Finding Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy
When life feels overwhelming, confusing, or even hopeless, one question often rises above the rest: What is the point of all this? Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, built his entire approach to therapy around this question. His method, called logotherapy, is based on a simple but powerful idea: our deepest drive as human beings isn’t for pleasure or power, but for meaning.
Frankl believed that even in the most painful circumstances, we can choose how to respond. This freedom of choice — what he called the freedom of will — is at the heart of logotherapy. Instead of focusing only on problems or symptoms, logotherapy invites people to explore their values, their relationships, and the possibilities in front of them.
The Three Core Ideas of Logotherapy
Freedom of Will – No matter what happens, we always have the power to choose our attitude and response.
Will to Meaning – The deepest human motivation is to find meaning, not just to chase comfort or control.
Meaning in Suffering – Even painful experiences can carry significance when we find purpose in them, whether through growth, resilience, or connection.
Everyday Ways to Practice Meaning
Logotherapy isn’t only for therapy sessions — it can shape how we live day to day. Some simple ways to connect with meaning include:
Creating something – A project, a piece of art, or even small acts of kindness can make life feel purposeful.
Loving and connecting – Deep relationships often give life its richest meaning.
Shaping your perspective – When suffering can’t be avoided, we can still choose to give it meaning by asking, “What can I learn from this? How might this make me stronger?”
Tools of Logotherapy
Therapists using logotherapy often guide clients with techniques like:
Dereflection – Shifting attention away from obsessive worry and toward meaningful action.
Paradoxical Intention – Facing fears by exaggerating or playfully leaning into them, which often reduces their power.
Socratic Dialogue – Asking thoughtful questions that help clients discover their own values and sources of meaning.
Why It Matters
Frankl wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning that “suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds meaning.” While none of us can avoid hardship, we can find strength in knowing that pain and challenges don’t have to be pointless. By seeking purpose — in relationships, creativity, and even in how we face difficulty — we can move through life with more resilience and hope.
In the end, logotherapy reminds us of something simple yet profound: we may not always control what happens to us, but we can always choose how to live with it.
Hanna Knudsen, MS CMHC, LCPC
Reference
Frankl, V. E., & Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man’s search for meaning (Revised and updated). Pocket Books.