Specialist Master's Study in Logotherapy and Existential Psychotherapy (M.L.E.P.)
HOW THE STUDY IS DONE
Studies at the Academy for Psychotherapy Logotherapy are designed as a modern, academically demanding and at the same time flexible model of specialist psychotherapeutic education, which combines individualized study work, a lively academic community, practical training, supervision and the personal development of the therapist.
The program is based on the belief that a psychotherapist cannot be formed simply by passively listening to lectures, but rather through an active process of independent study, reflection, professional dialogue, practical work, personal transformation and gradual professional maturation.
Therefore, the study is organized according to a modern model of continuous entry and individualized progression, which allows the student to join the program throughout the year and begin their study path at the time that is most suitable for them.
Individualized theoretical study
The basic theoretical content of the program is organized into structured study modules, which include:
• professionally prepared video lectures,
• mandatory and additional professional literature,
• study presentations and supporting materials,
• reflective and applied study tasks,
• continuous essay work.
The student processes the theoretical content individually, at his own pace, within a clear academic structure and in accordance with certain study standards.
Such an organization allows for a high level of flexibility, without reducing the academic complexity of the study. On the contrary, it requires greater independence, discipline, personal responsibility and active professional engagement from the student.
Academic Integration Seminars
A key part of the study is represented by the mandatory Academic Integration Seminars, which take place live via the online environment throughout the entire academic year.
These seminars are not classic lectures, but interactive academic spaces for professional dialogue, conceptual integration, reflection and development of clinical thinking.
Their purpose is:
• connecting theoretical knowledge with psychotherapeutic practice,
• deepening the understanding of study content,
• developing clinical and therapeutic thinking,
• addressing professional, clinical and ethical issues,
• shaping a psychotherapeutic professional identity.
Academic integration seminars take place four times a month at predetermined fixed times, which allows students to clearly organize their study and professional obligations.
Each student must actively participate in at least two seminars per month.
Active participation means that the student comes to the seminar prepared, having previously independently processed video lectures, literature and study materials.
The seminars are based on a modern model of active and reflective learning. Within the seminar, the student actively participates in professional dialogue, presents his/her understanding of the literature discussed, raises questions, discusses conceptual dilemmas, and connects theory with practical psychotherapeutic situations.
Such a model ensures that the study remains alive, relational, academically demanding, and developmentally oriented.
Essay and reflective work
An important part of the study process is continuous written reflective and academic work.
In individual subjects, the student prepares structured professional essays with which he/she:
• deepens his/her understanding of literature,
• develops the ability to think critically,
• connects theory with practice,
• develops professional argumentation,
• forms his/her own therapeutic professional voice.
Essay work represents an important part of the assessment of academic maturity and professional integration of knowledge.
Practical exercises and development of therapeutic competencies
Psychotherapeutic competencies are not developed solely through theory, but primarily through experience, relationships and practical work.
Therefore, the program includes regular practical exercises, which take place 2–3 times a month live via the online environment in the first six semesters of study.
Exercises include:
• simulations of therapeutic processes,
• conducting therapeutic dialogues,
• working in pairs and small groups,
• development of therapeutic presence,
• practical use of logotherapeutic and existential approaches,
• development of clinical sensitivity,
• ethical reflection on therapeutic work.
A distinctive feature of the program is a vertically connected learning environment in which students of different developmental levels work together.
This allows beginning students to directly observe the professional development of more advanced colleagues, while more advanced students further strengthen their own competencies through active participation.
Such a model encourages the organic development of psychotherapeutic identity and realistically reflects the nature of professional psychotherapeutic education.
Supervision and Clinical Practice
After completing the initial phase of intensive practical training, the student enters a more demanding phase of professional development, which includes supervised clinical practice.
From the higher semesters onwards, the study includes:
• individual supervision,
• group supervision,
• analysis of therapeutic cases,
• ethical reflection,
• development of therapeutic responsibility,
• integration of theoretical knowledge into real clinical work.
Supervision represents one of the key pillars of the professional development of a psychotherapist.
A special value of the program is that students of different developmental stages also meet in the supervision process, which enables learning through observation, dialogue and the gradual assumption of greater professional responsibility.
Guided autobiographical process
Since psychotherapeutic work also requires the personal maturity of the therapist, the program includes a structured guided autobiographical process.
This part of the study supports:
• self-reflection,
• understanding one's own life story,
• recognition of personal vulnerabilities and sources of strength,
• development of therapeutic authenticity,
• personal integration of the therapist.
Psychotherapeutic work is not based solely on professional knowledge, but also on the personal integrity and maturity of the therapist.
Medical and interdisciplinary modules
The program also includes specialized medical and interdisciplinary modules that enable the development of functional understanding of:
• psychiatry,
• psychopathology,
• psychopharmacology,
• medical diagnoses,
• interdisciplinary professional cooperation.
These modules enable the student to develop responsible and professionally competent cooperation with medical and other professional systems.
Master's thesis
The final part of the study is a master's thesis or an applied master's project. With the support of a mentor, the student develops independent professional or research work that connects theoretical knowledge, clinical practice, reflection, and professional identity.
More than a study
The program is not designed solely as an academic transfer of knowledge, but as a comprehensive formation of a psychotherapist.
It combines:
• academic rigor,
• individualized flexibility,
• active professional community,
• practical training,
• supervision,
• personal development,
• research reflection,
• professional formation of a therapist.
The goal of the study is not only to obtain an academic title, but to form a professionally mature, ethically responsible and personally integrated psychotherapist who is able to competently accompany a person in their suffering, search for meaning and personal transformation.
Flexible entry and individualized study pace
A special feature of the study model of the Academy for Psychotherapy Logotherapy is the possibility of continuous enrollment throughout the year, which means that a candidate can join the study at any time of the year and begin their study path when it is most suitable for them personally and professionally.
The study is designed so that the student is not tied to the classic model of a fixed start of the academic year or a rigid semester rhythm, but can, with a clear academic structure, progress at his own pace, in accordance with his life rhythm, work obligations and professional development.
Such a design enables a modern way of studying, adapted to adult professionals, in which flexibility does not mean less demanding, but greater personal responsibility, independence and active involvement in the study process.
Regardless of the individual start of the study, each student enters a living academic community, where through integration seminars, practical exercises, supervision, personal development and professional dialogue he remains connected to the study environment and the continuous process of professional maturation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY
The specialized master's study in logotherapy and existential psychotherapy (M.L.E.P.) is an advanced, practice-oriented postgraduate program intended for individuals who want comprehensive and in-depth professional training for psychotherapeutic work based on Viktor E. Frankl's logotherapy and the broader existential-analytic tradition. The program is intended for professionals who work or are preparing to work in the fields of mental health, psychotherapy, counseling, healthcare, pastoral care, education, rehabilitation and other helping professions.
The curriculum combines theoretical depth, personal development, clinical practice, supervision and research work into a comprehensive and demanding educational path, designed in accordance with high European and national professional standards of psychotherapy education. The study is not just an academic program, but is understood as the formation of a psychotherapist, which includes the development of personal maturity, ethical stance, reflected clinical judgment and professional identity.
Logotherapy is presented in the program as an anthropological, ethical and therapeutic framework that emphasizes freedom, responsibility, conscience and the search for meaning. Throughout the program, students are systematically introduced to classical and contemporary schools of psychotherapy, the foundations of psychiatry and medicine, and existential philosophy, always in dialogue with the logotherapeutic starting point.
The program has a dual purpose:
• on the one hand, it aims to fulfill the conditions for obtaining a license for a psychotherapist in accordance with the current legislation of the Republic of Slovenia on psychotherapy, including the requirements for theoretical education, personal experience, clinical practice and supervision;
• on the other hand, it enables the acquisition of the academic title of Master in Counseling, which is awarded in cooperation with a partner faculty, whose P.R.I.M.E. partner is the Academy of Psychotherapy and Logotherapy, in accordance with its academic and evaluation standards.
The study is concluded with a master's thesis or an applied master's project, which is substantively placed in the student's practical, clinical or institutional work. The completed education aims to fulfill both the conditions for professional psychotherapeutic activity within the framework of national legislation in the Republic of Slovenia and the acquisition of the master's academic title.
Duration of study and structure
The program is designed as an extended specialist - master's study, lasting ten semesters (five years).
The study includes:
• 18 basic theoretical and integrative courses,
• applied logotherapy modules,
• year of clinical supervision,
• medical modules within the framework of psychotherapy,
• guided autobiographical process - personal experience,
• master's thesis or applied master's project.
The total study load significantly exceeds the standards of master's programs and corresponds in complexity to in-depth professional and specialist training for the psychotherapeutic profession.
Admission requirements
To enroll in the program, candidates must meet the following requirements:
• completed undergraduate studies or equivalent education, proven by official documentation,
• previous education or work experience in a related field (psychology, pedagogy, social work, health, education, counseling, etc.),
• appropriate personal suitability for psychotherapeutic training,
• successfully completed the Academy's admission procedure (application, documentation, interview),
• candidates who may not meet all the enrollment requirements or are not entirely sure of their eligibility can contact the Student Affairs Office, where the possibility of enrollment under special conditions can be checked as part of the pre-application process.
Program Requirements
Students are required to comply with all academic, ethical, and financial obligations.
To successfully complete their studies, they must:
• successfully complete all 18 units of study in accordance with the curriculum of the APL Academy and the partner faculty,
• complete the course Research Methodology (a prerequisite for admission to the master's thesis),
• complete at least 700 hours of supervised clinical practice,
• regularly participate in individual and group supervision,
• complete a guided autobiographical process,
• successfully defend a master's thesis or master's project,
• settle all academic and financial obligations within the specified deadlines.
Research Methodology
Research Methodology is a mandatory core course that introduces:
• scientific paradigms in psychotherapy,
• qualitative and quantitative research methods,
• case studies and phenomenological approaches,
• ethical aspects of research and clinical work.
The course represents the methodological basis for the master's thesis and applied projects.
Transfer Credit
Students may apply for recognition of previously completed academic and professional content. Each application is assessed individually and may result in a reduction in total study obligations.
Mentoring and Supervision
Each student is assigned an academic mentor and a clinical supervisor, who monitor their professional and personal development. The mentor's role is primarily guiding and formative, with the aim of promoting independent, reflective and ethically responsible therapeutic work.
Clinical practice and supervision
From the sixth semester onwards, students enter supervised clinical practice, within which:
• they carry out psychotherapeutic work with clients,
• they participate in individual and group supervision,
• they prepare in-depth case studies,
• they integrate logotherapeutic and existential approaches into clinical work.
Completion of clinical practice is a mandatory requirement for graduation.
Medical modules in psychotherapy
As part of the program, students complete medical modules that enable:
• understanding the basics of medical diagnoses and therapies,
• recognizing the limits of their own professional competence,
• effective cooperation with healthcare professionals,
• appropriate psychotherapeutic and existential support for patients.
Each student produces in-depth analyses of selected medical fields from the perspective of psychotherapy.
Master's thesis / applied master's project
A master's thesis or applied project represents the final part of the study.
Possible forms:
• professional - scientific master's thesis,
• applied project (program, manual, curriculum, institutional model, clinical protocol).
Requirements:
• volume of approximately 45,000–60,000 words or a substantively equivalent applied form,
• clear theoretical and clinical placement in logotherapy,
• original professional contribution.
After approval by the mentor, the student submits the work for final institutional assessment and archiving.
List of courses:
LO 1: Viktor E. Frankl – The Will to Meaning & Elisabeth Lukas – The Foundations of Logotherapy
LO 2: Haddon Klingberg Jr. – When Life Calls Us
LO 3: Viktor E. Frankl – The Doctor and the Soul
LO 4: Erik Erikson – Identity and the Life Cycle plus Selected Developmental Classics
LO 5: ICD-10 (11) plus Elisabeth Lukas – Fundamentals of Logotherapy
LO 6: Viktor E. Frankl – On the Theory and Therapy of Mental Disorders
LO 7: Psychiatry
LO 8: Viktor E. Frankl – Man’s Search for the Highest Meaning + The Doctor and the Soul
LO 9: Methodology of Scientific Work and Research in Psychotherapy / Logotherapy
LO 10: Classical Psychotherapeutic Schools – Comparative Analysis
LO 11: Supervision
LO 12: Selected Psychotherapeutic Direction – Basic Literature
LO 13: Existential Journey
LO 14: Another Selected Psychotherapeutic Direction – Basic Literature
LO 15 and LO 16: Emmy van Deurzen – The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy
LO 17: Applied Logotherapy I
LO 18: Applied logotherapy II
Object descriptions:
LO1:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course introduces students to the fundamental philosophical, anthropological and therapeutic foundations of logotherapy as the third Viennese school of psychotherapy. Based on an in-depth study of Viktor E. Frankl's key work The Will to Meaning and Elisabeth Lukas' systematic approach to logotherapy practice, the course enables the understanding of man as a being of meaning, inner freedom and responsibility.
Special emphasis is placed on understanding the will to meaning as a central motivational factor in human action and its importance for psychological resilience, ethical stance and the therapeutic process. The student gradually develops the ability for existential dialogue, which connects suffering, crisis and everyday life challenges with human dignity and responsibility for one's own relationships to life.
The course introduces the basic terminology and conceptual framework of logotherapy and familiarizes the student with the most important logotherapy techniques and the structure of therapeutic work in practice.
LO2:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course introduces students to a biographical and existential understanding of the emergence of logotherapy through the lives of Viktor E. Frankl and Eli Frankl. Based on the work of Haddon Klingberg Jr. When Life Calls Us, the course goes beyond classical academic biography and presents logotherapy as an experiential, life-based and ethically grounded practice that was formed in a concrete historical, personal and relational context.
Special emphasis is placed on understanding how Frankl's ability to maintain meaning in extreme conditions, especially during the Nazi concentration camps, co-created fundamental logotherapeutic insights about inner freedom, dignity and responsibility. The course also sheds light on the marital and relational dimensions between Viktor and Eli Frankl and shows how logotherapy is not only manifested in theory and clinical work, but primarily in the therapist's way of life, attitude and ethical stance. The student develops sensitivity to the historical and personal conditioning of therapeutic approaches and deepens their understanding of the therapist as a person whose own life story inevitably enters the therapeutic relationship.
LO3:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course is based on Viktor E. Frankl's classic work The Physician and the Soul, in which logotherapy is first systematically placed in a clinical and psychiatric context. The course is designed as a bridge between classical psychiatric diagnostics and a spiritual (noetic) anthropology of man, which goes beyond a merely symptomatic understanding of illness.
The main emphasis is on the distinction between psychic, somatic and noetic suffering and the understanding that many hardships do not stem from a pathological disorder, but from a loss of meaning, a crisis of responsibility or existential disorientation. The student is introduced to Frankl's concept of noogenic neurosis and the role of conscience, free choice and personal attitude towards suffering in the recovery process.
The course develops a therapeutic attitude that does not reduce the patient to a diagnosis or symptom, but treats him as a person with freedom, dignity and responsibility, even in circumstances of serious illness or institutional treatment. Clinical cases from Frankl's practice allow the theory to be connected to real psychiatric situations in which the question of meaning appears as a key therapeutic crossroads.
LO4:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course deals with the psychosocial development of a person throughout the entire life cycle based on Erik Erikson's developmental model and builds on it with a selected classic author from the field of developmental psychology. This connection allows the student to have a comprehensive understanding of the development of identity, personality dynamics and internal conflicts that arise in different periods of life.
The focus is on understanding identity as a process that is formed over time, relationships, internal decisions and life crises. The course emphasizes that an individual's psychological and existential distress always occurs within a specific developmental context, which includes physical development, psychological maturation and the search for meaning.
By including a selected developmental classic (e.g. Melanie Klein, Anna Freud, Maria Montessori or Jean Piaget), the course expands Erikson's model and enables a deeper understanding of early relational experiences, defense mechanisms, cognitive development or the meaning of the environment. The student learns to connect developmental psychological insights with logotherapeutic diagnostics and clients' life stories in the therapeutic process.
LO5:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course combines a fundamental overview of the most common psychiatric diagnoses from chapters F00–F99 (mental and behavioral disorders) in the ICD 10 classification system (supplemented with ICD 11, if necessary) with a logotherapeutic and existential understanding of psychological states. The purpose of the course is not only to acquire diagnostic categories, but also to develop the ability to understand a person living with a diagnosis, beyond symptoms and labels.
Through Elisabeth Lukas' systematic and clinically sensitive approach, the student learns to place diagnoses in a broader anthropological and existential context. Special emphasis is placed on the distinction between a clinical symptomatic picture and noogenic or existential suffering, which is often not covered by diagnostic criteria, but significantly marks the individual's inner experience.
The course develops a therapeutic stance that uses diagnostic systems as an orientation tool, not as a definitive definition of the person. Diagnosis is understood as an open process that requires respect for the client's freedom, dignity and inner responsibility, and as a starting point for logotherapeutic dialogue, not as a limit to therapeutic understanding.
LO6:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course is based on one of the lesser-known, but professionally extremely important works of Viktor E. Frankl, in which he develops logotherapy as a clinical, scientifically based and existentially oriented approach to understanding and treating mental disorders. The work represents a profound connection between psychiatry, psychopathology and logotherapeutic anthropology of man.
The focus is on Frankl's critical and at the same time constructive treatment of psychiatric diagnoses, which goes beyond the reductive understanding of symptoms and mental disorders and places them in the broader context of human freedom, responsibility and relationship to meaning. The course emphasizes the distinction between psychogenic and noogenic neuroses and develops the understanding that many forms of mental suffering are not simply an expression of pathology, but a response to existential conflicts, loss of meaning or inner disorientation.
The student becomes familiar with logotherapeutic interpretations of neuroses, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, hysterical phenomena and exhaustion and develops a therapeutic stance that places the will to meaning at the center of the clinical process as a healing and transformative factor. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the therapist as an ethically responsible companion who, even in the presence of severe symptoms, recognizes the person as a "being of possibility".
LO7:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course presents a systematic and clinically based introduction to psychopathology and psychopharmacology, based on modern medical psychiatry. It is based on the textbook Psychiatry (Pregelj et al.) or a comparable international standard (Kaplan & Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry, 12th or 13th edition). It is intended for future psychotherapists who need to understand the basic medical logic of mental illnesses in order to be able to safely, responsibly and competently collaborate with psychiatrists and other health professionals.
The course enables the understanding of mental disorders as medical categories, while maintaining a clear distinction between the role of a psychiatrist and the role of a psychotherapist. The student is introduced to the basics of psychopathological diagnostics, the course of treatment, the use of psychopharmacological drugs and clinical circumstances such as hospitalization, emergency treatment and long-term monitoring of patients.
Special emphasis is placed on ethical, communication and collaborative aspects of working in an interdisciplinary health environment. The course reinforces the awareness that the therapist does not take on the role of diagnosing or prescribing medication, but acts as a professional companion who understands the medical context of the client's condition and knows how to appropriately include it in the psychotherapeutic treatment.
LO8:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course combines the existential, spiritual and clinical dimensions of two central works by Viktor E. Frankl and introduces the student to the deepest anthropological and therapeutic vision of logotherapy. It is intended to understand the human capacity for meaning even in the most limiting and extreme life situations, such as severe suffering, illness, loss, depression, suicidality and psychotic experiences.
The course explores the understanding of the tragic triad - suffering, guilt and death - not as pathological phenomena, but as existential givens with which a person is called to a responsible and meaningful relationship. The student learns how logotherapy enters therapeutic work where purely technical or symptomatic approaches fail, and how it maintains respect for a person's inner freedom even in a state of mental disorder or psychotic reality.
Special emphasis is placed on the distinction between religiosity and spirituality and their role in the therapeutic process. The course develops a therapeutic stance that does not treat the client as an object of illness or diagnosis, but as a subject of relationship, meaning and ethical responsibility - even in the most difficult clinical situations.
LO9:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course represents a methodological foundation for the development of scientific, research and applied thinking in psychotherapy, with a special emphasis on the epistemological foundations of logotherapy and existential psychotherapy. It is intended to form a research attitude that combines professional accuracy, clinical experience and ethical responsibility.
The course introduces the student to the basic scientific paradigms and research methods in the field of psychotherapy and develops the ability to reflectively conceptualize clinical and experiential questions. Special importance is given to qualitative research approaches, which are often the most appropriate for psychotherapy, as they enable a deeper understanding of subjective experience, the therapeutic relationship and the process of finding meaning.
The course also serves as direct preparation for writing a final specialist or master's thesis, whereby the student gradually forms a draft of a research project, a research question or the
conceptual core of his final work. Science is presented not as an abstract technical apparatus, but as a responsible practice of seeking truth, based on respect for the person, the client and the profession.
LO10:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course provides the student with an in-depth and comparative insight into the classical schools of psychotherapy that have formed the foundation of modern psychotherapy. The student selects three key authors or schools (e.g. Sigmund Freud, Carl Gustav Jung, Alfred Adler, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Harry Stack Sullivan) and analyzes their fundamental theories, concepts and therapeutic methods in comparison with logotherapy.
The purpose of the course is not an eclectic collection of techniques, but rather the development of an understanding of the historical and theoretical heritage of psychotherapy and the reflection of one's own therapeutic identity. The student learns to recognize how different authors understand human motivation, personality, development, pathology and the therapeutic relationship and how these views complement or diverge with the existential logotherapeutic approach.
The course encourages critical thinking and helps to form a therapeutic orientation based on conscious choice, values and the understanding of the human being as a holistic being - physical, psychological and existential.
LO11:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course provides a fundamental introduction to clinical supervision as an indispensable component of a psychotherapist's professional development. Based on Janine M. Bernard's Fundamentals of Clinical Supervision, which is considered one of the most influential contemporary works in this field, the student is introduced to the role of the supervised therapist and the foundations of the supervisory stance.
The course emphasizes the clinical utility of supervision as a space for learning, reflection, ethical orientation, and personal maturation of the therapist. Supervision is presented not as control or evaluation, but as a relationship of trust in which therapeutic competencies, understanding of one's own internal processes, and the ability to work responsibly with clients are developed.
Special emphasis is placed on understanding power dynamics, the role of feedback, and ethical issues that arise in the supervisory relationship. The course also serves as direct preparation for entering the supervision year, in which the student begins actual therapeutic work under regular supervision.
LO12:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course provides the student with a first in-depth and structured orientation in one selected recognized psychotherapeutic direction that is not logotherapy. The student independently chooses an appropriate direction (e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy, transactional analysis, Gestalt therapy, positive psychotherapy, reality therapy, systemic therapy or another recognized direction) and processes it on the basis of basic professional and scientific literature.
The aim of the course is to broaden the student's professional horizon, develop the ability to in-depth understanding of another psychotherapeutic model and enable reflection on its fundamental assumptions about humans, health, change and the therapeutic relationship. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship of the chosen direction to existential issues such as freedom, responsibility, meaning, suffering and identity.
The course does not encourage uncritical eclecticism, but rather a conscious and reflective confrontation with a different theoretical framework. The student learns to recognize the possibilities of integration, as well as the limits of compatibility between the chosen direction and the logotherapeutic-existential approach. This begins the formation of an individual therapeutic style, which will later be deepened through clinical practice and case studies.
LO13:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course is based on Micah R. Sadigh's book The Existential Journey, which represents a deeply reflective and personally oriented work at the intersection of logotherapy, existential psychology and therapeutic ethics. The course is focused on the therapist as a person who enters the therapeutic relationship not only with professional knowledge, but also with awareness of his own existential path, limitations and responsibility.
Sadigh's work understands the therapist as a person in a process of continuous personal, spiritual and ethical maturation. The course addresses the internal challenges of the therapeutic profession, such as the tensions between omnipotence and helplessness, between professional distance and compassionate presence, and between the desire to understand and accept uncertainty. Special emphasis is placed on the therapist's ability to confront basic existential realities – suffering, transience, death, doubt and the search for meaning – first within oneself and then in relation to the client.
The course encourages the development of an authentic therapeutic presence based on emotional purity, vulnerability and integrity. The therapeutic relationship is presented as a meeting of two human paths, in which professionalism does not exclude, but rather presupposes humanity.
LO14:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course represents a continuation of the deepening and broadening of the therapeutic spectrum and builds on the work begun with the first chosen psychotherapeutic approach. The student chooses another recognized psychotherapeutic direction that is substantively and methodologically different from the one discussed in the previous semester, and conducts its in-depth theoretical, methodological and ethical reflection based on the basic professional literature.
The purpose of the course is to promote the comparative maturation of therapeutic style and the development of openness to the integration of different therapeutic approaches while maintaining a clear professional and ethical identity. The student learns to understand each direction in its own conceptual framework and to critically reflect on its assumptions about the person, health, change, the therapeutic relationship and responsibility.
Possible choices include transactional analysis, gestalt therapy, positive psychotherapy, reality therapy, systemic and family therapy, mindfulness-cognitive approaches, somatic psychotherapies (e.g. according to Peter Levin) and other psychotherapeutic directions recognized within the framework of EAP. Special emphasis is placed on clinical applicability, reflection on existential issues and conscious choice of methods according to the needs of a specific client.
The course takes place during the period of study when the student is already developing greater therapeutic maturity. This is expressed in the ability to connect one's own personal path, experiences from practice and multidimensional theoretical knowledge.
LO15, 16:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The courses LO 15 and LO 16 are based on an in-depth study of the modern basic manual of existential psychotherapy, edited by Emmy van Deurzen. It is a comprehensive and conceptually demanding work that brings together key existential movements and authors (Frankl, Längle, Yalom, van Deurzen, Spinelli, Schneider and others) and offers a broad overview of the philosophical foundations, diagnostic approaches and clinical practice of existential therapy in a contemporary context.
The courses provide the student with a comprehensive insight into the existential paradigm as a plural, dialogic and open field in which different voices, interpretations and therapeutic stances meet. Special emphasis is placed on understanding existential therapy not as a unified method, but as a fundamental therapeutic stance that responds to the ontological givens of human existence.
Due to the extensiveness and complexity of the course material, it is delivered in an extended modular time frame that allows for in-depth reflection, comparative analysis and integration of the content into the student's own therapeutic thinking and practice.
LO17:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course is the first applied course in the final part of the program and is intended to transfer fundamental logotherapeutic and existential concepts into concrete life and clinical environments. The student selects one specific target population and systematically develops and reflects on the use of the logotherapeutic approach.
The focus is on examining how the central concepts of logotherapy – the will to meaning, the role of conscience, personal responsibility, self-transcendence, the attitude towards suffering and the tragic triad – come to life in the real circumstances of the selected group. The course promotes the understanding of logotherapy as a flexible, contextually sensitive and ethically grounded therapeutic framework that adapts to concrete social, physical, psychological and existential conditions.
Possible directions include work in sports psychotherapy, with children and adolescents, the elderly and palliative care, rehabilitation (oncological, chronic or neurological patients), school counseling and work with vulnerable populations such as migrants, prisoners and victims of violence. The course is based on the integration of theoretical knowledge, the student's clinical experience and reflection on their own therapeutic stance.
LO 18:
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course represents a continuation and deepening of the applied work in logotherapy and builds on the experience gained in the course Applied Logotherapy I. The student conducts a new, independent applied study, deliberately focusing on a different target group, which is substantively and contextually different from that in the previous course.
The main purpose of the course is to develop greater clinical flexibility and the ability to adapt basic logotherapeutic concepts to different life, social and institutional frameworks. The student deepens his understanding of how the will to meaning, responsibility, attitude towards suffering, self-transcendence and the role of conscience are expressed differently depending on the age, life situation, environment and level of vulnerability of the individual or group.
The course promotes a multi-perspective understanding of the therapeutic process and strengthens the awareness that logotherapy is not a uniform scheme of interventions, but a dynamic, relational and ethically oriented approach that develops in dialogue with concrete reality. Applied work in this course often also represents a starting point for the formation of personal specialization and for further professional articulation in the final part of the study.
FINAL THESIS
The final master's specialist thesis represents the pinnacle of the student's professional, personal and existential formation process. It is a space for the synthesis of knowledge, experience and personal attitude, where the student demonstrates maturity for independent, responsible and ethical action as an existential logotherapeutic expert.
The thesis is not just an academic product, but evidence of the internal integration of theory, practice and identity of the therapist. The student is expected to go beyond the repetition of existing knowledge and create work that radiates personal reflection, clinical experience and a clear existential orientation towards meaning.
The final thesis can be designed as:
• scientific research (a theoretical-empirical thesis with a classic academic structure), or
• an applied project (development of a therapeutic or educational program, manual, curriculum, systemic intervention, evaluation, supervision model, series of workshops, etc.).
In both cases, the assignment must reflect the student's ability to think independently, create, reflect, and act ethically, while remaining faithful to the fundamental principles of logotherapy and existential analysis.
Key emphases of the final assignment:
• existential logotherapeutic foundation of research or application,
• clearly defined research or practical problem with meaningful relevance,
• connection between theory, clinical practice, and the student's personal reflection,
• critical use of scientific sources and contemporary professional insights,
• inclusion of concrete examples from practice, supervision, or the autobiographical process,
• ethical sensitivity and understanding of the boundaries of therapeutic action,
• innovation and contribution to the development of practice, profession, or education,
• awareness of the therapist's own position and responsibility towards the person, system, and meaning.
Structure – orientation framework of the final thesis:
• Problem definition and existential framework of the topic
• Theoretical foundations of logotherapy and existential analysis
• Methodological approach (research or application model)
• Analysis, treatment or implementation of the project
• Reflection on clinical experience and personal involvement
• Discussion: meaning, limitations and implications for practice
• Conclusion: synthesis of the therapist's professional and personal formation
(The structure is sensibly adapted to the nature of the research or project work.)
Requirements
• Scope: 45,000–60,000 words (or a content-equivalent structure in the case of an application project),
• Clear and consistent justification in logotherapy and existential analysis,
• Authentic personal reflection included, not just a description,
• Use of appropriate scientific methodology and professional literature,
• Integration of clinical or practical experience,
• Originality, coherence and professional academic style.
Connection with other parts of the study
The final assignment organically connects the entire study process:
• the topic often begins to take shape in the 5th semester (research methodology),
• drafts and concepts are deepened in courses 17 and 18 or specific courses for sports psychotherapy
• reflections from the supervision year, case studies or autobiographical processes are included,
• the assignment connects therapy, supervision, personal growth and professional stance into a whole.
Objectives of the final thesis
• demonstrate the ability to think independently professionally and existentially,
• demonstrate maturity in the synthesis of theory, practice and the personal attitude of the therapist,
• create work with added value for therapeutic, sports or clinical practice,
• consolidate the identity of a therapist who works out of meaning and responsibility,
• round off professional and personal formation at EQF level 7,
• form an expert who does not complete his studies with a "diploma", but with his own, reflected professional voice.
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