Viktor Frankl Institute of
Logotherapy South Africa
Personal Learning Path

Logotherapy for Optimal Living

This self-paced course is for those looking for transformation and meaning in their own lives. We take you through a comprehensive, in-depth study of the truths embedded in Viktor Frankl's famous book, Man's Search for Meaning, and present you with 10 self-reflective assignments that will deepen your understanding of meaningful living and help you apply this to your own life.

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Who Can Enrol

This course has no prerequisites and is open to anyone.

Course Developer

Logotherapy for Optimal Living was developed by Dr. Teria Shantall, a registered Clinical Psychologist who completed her training in Child Psychotherapy at the Tavistock Clinic in London. Teria was a student of the late Dr. Viktor Frankl who invited her to study with him at his first Logotherapy Training Center at the United States International University in San Diego.

What to Expect

This course consists of:

  • Two prescribed books that you need to buy separately.
  • A personal Logotherapy trainer for feedback on assignments.
  • Video introductions.
  • Typed assignments.

Prescribed Books

These books are to be bought separately:

Recommended Reading

This book is a wonderful complement to Frankl's own book on his Holocaust experiences. Accounts of survivors are used in this course, and reading the original work will help you gain context with a deeper, richer understanding of the circumstances which inspired Frankl's philosophy.

Time Commitment

This course is intended to be completed over no more than 10 months. The goal is for you to complete at least one study unit per month.

This course has pure Logotherapy at its heart. By enroling and committing yourself to this course, it is up to you to respond with free-willed obedience. There is nothing forced.

What You Will Learn

We will take you step-by-step through a process that is aimed at a greater clarification of your own thoughts. This process results in a sharper recognition of the many meanings your life has. You may come to realise that life calls you, that you have been given a unique destiny.

There are tasks for you to do, missions for you to complete, duties for you to perform, challenges for you to face, problems for you to deal with, a spiritual growth of your person to achieve—all of which are offered as opportunities to you, and to nobody else but you.

Your life is yours to live! It is your life and your life is your responsibility. This is the first and foremost truth for you to realise.

In the words of Viktor Frankl:

Each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.

Format

This course is on the Personal Learning Path. This means that it is intended for your personal growth and does not count towards a practical qualification. The feedback you receive from us is qualitative and you do not receive a grading or a mark.

The course content is presented in text and videos from your secure account on this website. There are 10 study units based on the prescribed book, Man's Search for Meaning. Each study unit requires you to write and submit a brief assignment. After submitting each of the first nine assignments you will receive immediate feedback with which to compare your work. The final assignment is assessed by one of our qualified Logotherapy trainers who will give you individualised feedback. The 10 assignments collectively form your Portfolio of Evidence which we keep on record as evidence of your learning.

What You Need

  • A computer, tablet or phone with an up-to-date modern browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari. Please note that outdated browsers like Internet Explorer will not work correctly.
  • A word processor app such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Zoho Writer, LibreOffice or OnlyOffice.
  • Recommended minimum 3G HSPA data connection (1.5 Mbps) for video and audio streaming.

Our Credentials

VFISA is managed and supported by registered clinical psychologists and passionate, committed staff. The team has a broad range of qualifications, skills and experience—including psychology, medicine, philosophy, economics, business, finance, law and marketing.

We are in co-operative contact with Logotherapy trainers in Israel, Turkey and the United States, and our courses are accredited by the International Association of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis in Vienna.

Fee

The fee for the course is R3,900. Please note that this excludes the fee for the prescribed books which are to be bought separately.