Applications for the School Counselor from "Man's Search for Meaning" Part 1

This past month, I have been reading Man's Search for Meaning, written by Victor Frankl.  Victor Frankl was a doctor who experienced the horrors of the concentration camps during World War II, and then later treated patients recovering mentally and emotionally from the concentration camps.

One quote from the book reads, "An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior (Frankl, p. 20)." 

Application #1: When our students are going through divorce, abuse, homelessness, violence, or any other type of trauma, we can expect an abnormal reaction.  This may display itself as acting out - disruptive, threats, fighting, fits - or acting in - withdrawal, loss of interest in friends and school, self-harm, or thoughts of suicide.  This might be considered "normal" in the context of an abnormal situation.  Later in this post, we will talk about how to address these concerning reactions.

The book also discusses the 3 main phases the prisoners go through.  The second stage is apathy.  In this stage, the prisoner's dulls everything else to focus on one goal - survival. 

Application #2: While our students do not live in prisons, some do live in homes and neighborhoods where they live in fear because of violence, poverty, domestic violence, and abuse.  We must accept that psychologically they may appear egocentric - focused on themselves.  They may seem to only care about lunch and sleep, along with anything pleasurable - such as video games or recess.  These students may be focused on their survival due to the conditions in which they daily live.  So how do we help these students?

Application #3: First, Frankl discusses the importance of the inner life during the phase of apathy.  We can help students use visualization to find what motivates them and hold onto those powerful thoughts.  Art and nature also become very important.  When I say art, I am not just referring to painting or drawing.  It could be writing poems, singing songs, or making sculptures out of clay.

One interesting point Frankl made in his book is this: "To draw an analogy: a man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber.  Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the 'size' of human suffering is absolutely relative (Frankl, p. 44)."

Application #4: This quote has important applications for the school counselor.  We may work with students who have recently lost a parent or are experiencing suicidal thoughts.  In our triage, these students rank highest and require priority attention.  However, we must not forget that other students facing problems lower on the triage are still experiencing suffering.  And, to them, it feels as if the suffering is experienced in their whole being.