Frankl
This essay sets out to explore Viktor E Frankl and his key concepts of freedom, responsibility and meaning in his existential theory and the relevance of these concepts within the counselling setting.
Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) was born into a Jewish family, his experience in the concentration camps during the 2nd world war clearly helped shaped his beliefs and his subsequent approach to methods of counselling and therapy. However, prior to the war Frankl was himself an eminent physician and neurologist, he took keen interest in both Freud and Alder and corresponded with both on theories though, Frankl tended to relate more so to Adlerian therapy. Frankl was appointed to the position of Head of Rothschild Hospital and focused on areas of depression and suicide. However, even early on in his career he was reluctant to pursue many conventional medical models of treatment – even to the extent of misdiagnosis in patients to avoid euthanasia of the mentally ill. Frankl believed “[l]ife has meaning under all circumstances even the most miserable ones”. (http://www.logotherapyinstitute.org/life-and-works.html#Assumptions) Frankl and family were arrested and imprisoned in camps, and although not knowing what each day would bring, Frankl strongly held on to the belief that he would see his family and wife again once liberated. This belief on reuniting with his wife gave Frankl the strength from within, even when his writings for The Doctor and The Soul were found and destroyed. He took upon himself to try and prevent fellow inmates from suicide and other mental illness thus encouraging each individual to find their own meaning enabling themselves to continue on. This in itself maintained Frankl’s self worth even in dismal conditions thus allowing him to understand Nietzsche “…he who has a why to live for can bear with almost anyhow”. (Frankl, 2004:84) After Frankl was liberated he soon discovered that only his sister would survive the holocaust and through this
Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) was born into a Jewish family, his experience in the concentration camps during the 2nd world war clearly helped shaped his beliefs and his subsequent approach to methods of counselling and therapy. However, prior to the war Frankl was himself an eminent physician and neurologist, he took keen interest in both Freud and Alder and corresponded with both on theories though, Frankl tended to relate more so to Adlerian therapy. Frankl was appointed to the position of Head of Rothschild Hospital and focused on areas of depression and suicide. However, even early on in his career he was reluctant to pursue many conventional medical models of treatment – even to the extent of misdiagnosis in patients to avoid euthanasia of the mentally ill. Frankl believed “[l]ife has meaning under all circumstances even the most miserable ones”. (http://www.logotherapyinstitute.org/life-and-works.html#Assumptions) Frankl and family were arrested and imprisoned in camps, and although not knowing what each day would bring, Frankl strongly held on to the belief that he would see his family and wife again once liberated. This belief on reuniting with his wife gave Frankl the strength from within, even when his writings for The Doctor and The Soul were found and destroyed. He took upon himself to try and prevent fellow inmates from suicide and other mental illness thus encouraging each individual to find their own meaning enabling themselves to continue on. This in itself maintained Frankl’s self worth even in dismal conditions thus allowing him to understand Nietzsche “…he who has a why to live for can bear with almost anyhow”. (Frankl, 2004:84) After Frankl was liberated he soon discovered that only his sister would survive the holocaust and through this
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