From: "Paul Myszor"
Date: Thu Nov 8, 2001 1:00 pm
Subject: Viktor Frankl
I was very surprised to see Victor Frankl's book "man's search for meaning" in the newsletter. This provoked me to dig out an ancient book that I'd acquired during my undergraduate years called "psychotherapy and existentialism”. I confessed to not ever having read much of this at the time although it looked good or my shelf.
I found this an amazing, thought-provoking and relevant book. What was particularly surprising was the similarities between Frankl and Milton Erickson. This is especially evident in Frankl's use of paradoxical injunctions and some of his reframing techniques. An extract illustrates this well:
An old doctor consulted me in Vienna because he could not rid himself of a severe depression caused by the death of his wife. I asked him, "what would have happened, doctor, if you had died first, and your wife would have is had to survive you?" Whereupon he said: "for this would have been terrible; how she would have suffered!" I then added, "you see, doctor, such suffering has been spared her, and it is you have spared her the suffering; but now you have to pay for it by surviving and mourning for her." The old man suddenly saw his plight a new light, and re-evaluated his suffering in meaningful terms of a sacrifice for the sake of his wife.
When working therapeutically with people I believe it is very important to engage with their beliefs and values, including spiritual and religious systems. It is interesting to note that people who have strong religious beliefs tend to have higher resilience and less likely to suffer from psychological and psychiatric problems. This could be of course the person with such beliefs are often part of a strong and supportive community.
Paul Myszor
From: "Mark Tyrrell, Uncommon Knowledge"
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2001 5:24 pm
Subject: Re: [Uncommon Knowledge] Viktor Frankl
I love the book 'man's search for meaning' and I also think the similarities between Frankl's therapy and Erickson's (not just therapy but thoughts on human nature) are striking. I actually thought for a long time that the anecdote you mentioned was an Erikson case.
Related: The Viktor Frankl Institute
Return to Uncommon Knowledge Discussion List
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carbon Copy Content Disclaimer
Uncommon Knowledge Ltd. authorizes limited consent to post Uncommon Knowledge’s PDF downloadable documents on web properties not owned by Uncommon Knowledge provided the document remains in an unaltered state and a precise replica of the original.
Copyright © 2003 Uncommon Knowledge Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dostları ilə paylaş: |
