All about Logotherapy

Developed by Victor Frankl, Logotherapy is derived from the Greek word logos, which is defined as meaning. By applying Logotherapy (‘meaning-therapy’), Frankl’s concept was based on the premise that our primary motivational force is to find a meaning in life.

Frankl considered that:

• Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.
• Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
• We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or a least in the stand we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.

(These are known as the three tenets of Frankl’s theory).

During Hitler’s persecution of the Jews, Frankl was taken to a concentration camp where he found himself putting these theories to the test. The result of this experience was Frankl’s first book, Aerztliche Seelsorge, later published in English as The Doctor and the Soul.

The three tenets of Frankl’s theory, extensively tested in the camp, were found to be true. After his release, Frankl went on to became the head of the neurological department at the Poliklinik Hospital in Vienna, and he was able to practice and refine the methods of Logotherapy on thousands of patients.

You can work towards a Certificate in Logotherapy or a Diploma in Logotherapy. For further information, please email arno@worldshapers.org.uk, or call 01442 269804.