Why I Am a Logotherapist?

Many people ask me why I chose to become a logotherapist. The answer lies in my first encounter with Dr. Viktor Frankl’s book, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” When I read it, I felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity—as if I had found my intellectual and philosophical home. Dr. Frankl’s way of describing the world, narrating his experiences, and processing human behavior resonated deeply with me. However, as an early professional, I wasn’t yet ready to fully embrace logotherapy.

It wasn’t until I read another one of Frankl’s works, “From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy,” that I truly understood the profound shift from mere technique to the depth of the human soul. Logotherapy delves into the noetic dimension—the part of ourselves that transcends time, space, culture, and even our own egos and beliefs. This dimension, which transcends both the mind and the heart, is deeply fascinating to me.

Logotherapy stands out because it was one of the early therapeutic approaches that acknowledged this transcendent aspect of the human self. While other pioneers like Carl Jung explored the collective unconscious and Sigmund Freud examined the drives behind neuroses, Frankl focused on the human search for meaning. Despite their different approaches, they all aimed to understand the deeper layers of human existence.

This idea reminds me of the Buddhist concept of many paths leading to the top of the mountain, all converging at the same destination. We are all born with no material possessions and leave this world the same way. What we carry with us is the experience of life.

I dare to argue that we should strive for the full experience of life—an experience imbued with meaning and purpose.

(c)2024 John Piedrahita