logotherapy-focused psychoeducational program. Titles of the sessions were identity and meaning, life and meaning, roles in our life, responsibilities and meaning, family and meaning, logo-autobiography, suffering and meaning, values and meaning, authentic goals, and evaluation and termination. The control groups, on the other hand, received no specific intervention (the “education as normal” groups). The Self Perceived Identity Scale developed by Ersanlı and Şanlı (2015) was used as the main data collection instrument. In accordance with the Solomon Four-Group Design, only one experimental and one control group took a pre-test; the remaining groups did not take such a test. However, all groups took a post-test. Follow-up was conducted with all four groups 3 months after the sessions ended. Statistical analyses revealed that negative identity perception levels of the experimental groups significantly decreased, while their positive identity perception levels increased meaningfully. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the scores of the control groups. Thus, it can be concluded that logotherapy-focused psychoeducational programs may be effective in decreasing negative identity perceptions and increasing positive identity perceptions. In other words, logotherapy-focused psychoeducational programs can help individuals in late emerging adulthood to develop a healthy perception of their identity. Finally, the findings were discussed in light of the relevant literature and suggestions were presented for their practical application.

From my current vantage, my “journey of becoming” remains shrouded in mystery, defined as much by the unknown before me as the lived experiences behind.  Yet, throughout my life, the experiences of undeniable synchronicity—and the spiritual frameworks I have gathered to shed light on these events—have given me a certain grounding in this world and a sense of trust in life’s unfolding.  While I am hesitant to suggest that I am privy to life’s design, as I reflect, I can discern moments that have propelled me into unexpected trajectories that I could never (or would never) have consciously orchestrated.  Much to the dismay of my conscious mind, it feels at times like life itself is moving through me towards the fulfillment of some greater “plan.”  Is it perhaps, as James Hillman proposes, that the image of my destiny exists in its aesthetic whole at each juncture, lulling me down into its fulfillment?  Or is it instead, as asserted by Victor Frankl, that I am freely responsible to answer to the “assignment” of my life?  Or maybe, in the intimation Carl Jung, am I engaged in the process of individuation as I plumb the unconscious depths towards realization of my Self?  Engaging with each of these perspectives, I embrace the idea that there is a meaning to this life that far exceeds the controlling measures of my mind and ego.  It is this meaning that I wish to honor as I traverse the timeless landscape of my soul’s becoming and seek to glimpse the coherent “image” that is my Truth.

Objectives: This study has been conducted to investigate the efficacy of group therapy based on logo-therapy on depression in Love Trauma Syndrome (LTS) of female students. LTS includes a constellation of intensive signs and symptoms which appear following the breakdown of a romantic relationship after a long time. It interrupts person's function in many areas (academic, social or professional) and leads to maladaptive reactions. Methodology: The clinical sample is comprised of 40 female students which 20 were assigned to experimental group and 20 to control group. The instruments included the Love Trauma Inventory (LTI) and Beck Depression Inventory. To analyze the data, the paired sample t-test and the analysis of covariance was applied. Result: All subjects who completed the treatment showed significant improvement in their symptoms including depression and general functioning. It appears that logo-therapy is effective to treating depression in LTS.

Il senso della vita tra logoterapia e cognitivismo esistenziale è un libro che ha come obietto quello di dare un contributo alla psicologia clinica e alla ricerca, con un approccio umanistico-esistenziale, centrato sul senso della vita che Viktor Frankl ha ideato e applicato nella Logoterapia.

آزادی چیست؟رهایی چیست؟ آزادی انتخاب یکی از ابعاد هستی انسان است.غریزه،توارث و احوال محیط،چیزی رابرای ما تعیین نمی کنند.فرانکل بر این باور است که اگر بخواهیم سلامت روان داشته باشیم،آزادی انتخاب رفتار خود را داریم و به نظر فرانکل آزادی به معنای رهایی از سه چیز است:
1. غریزه ها،
2. خوی ها و عادت ها،
3. محیط

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 logotherapy 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, individualisation, 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.

Source: InterAction - The Journal of Solution Focus in Organisations, Volume 2, Number 1, May 2010, pp. 27-47(21)
Publisher: SFCT

The book deals with contemporary ethical dilemmas in psychotherapy from the aspects of logotherapy and existential analysis. Despite considerable achievements professionals sporadically encounter issues that are ethically unclear. Therapsists are supposed to keep up certain ethical principles, however, in practice these “norms“ may not be sufficient and thus the therapists must make decisions that are in compliance with their conscience and morals. That is why self-discipline and cultivation of the conscience are crucial. The book deals not only with the issue of breaking the limits in the relationship between therapist and client, e.g. sexual intercourse, breach of confidentiality, but also with the issues such as the value of religiosity and the diversity in other cultures, a difficult client, disloyalty of a colleague or the issue of payment for therapeutical services.

La raccolta di saggi qui presentata vuole riunire tre diversi indirizzi – l’Analisi Esistenziale, la Logoterapia e il Counseling Filosofico – che, sebbene a prima vista appaiano differenti, presentano analogie e similitudini, in particolare nelle modalità di approccio filosofico all’esistenza.
Un rilevante aspetto comune è perciò il proposito di utilizzare il pensiero filosofico per affrontare e risolvere le innumerevoli situazioni critiche che l’esistenza pone. Un modo di intendere la filosofia quindi utile e funzionale, mai fine a se stessa, ma sempre indirizzata e originata da problemi pratici e reali della vita, fatto che rappresenta l’essenza del pensiero esistenziale.
L’aver posto l’uno di fianco all’altro Counseling Filosofico, Logoterapia e Analisi Esistenziale evidenzia così il comune terreno teorico-pratico su cui queste discipline agiscono e che trova nella connessione tra filosofia ed esistenza l’elemento centrale.

Indice:
Prefazione - Lodovico Berra
L’ esistenza, tra il nulla e l’ essere - Armando Zopolo
Esistenza e possibilità: tra disagio e cambiamento - Carlo E.L. Molteni
Il tempo, l’ esistenza, la mente - Pietro E. Pontremoli
“Questioni di traduzione”. Pratica filosofica e psichiatria fenomenologica a confronto - Giorgio Giacometti
Il counseling filosofico a orientamento esistenziale. Punti di riferimento per la pratica professionale - Lodovico E. Berra
Counseling esistenziale: ambiti e competenze della consulenza filosofica secondo l’ ottica neo-esistenziale - Ferdinando Brancaleone
La pratica filosofica come risorsa terapeutica: la logoterapia e analisi esistenziale di Viktor E. Frankl - Daniele Bruzzone
Una rivisitazione dell’ ontologia dimensionale di Viktor Emil Frankl riferita al rapporto duale - Maria M. Marconi
Viktor Frankl: un monumento alla responsabilità - Silvana G. Ceresa
Verso una filosofia clinica. Lo sguardo del counselor filosofico - Mario D’ Angelo
Le due anime del counseling filosofico - Luca Nave
Il senso smarrito: counseling filosofico nel disorientamento della post modernità - Elisabetta Zamarchi
Dalla realtà virtuale alla virtù reale. Un counseling per l’ uomo di oggi - Ezio Risatti


Nota sul curatore
Lodovico E. Berra. Medico specialista in psichiatria, psicoterapeuta, direttore dell’Istituto Superiore di formazione e ricerca in Filosofia, Psicologia, Psichiatria, ISFiPP Torino, docente stabilizzato di Psicobiologia e Psicologia Fisiologica presso l’Università Pontificia Salesiana, direttore del Master triennale di specializzazione in Counseling Filosofico, presidente fondatore della Società Italiana di Counseling Filosofico (SICoF) e della Società Italiana di Psicoterapia Esistenziale (SIPE), autore di numerosi lavori scientifici nel campo della psichiatria e della psicoterapia. Con
libreriauniversitaria.it Edizioni ha pubblicato Manuale di psicoterapia esistenziale (2011).

Es conocido el intento de V. Frankl de fundamentar, aun filosóficamente, una patodicea, término análogo al de teodicea, utilizado, entre otros, por el gran filósofo Leibniz. En la historia de la cuestión, merece estudiarse la propuesta de Frankl. Entre otras razones, proviene de un autor que ha sufrido en los campos de concentración del régimen nacionalsocialista, hecho considerado el acta de defunción de toda pretensión de teodicea o patodicea. La concepción imperante desde mediados del siglo XX -reactiva a las teodiceas racionalistas, que terminaban haciendo a Dios responsable de un mal que era considerado “no tan malo” desde su punto de vista, por ser una especie de medio para cumplir con sus fines- es refractaria a todo tipo de valoración del mal y del sufrimiento como integrante de un plan bueno. Este artículo tiene por finalidad analizar los supuestos de esta propuesta de Frankl y demostrar que ésta no se identifica con las tesis leibnizianas sino que continúa las ideas del pensamiento judeocristiano clásico acerca del mal.

Summary
This article is in response to a recent
question: what are the origins of the recent construct
of self-directionality in the DSM-5®? This question
has been articulated in three points: (1) Research
most recent on the four LPFS-BF (Level
of Personality Functioning Scale) of which the self-directionality
is part of; (2) The instruments and methods
specifics that have led to isolating the construct
of self-directionality; (3) The clinical importance of the
identification of the operating level of the
personality. This article also wants to be a
the epistemological premise to research already in progress
on the correlations between self-direction and purpose
in life (the epicenter of the Existential Analysis of V.
Frankl) evaluated by PIL Test. In conclusion, are
give anticipations of a possible continuation
of this pilot study.

One Knower: Different Modes of Knowing In all philosophical and psychological traditions knowing has many different meanings. In Tibetan Buddhism there is nondual Dzogchen and in Hinduism there is nondual Kashmir Shaivism. In both these nondual traditions there is profound understanding that there is one knower with two different modes of knowing. My Mind Knowing You and Things One mode of our knowing is the conventional subject object knowing which is the mind knowing as the perceiver and the perceived. This is our ordinary knowing of mind, my mind knowing you and things. This is my mind knowing of all the various forms of otherness. This is my mind knowing of singular aspects of phenomena and my mind knowing, by discrimination, the differences within phenomena. This is my mind knowing of the reality of objects, and the actuality of events and situations. This is my mind knowing the reality of persons and sentient beings as well as non-sentient beings and things. This is my mind's natural mode of dualistic knowingness. My Knowing as Direct Perception As humans knowing we both have and are this wonderful other mode of knowing. In Dzogchen this is the great knowing of awareness and through awareness, and this knowing described as direct perception is often called gnosis, or jnana, or ye she. Kashmir Shaivism names this dimension of knowing of this vast field of awareness/consciousness vimarsa. This vast

Mind Alone For many years psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy was singularly centered on the unconscious mind and conscious mind. There was only mind and the mind could become aware of its own self and its own representational realm. The self itself was representational and the emphasis on the mind was in the light of analytic thinking and analytic observation. There was an emphasis on objectification of mental phenomena and subjectivity itself. Knowing was knowledge by association, by reflection and mediation by linguistic signifiers. Knowing was neither non-conceptual nor pre-reflective, nor was there a place for direct experiential knowingness. Knowing was associated as mind alone and singular mind functions such as thinking, feeling, sensation, memory and imagination. Transitional Space as Space of Awareness With the presentation of the work of Donald Winnicott there was a shift in the psychoanalytic understanding of knowingness. A similar change in psychoanalytic thinking about knowing was also taking place in the Jungian and archetypal analytic schools. In psychotherapy Winnicott emphasizes a focus on the suspension of mind and in the process of suspension of mind, awareness was freed to focus within awareness, free to focus itself on itself. In the suspension of mind (a Winnicottian form of the phenomenological reduction,) the patient relocates themselves. The patient relocates from being located in mind alone or even located in a particular function of mind alone such as: feeling function or thinking function or sensation function or memory function; the patient enters or relocates themselves into the intermediate area of experience. This intermediate area of experience or this in-between space of experience is also described as the transitional area of experience and relatedness. Sometime this place is also described as the place of potential space. The sense of self shifts from being located in the mind or mental function of the mind into the more embodied sense of spacious awareness or as the place of potential space. Winnicott would described this knowing

For those of us who walk the paths of Logotherapy, it is known that human work can be an area of concreteness of meaning, through the realization of the values of creation. When this does not happen it can result in a series of symptoms called Burnout Syndrome, specially in the so-called care professions.

Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy is based on Max Scheler's theory of values and anthropology. Frankl builds his psychological thinking based on critical concepts of Scheleri-an thinking such as (i) value and goods, (ii) will and feelings, (iii) the hierarchy of values, and (iv) the idea of person. It is with them that he develops his original theses of (i) the spiritual motivation of human action, (ii) the search for meaning and (iii) the spiritual unconscious. In doing so, he offered not only a psychotherapy of values, but also a new theory of positive human motivation, not conceived as a result of deficiency or need, but as a result of the free spirit toward objective values. The human search for meaning in life can only be successful by living and realizing superior values, in the hierarchical sense proposed by Scheler. Resumen: La Logoterapia propuesta por Viktor Frankl se basa en la teoría de los valores y antropología de Max Scheler. Frankl construye su pensamiento psicológico basado en con-ceptos clave del pensamiento Scheleriano como (i) valor y bienes, (ii) voluntad y sentimien-tos, (iii) la jerarquía de valores y (iv) la idea de persona. Es con ellos que desarrolla sus tesis originales de (i) la motivación espiritual de la acción humana, (ii) la búsqueda de significado y (iii) el inconsciente espiritual. Al hacerlo, ofreció no solo una psicoterapia de valores, sino también una nueva teoría de la motivación humana positiva, no concebida como resulta-do de la discapacidad o la necesidad, sino del espíritu libre dirigido a valores objetivos. La búsqueda humana de sentido en la vida solo es posible tener éxito con la experiencia y la realización de valores superiores, en el sentido jerárquico propuesto por Scheler. Palabras-Clave: Frankl, Scheler, logoterapia, análisis existencial, valor, sentido de la vida. Resumo: A Logoterapia proposta por Viktor Frankl está fundamentada na teoria dos va-lores e antropologia de Max Scheler. Frankl constrói seu pensamento psicológico baseado em conceitos-chave do pensamento scheleriano como (i) o valor e os bens, (ii) o querer e os sentimentos, (iii) a hierarquia de valores e (iv) a ideia de pessoa. É com eles que desenvolve suas teses originais da (i) motivação espiritual da ação humana, (ii) busca de sentido e (iii) inconsciente espiritual. Ao fazê-lo, ofereceu não só uma psicoterapia dos valores, mas tam-bém uma nova teoria da motivação humana positiva, não concebida como fruto de defici-ência ou necessidade, mas do espírito livre direcionado a valores objetivos. A busca humana por sentido na vida só é possível ser bem-sucedida com a vivência e realização de valores superiores, no sentido hierárquico proposto por Scheler. Palavras-chave: Frankl, Scheler, logoterapia, análise existencial, valor, sentido da vida.

The present study is based on a clinical case treated by individual psychotherapy for approximately one year. A logoterapeutic treatment, although inconclusive, could be effective. Because of the particular anthropological orientation of Logotherapy, the patient was allowed - through the therapeutic encounter - the possibility of self-estrangement and self-transcendence, in order to continue his path of personal fulfillment.

This paper compares the analytic and experiential approaches to dreams in order to illuminate the intrinsic and necessary relationships between the two understandings. It describes how dream work reflects the bimodalness of symbolism, thought and ultimately human consciousness. An extended example of dream work reflecting both analytic and experiential modalities is presented.

ویکتور فرانکل معتقد بود : مشکل انسان امروز بی معنا بودن زندگی،خلا وجودی و ناکامی وجودی است.انسان سالم از نظر فرانکل، انسانی از خود فرا رونده و معنا خواه است.معنا خواهی قوی ترین نیرو در انسان است.معنا چشمه ای است که هرگز خشک نمی شوداما طراوت انسان بودن بدون آن خشک می شود.

Summary. This article pursues the objective of notifying an update and making a proposal to logotherapists and other psychotherapists with humanistic-existential training. The updated notification is the one on the opening of the DSM-5® to existential themes in various points but, in particular, with reference to the scale of self-direction, in which all the criteria refer to Franklian themes, with explicit reference to the meaning of life. The proposal is to invite clinicians and researchers to collaborate in research to verify a hypothetical correlation between the scale of self-directionality and the main tests used so far in research on Logotherapy. An eventual correlation between these instruments - even with a pilot study - would have repercussions on a global scale because all countries using DSM-5® could do the same. In addition, it is a matter of seizing a historic opportunity in which DSM-5® would validate the basic construct of speech therapy and the scale would validate DSM-5® with all previous research. Keywords Existential themes, self-directionality, DSM-5®,

As I explored in Part 1 in my reflection on my own process of individuation and the accompanying themes of fate, responsibility, and synchronicity—with Becvar (1997), I have come to hold all of life is a spiritual process, and therefore, all therapeutic work to be deserving of a spiritual orientation, even if at an unspoken level.  Further, I see health—in the greatest sense of the word—to be normative.  That is to say, we are evolving beings that need to continually engage in our individuation process to be in optimal health.  As Becvar (1997) quotes,  "Health is seeking out all of the experiences of Creation and turning them over and over, feeling their texture and multiple meanings. Health is expanding beyond one’s singular state of consciousness to experience the ripples and waves of the universe" (Achterberg, 1985, p. 19, in Becvar, p. 142). Holding this perspective, the role of spiritual counseling is to support and bear witness to the individuation process.  It is a delicate act of providing unconditional acceptance for clients in whatever conditions they find themselves and offering experiences or resources that can shift their relationship with life towards greater fulfillment.  In what follows, I wish to concisely explore the themes have emerged for me as essential to an optimal spiritual counseling paradigm including safe space; acceptance; authenticity; values, purpose, and quality of being; and interconnection.

An important key to emotional self-healing is to fully embrace our emotional pain and relationship pain with an open, nonjudgmental, nonpartisan, compassionate, warmly loving heart. That warmhearted, compassionate, loving embrace of our emotional pain releases, untwists, or dissolves it back into its underlying substratum of undivided, pure, clear, love-life energy, which is inherently, naturally wholeness, self-consistent integrated harmony, wellbeing, relaxed, serene, security, without any intrinsic negativity, inner conflict, or painful qualities.... We have an innate urge to restore our natural wholeness of being by reunifying with formerly estranged, disturbed, self-conflicted, aspects of ourselves.... Dr. Max Hammer’s psychotherapeutic dictum, “Wholeness heals!” reflects this view that compassionately embracing and reunifying with uncomfortable, turbulent feelings, energies, and experiential states in ourselves, is the key to restoring our natural wholeness and wellbeing, as well as similarly healing or constructively resolving unnecessary discord and experiential distancing or estrangement in our interpersonal relationships by empathically embracing or nonjudgmentally, compassionately, intimately or non-dualistically contacting the experiential wholeness of other individuals, including their experiential negativity.

Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy is based on Max Scheler’s theory of values and anthropology. Frankl builds his psychological thinking based on critical concepts of Schelerian thinking such as (i) value and goods, (ii) will and feelings, (iii) the hierarchy of values, and (iv) the idea of person. It is with them that he develops his original theses of (i) the spiritual motivation of human action, (ii) the search for meaning and (iii) the spiritual unconscious. In doing so, he offered not only a psychotherapy of values, but also a new theory of positive human motivation, not conceived as a result of deficiency or need, but as a result of the free spirit toward objective values. The human search for meaning in life can only be successful by living and realizing superior values, in the hierarchical sense proposed by Scheler.

This study aims to examine the effects of a psychoeducation program developed on the basis of logotherapy, for the development of a healthy sense of identity among emerging adulthoods. The Solomon Four-Group Design was used in the study. There were two experimental groups and two control groups, each of which consisted of 16 members. The experimental groups participated in 11 sessions of the logotherapy-focused psychoeducational program. Titles of the sessions were identity and meaning, life and meaning, roles in our life, responsibilities and meaning, family and meaning, logo-autobiography, suffering and meaning, values and meaning, authentic goals, and evaluation and termination. The control groups, on the other hand, received no specific intervention (the “education as normal” groups). The Self Perceived Identity Scale developed by Ersanlı and Şanlı (2015) was used as the main data collection instrument. In accordance with the Solomon Four-Group Design, only one experimental and one control group took a pre-test; the remaining groups did not take such a test. However, all groups took a post-test. Follow-up was conducted with all four groups 3 months after the sessions ended. Statistical analyses revealed that negative identity perception levels of the experimental groups significantly decreased, while their positive identity perception levels increased meaningfully. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the scores of the control groups. Thus, it can be concluded that logotherapy-focused psychoeducational programs may be effective in decreasing negative identity perceptions and increasing positive identity perceptions. In other words, logotherapy-focused psychoeducational programs can help individuals in late emerging adulthood to develop a healthy perception of their identity. Finally, the findings were discussed in light of the relevant literature and suggestions were presented for their practical application.

I think this paper should be called "Tribulations, misadventures and reunions of a logoterapeuta in Patagonia", since it deals with a personal journey accompanying changes in the paradigms of psychological science between the end of the XX century and the beginning of XXI

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 ...