What is Logotherapy ?

"In Logotherapy the patient sits up straight and has to listen to things that are, on occasion , hard to hear".

Logotherapy pushes patients to consciously discover their life's purpose in order to confront their neuroses. Their quest to fulfill their destiny then motivates them to press forward , breaking the mental chains of the past and overcoming whatever obstacles they encounter along the way.

Key Points of Logotherapy :

• The patient sits facing the therapist, who guides him or her without passing judgement.
• Looks toward the future.
• Does not delve into the patient's neuroses.
• The drive is toward purpose and meaning.
• Includes a spiritual dimension.
• Also works on noogenic , or existential , neuroses.
• Deals with conflicts when and where they arise (spiritual dimension).
• Also deals with spiritual realities.
• Is compatible with faith.
• Seeks to help the patient find meaning in his life and satisfy his moral principles.

Logotherapy does not see this frustration as mental illness, the way other forms of therapy do, but rather as spiritual anguish - a natural and beneficial phenomenon that drives those who suffer from it to seek a cure, whether on their own or with the help of others, and in so doing to find greater satisfaction in life. It helps them change their own destiny.

Logotherapy enters the picture if the person needs help doing this, if he needs guidance in discovering his life's purpose and later in overcoming conflicts so he can keep moving toward his objective.

According to Logotheraphy, discovering one's purpose in life helps an individual fill that existential void. A man who faced his problems and turned his objectives into actions , could look back on his life in peace as he grew old. He did not have to envy those still enjoying their youth, because he had amassed a broad set of experiences that showed he had lived for something.

Better Living through logotherapy :

A few key ideas:

• We don't create the meaning of our life, as Sartre claimed - we discover it.
• We each have a unique reason for being , which can be adjusted or transformed many times over the years.
• Just as worry often brings about precisely the thing that was feared, excessive attention to a desire or "hyper-intention" can keep that desire from being fulfilled.
• Humor can help break negative cycles and reduce anxiety.
• We all have the capacity to do noble or terrible things. The side of the equation we end up on depends on our decisions , not on the condition in which we find ourselves.