Founders of Therapy: Viktor Frankl, Finding Meaning in Suffering
The Origins of Modern Psychotherapy – Part 12
Why do some people endure extreme hardship and still find a reason to keep going?
And why, in comparatively safe and stable lives, do others still feel lost or empty?
Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl believed the answer lay in one of the most powerful human capacities: the ability to find meaning, even in suffering.
His approach, called Logotherapy, became one of the major schools of existential psychotherapy and continues to influence modern approaches to trauma, grief, and purpose.
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear almost any ‘how.’”
— Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning (1946)
Who Was Viktor Frankl?
Viktor Frankl (1905–1997) was an Austrian psychiatrist, neurologist, and psychotherapist.
He is best known for developing Logotherapy, often referred to as the “Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy,” following Freud’s psychoanalysis and Adler’s individual psychology.
Frankl’s work was deeply shaped by his lived experience. During World War II, he survived Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz. These experiences profoundly influenced his understanding of human resilience, suffering, and meaning.
After the war, he wrote Man’s Search for Meaning, one of the most widely read psychological books in history.
The Core Idea of Logotherapy
Logotherapy is based on a central premise:
The primary motivational force in humans is the search for meaning in life.
Frankl argued that while people cannot always control their circumstances, they can choose their response to those circumstances—and that meaning can be found even in the most difficult situations.
Logotherapy is often described as an existential approach, focusing on purpose, responsibility, and values.
The “Existential Vacuum”
Frankl observed that many people experience a sense of inner emptiness, even when their basic needs are met.
He called this experience the existential vacuum, which may involve:
Feelings of emptiness or boredom
A lack of purpose or direction
A sense that life feels meaningless
Chronic dissatisfaction despite external success
Frankl believed this vacuum was especially common in modern societies where traditional sources of meaning (such as religion, community, or clear social roles) may be less stable or central.
Three Pathways to Meaning
Frankl proposed that meaning in life can be found through three primary avenues:
1. Creative Values
Meaning through what we give to the world
(e.g., work, caregiving, creativity, contribution)
2. Experiential Values
Meaning through what we receive from the world
(e.g., love, relationships, nature, art, beauty)
3. Attitudinal Values
Meaning through how we respond to unavoidable suffering
(e.g., choosing dignity, courage, or perspective in difficult circumstances)
This third pathway—attitudinal values—is especially central to Frankl’s legacy.
Meaning in Suffering
One of Frankl’s most influential ideas is that suffering itself can become meaningful when it cannot be avoided.
He did not suggest that suffering is desirable or necessary, but rather that human beings retain the capacity to choose their attitude toward suffering.
In clinical terms, this idea has been particularly influential in:
Grief counseling
Trauma recovery
End-of-life care
Chronic illness adjustment
Existential psychotherapy
Frankl emphasized that meaning is not always discovered through changing circumstances—but sometimes through transforming how we relate to them.
The Freedom of Response
Frankl argued that even in extreme conditions, people retain a fundamental freedom:
The freedom to choose one’s attitude in any given situation.
This does not mean people can control everything they feel or experience. Rather, it highlights a space between stimulus and response where reflection, choice, and values can still exist.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.”
— Widely attributed to Viktor E. Frankl (often cited from later summaries of his work)
What Modern Therapy Says
Frankl’s ideas are foundational in existential therapy and have influenced multiple modern approaches, including:
Meaning-centered therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Trauma-informed existential approaches
Palliative and hospice care psychology
Modern psychology does not always frame meaning as the single primary motivator, but research consistently supports the importance of:
Purpose in life
Values-based living
Psychological resilience
Meaning-making after trauma
Studies in positive psychology also link a strong sense of meaning with improved mental health, coping, and overall well-being.
Meaning vs. Happiness
Frankl made an important distinction between pleasure and meaning.
He argued that pursuing pleasure alone often leads to emptiness, while meaning provides a more stable foundation for well-being.
This does not mean happiness is unimportant—but rather that it may be more likely to emerge as a byproduct of meaningful engagement with life, relationships, and values.
What Can We Learn from Frankl Today?
Frankl’s work offers a powerful reframing of human suffering.
Instead of asking only:
“How do I get rid of this pain?”
Logotherapy invites a second question:
“What might this experience ask of me—or reveal about what matters most?”
Therapy can help people:
Clarify personal values and priorities
Reconnect with purpose during difficult periods
Reframe suffering in a more meaningful context
Strengthen resilience and coping capacity
Make choices aligned with deeply held beliefs
This approach can be especially helpful during grief, burnout, life transitions, and periods of existential uncertainty.
The Bottom Line
Viktor Frankl showed that even in the most extreme circumstances, human beings can retain a sense of meaning, dignity, and purpose.
His work reminds us that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can often influence how we relate to those experiences.
Logotherapy continues to shape modern psychotherapy by emphasizing that healing is not only about reducing symptoms—but also about rediscovering meaning in life.
Ready to Better Understand Yourself?
Many people come to therapy not only because they are struggling, but because they are searching—for direction, purpose, or a deeper sense of meaning in their lives.
At ThinkSpot Therapy, our licensed therapists use evidence-based and existential-informed approaches to help individuals, couples, families, and teens navigate anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and life transitions. We support clients in building resilience, clarifying values, and creating lives that feel more meaningful and intentional.
If you're ready to take the next step, we're here to help. Contact ThinkSpot Therapy today to schedule an appointment or learn more about our therapy services.
Editorial Note
This article is part of our Founders of Therapy educational series. It explores the historical contributions of influential figures in psychology while distinguishing those contributions from contemporary evidence-based psychotherapy. Historical theories are presented in context and should not be interpreted as current clinical recommendations unless supported by modern research.
Further Reading
Primary Works
Frankl, V. E. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning.
Frankl, V. E. (1959). The Doctor and the Soul.
Frankl, V. E. (1985). The Unheard Cry for Meaning.
Recommended Books
Batthyany, A., & Levin, J. (Eds.). (2005). Anthology of Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy.
Wong, P. T. P. (2012). The Human Quest for Meaning.
References
Frankl, V. E. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
Frankl, V. E. (1959). The Doctor and the Soul. Knopf.
Steger, M. F. (2012). Making meaning in life. Psychological Inquiry, 23(4), 381–385.
Next in our Founders of Therapy series:Rollo May and Existential Psychology—Facing Anxiety, Freedom, and Authentic Living