“Hello, I’d like to speak with Dr Frankl.”
“Speaking,” he replied.
“Are you Dr Viktor Frankl, who wrote Man’s Search for Meaning?”
“Yes. How can I help you?”
I introduced myself as a psychotherapist, thanked him for his work, and asked if he could help me with a patient who had lost all sense of meaning.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said.
I was stunned. If he doesn’t know, who would? I thought. Then I changed my question.
“What do you think about the situation?”
He paused and said,
“I understand the situation, but I don’t think your patient has lost his sense of meaning. I think you may not yet have found meaning for him within you. You may be treating a patient, but not a person with meaning. You need to find that first in your heart and mind.”
Then he added, “When someone loses hope, faith, or meaning, they sometimes need to rely on the hope, faith, or meaning that others hold for them. A therapist or a friend needs to carry that for them until they can hold it again. Always think about hope.”
His words went straight to the point. Simple, profound, and true.
We talked a little longer about life and meaning. I thanked him for his generosity and for all he had contributed to psychotherapy and humanity.
About a year later, I learned he had passed away.
Back to my client.
I reflected deeply on Frankl’s words. During meditation and prayer, I held my client—let’s call him Jeff—in my awareness, seeing him surrounded by hope and possibility. Something changed in me, and soon something changed in him too.
A few weeks later, Jeff began improving. He found new energy, returned to work, and rebuilt his relationship.
One day, when he arrived for his session, I said, “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m well,” he replied.
I smiled and said, “Don’t worry, it will pass.”
He laughed. “I haven’t laughed like this in a long time,” he said.
But it didn’t pass. He kept growing, both personally and professionally, and learned how to manage the dark moments much better.
Supervision works—especially with a wise supervisor. I’ll always be grateful for that phone call. Viktor Frankl remains alive through the meaning he continues to give to so many.
“Speaking,” he replied.
“Are you Dr Viktor Frankl, who wrote Man’s Search for Meaning?”
“Yes. How can I help you?”
I introduced myself as a psychotherapist, thanked him for his work, and asked if he could help me with a patient who had lost all sense of meaning.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said.
I was stunned. If he doesn’t know, who would? I thought. Then I changed my question.
“What do you think about the situation?”
He paused and said,
“I understand the situation, but I don’t think your patient has lost his sense of meaning. I think you may not yet have found meaning for him within you. You may be treating a patient, but not a person with meaning. You need to find that first in your heart and mind.”
Then he added, “When someone loses hope, faith, or meaning, they sometimes need to rely on the hope, faith, or meaning that others hold for them. A therapist or a friend needs to carry that for them until they can hold it again. Always think about hope.”
His words went straight to the point. Simple, profound, and true.
We talked a little longer about life and meaning. I thanked him for his generosity and for all he had contributed to psychotherapy and humanity.
About a year later, I learned he had passed away.
Back to my client.
I reflected deeply on Frankl’s words. During meditation and prayer, I held my client—let’s call him Jeff—in my awareness, seeing him surrounded by hope and possibility. Something changed in me, and soon something changed in him too.
A few weeks later, Jeff began improving. He found new energy, returned to work, and rebuilt his relationship.
One day, when he arrived for his session, I said, “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m well,” he replied.
I smiled and said, “Don’t worry, it will pass.”
He laughed. “I haven’t laughed like this in a long time,” he said.
But it didn’t pass. He kept growing, both personally and professionally, and learned how to manage the dark moments much better.
Supervision works—especially with a wise supervisor. I’ll always be grateful for that phone call. Viktor Frankl remains alive through the meaning he continues to give to so many.
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