Existential freedom and forgiveness mechanisms in the logotherapy of individuals from dysfunctional families

The chapter presents an analysis of the concept of existential freedom within Viktor E. Frankl’s logotherapy, in the context of the experiences of individuals raised in dysfunctional families. Logotherapy, as the “third Viennese school” of psychotherapy, emphasizes the spiritual dimension of the human being, the capacity to transcend suffering, and the ability to find meaning even in the most painful events. Individuals from dysfunctional families often struggle with the loss of subjectivity, chronic existential suffering, and profound emotional trauma. The paper demonstrates how the logotherapeutic understanding of freedom—as the ability to consciously choose one’s attitude toward the past—can lead to inner liberation. Particular attention is devoted to forgiveness as a healing mechanism that enables the restoration of spiritual freedom. Forgiveness here is not equated with forgetting harm but rather with an act of self-transcendence that breaks the continuity of suffering and enables personality transformation. The chapter provides both a theoretical and practical discussion of the issue, drawing on logotherapeutic literature, the psychology of forgiveness, and the specificity of the experiences of individuals from dysfunctional families.