The Doctor and the Soul

Recognising that the need for meaning in life is the primary facet in an individual's life as a result of his experiences in Nazi concentration camps led Viktor Frankl to develop his theory of logotherapy. Dr Frankl's revolutionary theory is outlined in The Doctor and the Soul, now republished for the first time in two decades. Man's search for meaning is the most human phenomenon of all and the frustration of that need causes neurosis, anxiety and despair. It becomes the psychiatrist's role to help a patient find meaning in their life. Doctor and the Soul looks at the meaning of individual lives, it is the psychotherapeutic technique that answers the patient's question: “Why do I go on living?” Logotherapy finds the possibility of concrete meaning in any life situation and offers a patient recovery by strengthening trust in the unconditional meaningfulness of life and the dignity of the individual.