CONSULTING SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISEMENTS FROM VIKTOR FRANKL’S EXISTING PERSONALITY

TS. Nguyễn Hoàng Dũng

ThS. Trần Văn Hải

Abstract: Viktor Frankl (1905–1997), a doctor who endured the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, developed a transcendental therapeutic approach from his profound personal suffering. His existential theory, which emphasizes finding meaning in adversity, has been influential in European and American psychotherapy. This article explores the practical benefits and applicability of Frankl’s existential humanistic psychology within clinical counseling. While the study may reflect subjective viewpoints, it aims to highlight the relevance of Frankl’s perspectives in modern therapeutic practices and training. Ignoring his contributions would present an incomplete view of effective therapy.

Keywords: Existential personality, adversity, existential gravity, supernatural realm, therapy.

1. Introduction

Existentialism, also known as existential philosophy, is the only case where people see “philosophy has taken to the streets”[5] that penetrates into every corner of social life. Therefore, the application of existential concepts that are typical of V. Frankl by therapists shows us the variety of psychology in approaching and treating clients. And the fact has been confirmed by his own life. Existential philosophy

With the motto that the engine of human development is to find one’s meaning and purpose, Frankl don’t only helps himself overcome great losses but also supports those he comes in contact with to awaken a new spirit. inner capacity to cope with all the adversities in life. The therapies he used never claimed to be or called the process of counseling. But when we read Frankl’s writings it’s easy to see a treasure trove of experiences that live for the very journey of counseling/intervention/support. It is this that has created a buzz when all 32 of Frankl’s books have been translated into 27 languages around the world [6].

1. Frankl’s existential personality psychology, when approached through the prism of counseling, has brought psychology’s physiological view closer to the mental prism and is placed right in situations where there are times The most tragic that the individual has, is facing. This will limit the process of machine analysis of people on the neuropsychological level so that existential personality psychology through consultation with face-to-face therapies contributes to the reconstruction of the person. Thus, we may find that psychological counseling with individualized experiments itself demonstrates the existentiality of a tradition that favors the individual in a particular context. Existentiality in the consultation process is assumed on specific interventions. It is not constrained by the stereotyped stereotypes of the local culture on each individual [6],[2]. Because in fact, through the approach of the existential personality helps us get a real picture of ourselves. Humans are inherently equipped with the ability to listen and obey the established patterns of our habits. Therefore, it is the responsibility of a counselor in the role of helping people develop their personal conscience, so that they are able to independently seek and build the most special meaning in each person’s life.
2. Content

2.1. Awaken Your Spirit with Yourself

1. Frankl argued that conscience is an unconscious mental quantity. Conscience is a central part of us and the primary energy source of each individual’s morality. Conscience can therefore be seen as an expression of intuition that is highly personalized in the scale of human emotions and attitudes. Therefore, when facing a client with a crisis that is so adversarial that it seems desperate, even in some cases where he can no longer find the will to live to continue to exist, the therapist needs to be brave enough. to invoke, to arouse conscience as wisdom of the heart for the ability/state to know oneself and to overcome the traumas being confronted in the instinctive tendency. Because when faced with trauma, it is easy to push the individual to the edge of despair. Therefore, the intervention of therapeutic techniques will help the individual find his or her own meaning in the floodwaters of trauma. The meaning of life is likened to laughter that no one can laugh at pain if we can’t find a good illustration before the storm. And the meaning of each event, whether expressed positive or tragic, it needs to be discovered, not created by us. It is often hidden like a painting by the artist expressing the messages hidden within the painting itself [3],[9],[5].

The process of awakening an individual’s conscience is not easy given the trauma associated with experiences of great loss. For example, how can we have the courage to recognize the positive meanings in the face of witnessing related to massacres and abuses in loved ones or ourselves. Knowing that conscience is always a permanent omen in each person. But to elicit it’s capacity to deal with trauma requires both technical experience and the experience of the expert who has overcome it. It is this state of self-knowledge that will contribute to rich confidence in our clients.

2.2. A Beginning with Spirit’s Existential

The quest for meaning and the affirmation of life’s value is a deeply personal journey driven by existential attraction. For each individual, the meaning of life represents their aspirations, while the state of meaninglessness is experienced as an internal void. Therefore, awakening existential attraction involves assisting individuals in overcoming or filling this void.

The mental void created by existential challenges can inhibit creativity and adaptability, leading to unfulfilling outcomes. Materialistic values often provide temporary relief from this existential gap through instant gratification. However, such relief is fleeting and does not address the deeper issues at play. Thus, counseling interventions should be rooted in a spirit of recovery and positive intrinsic values that act as internal motivation for the future.

Unfortunately, this void can also be filled with harmful actions, such as self-destructive or aggressive behaviors, as individuals seek compensation for their unhappiness. For instance, a young woman with a traumatic childhood experience may react negatively to related information, leading to destructive thoughts and behaviors. Such reactions highlight the need for a therapeutic approach that addresses the underlying existential issues while providing support and guidance.

In counseling, we often observe that depression, addiction, and hostility accompany each other in clients with severe trauma. These issues can distort perception and hinder the development of existential attraction, preventing the client from experiencing true recovery. Effective healing requires positive energy and a forward-looking perspective, both of which can be fostered through supportive therapeutic interventions.

The therapist’s role is to help clients recognize existential attraction as a guiding force through adversities. By focusing on the values and meaning of life, clients can gain self-control and resilience in facing challenges. Counseling should not rigidly impose personal experiences but rather use them as a bridge to connect and unleash positive values within personal emotions. This approach ensures that an individual’s life remains abundant and meaningful as long as they find a reason to live [3],[5],[1].

2.3. From the Supernatural and Support to Interventional Therapy

Facing the tragic situations that V. Frankl experienced, we can see the religious character in his person. Experiences that transcend one’s own limits with feelings of the value of existence / the attraction of existence as a state of the supernatural. Frankl views this supernatural state in each individual as an expression reaching an ultimate meaning. It transcends the personal situations faced by the justifications that come from God, the spiritual meaning [5],[9]. It is these existential aspects that describe the inclusion of all the emotional moments that the client has during the process of facing adversity and during the counseling process that is carried out as a way of problem solving. restore emotions. But there are new emotions in the client’s counseling process that receive them as a certainty from grace. Arguments from fate do not give up the client but will help the individual to rediscover the values of vulnerability as rehearsals for reaching higher values within himself.

These things seem at first glance as if we are trying to attribute unhappiness to a higher God, beyond the reach of man. But according to V. Frankl’s view, God is the god inside each person of an individual, or rather the god of the heart. And that place is a supernatural realm that the consultation process needs to explore, provoke to manifest outwardly. Thus, in each counseling journey, each individual needs to be accompanied by identifying what motivates them to overcome adversities that are not supernatural. But the supernatural must be revealed from the innermost depths of each person. Metaphysical entities that are being suppressed by trauma and projected outward by compensatory emotions and behaviors need to be replaced with the wills of value from existential attraction toward The essentials describe the noble essence in each person.

On the paradoxical intentional therapy that V. Frankl applied to himself as well as to the clients he was accompanied, an interesting outline emerges. It can be roughly stated that this therapy is the process by which the individual tries to cope and even wishes the most negative things to happen to him quickly. Emotionally negative things are seen as a barrier between the individual and his/her life. Therefore, counselors need to have a certain sense of humor to be able to accompany clients in the face of overwhelming negative emotions that may occur to them. According to V. Frankl, humor is the weapon of the spirit against the “dark” forces (inside always waiting for an opportunity to arise) to protect itself. Humor, therefore, is a trait that describes an individual’s adaptability that can turn seemingly hopeless things into hope. By practicing mindfulness exercises, the client’s focus on other topics is no longer too entangled with his or her adversity, it will help promote the process of gradual recovery replacing with happier and healthier signals. . The outcome of the counseling process is called hedonistic, happiness, which is just a side effect of the client’s self-transcending state of discovering the meaning of each event. The journey of overcoming trauma by facing/confronting itself is the same as how the individual turns himself into a self-serving person. And the same self-service journey will create richer experiences for subsequent interpersonal relationships. As Albert Schweitzer once said, “Who among you who knows how to serve others is the happiest”[10]. It can be said that with the skillful application of therapy, V. Frankl has integrated religious beliefs into psychology with a flexible language. And deeply in each person, supernatural belief is always a necessary “salvation” in the face of seemingly impossible events/adversities. Therapy can be viewed as attribution, but with Frankl’s approach it becomes more about the individual’s superpowers in all situations of life.

3. Conclusion

Existentialist counseling does not require clients to accept adversity completely but invites them to explore and find meaning in their existence. Regardless of one’s stance on religion, personal experiences often intersect with beliefs and values, sometimes unconsciously. Counselors can effectively use belief-based methods to evoke and deepen emotions, even if they are personal. This approach provides a foundation for affirming deep, real values and facing pain with a sense of humor. The journey of discovering faith – whether in oneself or beyond – becomes a key aspect of the therapeutic process.

In conclusion, existentialist counseling, as illustrated by Viktor Frankl’s work, offers valuable insights into addressing and overcoming personal challenges. By emphasizing the search for meaning and the exploration of existential dimensions, therapists can help clients navigate their adversities and find purpose in their lives. This approach not only fosters personal growth but also enriches the therapeutic process, making it a profound and effective method for addressing the complexities of human experience.

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