| Title | Psychotherapy and Existentialism: Selected Papers on Logotherapy, |
| Author | Viktor Frankl |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
| Year | 1985 |
| Rating | ★★★★★ (5 stars) |
| Purchase Link | Buy Here |
Psychotherapy and Existentialism is a book written by psychologist Viktor Frankl, where he talks about the absence of meaning in modern society.
As such, Psychotherapy and Existentialism is a must-read book for those who wonder why their lives seem meaningless. If you want to check other Viktor Frankl book summaries, click here.
Synopsis of Psychotherapy and Existentialism
In this book, Viktor Frankl presents one of the main points of his psychological theory, logotherapy. It shows that, in today’s society, we experience an absence of meaning, and that we need to get it back if we are to live a more fruitful and meaningful life.
If you want to read the book, buy Psychotherapy and Existentialism here!
Who is the author of Psychotherapy and Existentialism?
The author of Psychotherapy and Existentialism is the Jewish psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, famous for having survived the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. He is the creator of the theology known as logotherapy.
Liked this book? Click here to read a summary of “Yes to Life” by the same author!
What is the Summary of Psychotherapy and Existentialism?
The book is a collection of essays and articles that point out some of the important points of logotherapy. Thus, the author says that man feels the need to seek a meaning for his life. With him, he seeks to become a better person and feel accomplished. The author also addresses a very important theme: the absence of meaning that current society is going through.
In this way, he addresses several important concepts of logotherapy, such as the need to accept difficulties in order to overcome them and also the need not to run away from our problems.
Therefore, he proposes that we return to valuing religion and moral values, which are important tools for man to find his meaning.
If you want to read the book, buy Psychotherapy and Existentialism here!
What are the Main Lessons of Psychotherapy and Existentialism?
The main lessons of Psychotherapy and Existentialism are:
1. Suffering is necessary
First of all, we must understand that suffering is inevitable in life, and can be used to strengthen ourselves and become better people.
Therefore, we must not run away from it. On the contrary: we must face it and want to improve in the face of negative situations that arise.
2. We cannot run away from difficulties
Furthermore, we must run through to overcome our difficulties, and not simply accept them with resignation
If the difficulty is inevitable, we must use it to make an internal change and improve as a person. Read a symmary about “Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning” here!
3. We must seek a meaning for life
In fact: man needs to search for meaning, this being an important factor for him to feel complete.
Man goes far beyond sexual needs (as Freud claimed) and social progression needs (as Adler claimed).
4. The current world lacks meaning
Even though meaning is something highly important, many people fail to value this search and prefer to live a life without seeking their own.
However, these people will feel frustrated, as a life without some greater purpose ends up falling apart and not leaving us complete.
5. Religion and values are important
Finally, it is worth noting that a lesson in the book is that values and religions can be very beneficial for man, as he is able to see meaning in his life from then on.
Thus, seeking to follow the religious values of your faith can be very beneficial and bring a feeling of completeness to those who practice it. If you want to read the book, buy Psychotherapy and Existentialism here!
What are the Negative Points of Psychotherapy and Existentialism?
The downsides of Psychotherapy and Existentialism are:
- Because it’s a collection of articles, it’s not as cohesive.
What are the Positive Points of Psychotherapy and Existentialism?
The strengths of Psychotherapy and Existentialism are:
- It teaches the pillars of logotherapy.
- Deepens important themes of Viktor Frankl.
- It is very valuable reading, especially for psychologists.
Read Psychotherapy and Existentialism Is it worth it??
Psychotherapy and Existentialism is well worth reading. The book teaches some of the main thoughts of logotherapy, the theory of Viktor Frankl. However, if you’ve read other Viktor Frankl books, you’ll notice that this one doesn’t bring anything very original. So consider other books by the author.
If you are interested in buying Psychotherapy and Existentialism, it’s worth it! If you want to read the book, buy Psychotherapy and Existentialism here!