Thriving Through Meaning
—a chance for deep introspection and existential considerations that might not otherwise have occurred had the hamster wheel continued turning, turning, turning…
I personally count myself among those who recalibrated their life goals as a natural response to the madness of the pandemic, reflecting intensely on the meaning and purpose of my life and what I wanted going forward, which led me to a career change in my late 30s and my current internship at New Outlook Counseling.
Finding Viktor Frankl’s ideas through my counseling studies was organic, and at the same time oddly full circle. In his seminal work Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl, a Holocaust survivor shares his experience in concentration camps and the discovery that finding meaning/purpose—not pleasure or power—is the ultimate driver of one’s life and survival.
Regardless of external circumstances, we have the internal will and agency to adjust our attitudes. He identifies the “tragic triad”: suffering, death, and guilt. When individuals struggle to find meaning in these aspects of life, they may experience existential frustration, but Frankl’s Logotherapy helps them confront and find meaning even within these unavoidable human experiences.
As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I was raised with acute awareness of the dark potential of mankind, yet to also be a voice for justice and support for others in need. Frankl’s wisdom, combined with my family’s history, and personal experiences, have shaped my person-centered approach to therapy in a way that particularly emphasizes personal intuition, agency, and living a life in alignment the values you hold dear—finding meaning to guide and motivate us in our path on this limited time we have on earth. I have been especially drawn to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and find it to be a modern outgrowth of Frankl’s logotherapy with its emphasis on discovering your truest self, building a values-led, meaningful life, and expanding our psychological flexibility to navigate tough times.
Especially given the recent horrific events in the Middle East and a world that is grappling with its never-ending complexities, I feel that Frankl’s work stands the test of time. Man’s Search for Meaning is a must-read for anyone in need of some hope amidst suffering or circumstances that are out of their control.
