Manchester Psychotherapy

Counselling in Manchester

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

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Category: Psychology/Philosophy.
Target audience: General.
How challenging is it to read?:The first section straight forward, the section on logotherapy more challenging though not too technical.

It’s not often I read a book that brings tears to my eyes, but Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl did just that.  Frankl uses his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in Nazi concentration camps to illustrate his own branch of psychotherapy, which he terms Logotherapy.  He postulates that we humans need meaning in our lives to exist.  When meaning has gone we see little reason to stay alive any longer.  If we have a clear reason to live, something definite to live for, then we can survive regardless of what challenges are presented to us.  Frankl quotes Neitzsche;

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.“

This quote reverberates throughout the book and illustrates the  essence of Logotherapy beautifully.   Frankl supports this theory by recounting fellow prisoners who lost their grip on what that meaning for them was. When these prisoners could find no meaning to their lives and no meaning to their suffering, many of them gave up the will to live.  In this passage, Frankl describes what often happened to these men:

“Usually it began with the prisoner refusing one morning to get dressed and wash or go out on the parade grounds.  No entreaties, no blows, no threats had any effect.  He just lay there, hardly moving.  If this crisis was brought about by an illness he refused to be taken to the sick-bay or to do anything to help himself.  He simply gave up.  There he remained, lying in his own excreta, and nothing bothered him any more.”  V. Frankl p82-83

So how are these horrendous experiences of  half a century ago relevant to us today and what can we learn from this book?  I believe there is true value in reading in detail what it was like to live in the Nazi death camps.  Frankl writes eloquently about the routines the prisoners had within the camp, the food shortages they had to endure and the punishing, seemingly endless work details the prisoners were sent on, and sometimes did not return from.  The descriptions genuinely and significantly moved me.  When Frankl describes the suffering and pain the prisoners experienced daily and the cruelty they withstood I feel shocked and deeply saddened that one group of humans could enforce such misery on another.  It’s important we don’t forget the depths that human beings can descend to and make sure that such abhorrences are never repeated again.

Frankl talks in his book about detaching himself from the misery of every day existence in the camps and using the experience as a kind of live experiment in human psychology.  Through this his life becomes more bearable and he learns much about human behaviour.

The second part of the book gives a summary of Logotherapy.  Frankl discusses the importance of meaning in our lives and states that when it is missing we exibit “existential frustration”.  This could be outwardly displayed by the prisoner in the death camp letting life slip out of him or the unemployed person slipping into deep depression.  Frankl recalls a client who had a high powered diplomatic position in the American government coming to see him because he felt discontented with life.  The diplomat had undergone five years of psychoanalysis with little improvement to his condition.  Frankl quickly deduced that the client was unhappy in his work and saw little point in it.  With encouragement from Frankl the client changed careers into a job that he really wanted to do and though much more poorly paid, remained contented for the five years Frankl stayed in touch with him.

The idea that life needs meaning in order to give contentment fits in with the philosophy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy too.  In ACT the focus is on leading a values focused life rather than a goal focused one.  If we live by our values then we are rewarded with meaning continually.  We don’t have to wait until we have achieved a set goal in order to feel content.

I’m not sure “enjoyed” is a word I can use to describe how I felt about reading a book that details the events of the holocaust so vividly.  Life is not always about enjoying things.  The book reminded me of the atrocities that took place in the concentration camps and the lessons we could all learn from this.  This book was my first insight into logotherapy.  It explained it well and I can see the many links the modality has with my interests in Transactional Analysis and ACT.  I will be reading more on the subject I’m sure.

If you wish to have Transactional Analysis therapy in Manchester with me, please contact me using my form or phone me on 07966 390857

Does Therapy work?

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Does Therapy Work?Big question.  And as far as I’m concerned there is a simple answer.  Yes.  Therapy can work very effectively.   I can hear you now though, quite rightly, shouting at your monitor, “but you’re a therapist so you’re bound to say that” so let’s see if I can convince you further.

As a therapist my starting place has to be my own experience.  When I am working as a therapistI witness clients making positive changes in their lives consistently and I have also experienced these changes in my own life.  Sometimes it can take weeks for that “aha” moment to arrive, but when it does that moment can, literally, be life changing.  It was these moments, these insights into my own ways of thinking that stimulated my interest in psychotherapy.  I was able to use this knowledge to live my life differently, to develop better relationships and to change my behaviour for the better. Now, many years later, I have the privilege of being let into other people’s lives to support and guide them whilst they examine their lives and make positive change.

My next step is a quick trawl around the internet.  The website talkingcure gives many examples of where research supports the idea that therapy is effective.  Most of this research has been carried out by health services of countries around the world to see if they are getting their monies worth out of their counselling services (money is a great motivator for research!).

The following studies are just a couple of the examples included on the site:

  • Chiles et al (1999) found that psychological services reduced medical expenses in patients undergoing surgery and those with a history of over utilization.  On average, there was a 20% saving, even when the cost of providing the services was subtracted from the savings.
  • Research* showed that therapy carried out with men who batter their wives proved highly successful with 60% of men not re-offending within the thirty month follow up period and the wives of these men feeling “very safe” in 83% of cases.

Smith and Glass (1977) carried out research into the effectiveness of different types of therapy.  Results of nearly 400 controlled evaluations of psychotherapy and counselling were coded and integrated statistically. The findings provided convincing evidence of the efficacy of psychotherapy. On the average they concluded that the typical therapy client was better off than 75% of untreated individuals.  More interestingly, they found that the type of therapy received by the client had little bearing on the rate of success.  This is further evidence for the idea that it is what happens between the client and the therapist, the relationship that forms, that is the deciding factor for a successful outcome.

Martindale (1978) questions the validity of research into the effectiveness of psychotherapy and states that answering a question such as “does therapy work” is impossible as there are too many variables.  All clients are different, all therapists are different. He argues that a therapist may be effective for one client but ineffective for another.  It’s easy to see the logic of this argument and how we know which therapist is best for us will be the subject of another entry at a later date.

So where have we got to so far?  Both research and personal experience support the idea that therapy can be useful.  I appreciate that I have only given evidence of three research studies but I invite you to follow my links and check out my references for dozens of studies that conclude therapy is effective.

This does not mean however that we need to run to our nearest therapist and sign up for a course of treatment!  Going into therapy is a very personal and often very frightening step for many to take.  You take that step when you are ready to engage with the process and feel in your heart that it’s right for you.  I remember my first session even to this day.  I arrived fifteen minutes early and “cased” the joint to see if there was anyone around who would spot me going in. I seriously considered turning around and going back home!  Eventually I plucked up the courage, knocked on the door and therein began this journey.

I think that initial step of seeking emotional support from others may be more difficult for men than for women. This is backed up by the suicide figures for each sex where in 2008 where per 100000 of the UK population, 17.7 men committed suicide compared to just 5.4 women (age standardised rates taken from www.statistics.gov.uk).  Once more, I’m sure this will feature as a subject in my future writings.

So, to conclude, I would say that yes, therapy does work.  It can be an effective means to resolve problems as wide ranging as anxiety, stress, sexual identity, depression, lack of purpose, jealousy and a multitude of other issues that we can have whirling through our heads at particular times in our lives.  So when you’re ready, if you want to, pick up a phone and make that first appointment.

References

Chiles, J. et al. (1999). The impact of psychological interventions on medical cost offset: a meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology, 6(2), 204-220.

Martindale, C. “The Therapist-as-Fixed-Effect Fallacy in Psychotherapy Research”. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1978, Vol. 46, No. 6, 1526-1530

*Peterson, K. (July 27, 1988). Programs help men unlearn violence. USA Today, p. 1.

Smith, M. and Glass, G. “Meta-Analysis of Psychotherapy Outcome Studies”.  American Psychologist. September 1977. p752-760.

How To “Do” Therapy.

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How to "do" therapyNever had therapy? No idea of what to expect when you come for the first time to a therapist? Wondering what to “do”? All of these questions can naturally bring anxiety and tension for us and there’s no doubt that many are put off getting the help they need because they see counselling for “weak” people who should be able to sort their own problems out. Lets turn that around though. If we understand that many of us find the thought of going to a therapist for the first time daunting, then we can acknowledge that it takes bravery to step up to the plate and make that first appointment. It’s the first step down the road to positive change.

Any therapist worth their salt will recognise that you feel scared and unsure in your first session and will be supportive and reassuring. Once the initial session is over and you meet your therapist for the first time those stresses will ease and the fear factor will melt away.

In my first sessions working with individual clients and couples I spend time getting to know what has brought you into therapy and what you want the outcome to be. It’s also an opportunity for you to get a look at me and ask me any questions you have about the process, who I am, my method of working and decide whether you think I’m the right therapist for you.  It gives me an opportunity to decide whether I can help you or if it would be more appropriate to refer you to another therapist who could meet your needs more effectively.

So what are you as a client supposed to do when in therapy? Well the most important thing to do is be as open and as honest as you feel safe to be.  I’m not suggesting that you go into your first session and pour out your deepest thoughts and feelings, in fact I would advise strongly against doing that until you have tested the relationship with your therapist for a few weeks and you feel ready to expose yourself a little more.  Pace yourself, get used to the process and relax.

Many would argue that the type of therapy you have is unimportant.  They are all just different ways of reaching the same goal.  The relationship you have with your therapist is the key.  Building trust and learning intimacy in a unique safe setting can be a truly liberating experience.  The relationship you have with your therapist gives you the space and opportunity to test out a different way of relating to people in a safe environment.

Before you know it, you will be “doing” therapy without giving it a second thought.  Hopefully this will be a life changing experience.