Abstract: | The author comments on a school of psychotherapy called Logotherapy or Existential Analysis, which was originated by Victor E. Frankl of the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Vienna. This school of analysis reflects the culture of the Hitler era and post-war Europe. Frankl states that neurosis is caused by repression of the patient's sense of responsibility and the function of psychotherapy is to bring this sense of responsibility back to the patient's awareness. Happiness, he postulates, is a byproduct of the realization of other values. Fear of death, aging, and discomfort are the principal causes of anxiety. The author feels that this school of psychotherapy, which has arisen from an experiential background so different from ours is worthy of careful study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |