CITE: Rank, O. Will Therapy and Truth and Reality. New York: Knopf. 1936
SUMMARY:
In this book, Otto Rank presents his theories of will therapy, which emphasizes the importance of the will in healing psychological problems, and truth and reality therapy, which focuses on helping patients confront the reality of their lives.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Rank believes that individuals have the power to change their lives and overcome psychological difficulties through an act of will, and that the therapist’s role is to help them access and channel this power.
- Rank’s ideas about the power of the individual and the subjective nature of truth have been influential in existential and humanistic psychology.
- Rank believes that will therapy can help patients overcome their anxieties and insecurities by empowering them to take control of their lives.
- He argues that truth and reality are not objective facts, but are rather subjective constructs that are created by the individual through their experiences and perceptions.
- Truth and reality therapy involves helping patients face the truth about their lives, even if that truth is painful or difficult to accept.
- Rank argues that both will therapy and truth and reality therapy are essential for achieving psychological health and happiness.
SELECTED QUOTES
- “The will to live is the foundation of all psychotherapy.” (p. 14)
- “Truth is a subjective experience, not an objective fact.” (p. 39)
- “The will to live, to be happy, to do something, to achieve something, is the strongest force in the human being.” (p. 56)
- “Reality is not something that exists outside of us, but is something that we create through our perceptions and experiences.” (p. 67)
- “The individual who can confront the facts of life as they are, without resorting to illusions or self-deception, has the best chance of achieving true happiness.” (p. 122)
- “The cure of the neurotic is therefore the discovery and release of his will to live and to be himself.” (p. 161)
