Trauma and Existence

Authors

  • Alfried Längle

Abstract

The lived abyss in trauma provides an insight into the structure of existence and hence represents a particularly interesting theme for existential analysis. In existential analysis the specificity of great traumatizing is considered to be the experience of “horror" at seeing the abysmal side of being (instead of the nothingness). This paradoxical experience in traumatizing loses the anchors of the existential fundamental dimensions. This makes understandable both the development of posttraumatic-stress disorder and personality change. Therapy must restructure the existential fundamental references and the functioning of the person. The model of the fundamental motivations provides specific therapeutic steps to overcome the existential deracination and to mobilize the functions of the person with the help of nonspecific factors such as dialogue and encounter.

Keywords Trauma; Posttraumatic-stress disorder; Existential analysis; Fundamental existential structures; Personal existential analysis

Author Biography

Alfried Längle

Alfried Längle, Dr. med., Dr. phil., DDr. h.c., geb. 1951, Studium der Medizin und Psychologie in Innsbruck, Rom, Toulouse und Wien, Arzt für Allgemeinmedizin und psychotherapeutische Medizin, klinischer Psychologe, Psychotherapeut, Lehrthera-peut (GLE), Professor für klinische Psychotherapie in Moskau, Lehrbeauftragter der Universitäten Wien und Klagenfurt, Vizepräsident der International Federation of Psychotherapy (IFP), Präsident der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Logothera-pie und Existenzanalyse (GLE-International) mit Sitz in Wien, in eigener psychotherapeutischer Praxis tätig. Forschungsschwerpunkt: phänomenologische Psychotherapie, Methodik, Persönlichkeitsstörungen. Zahlreiche Publikationen.

Korrespondenz:
Eduard-Sueß-Gasse 10, 1150 Wien, Österreich

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Published

2007-07-01

How to Cite

Längle, A. (2007). Trauma and Existence. Psychotherapie-Wissenschaft, (3), 109–116. Retrieved from https://psychotherapie-wissenschaft.info/article/view/116

Issue

No. 3 (2007): Psychotherapie Forum 15/3 (veröffentlicht bei Springer Wien New York)

Section

Original Work

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