In Memoriam: From The Viktor Frankl Centre

Recently I received, with much sadness, the news that Jennifer Caligari, one of The Viktor Frankl Centre NI’s Logotherapy & Existential Analysis Diploma students, had passed away.

Jennifer was a young woman who used her terminal cancer diagnosis to reach out to others. She was honest, brave, compassionate, and inspirational.

Jennifer contacted me to an express an interest in the course and I was struck by her enthusiasm and practical understanding of meaning-based therapy. She sent in her application shortly thereafter and it was a privilege to invite her to join us as a student Logotherapist. She wrote to me to express what it meant to her:

‘When we spoke, Scott, I felt you saw my terminal illness as something that had provided me with experience and insight rather than a reason to consider me, less than, unreliable, or with nothing left to offer – responses I have sadly hitherto experienced.

I desperately want to be part of a community that sees people – and me – as kaleidoscopic, and through that to have continued meaning and value as my life comes to an end’.

Jennifer joined the course knowing that she would not complete it. She understood that the Diploma was, in essence, a reflection of her own philosophy, She exemplified the Psychiatrist, Holocaust Survivor and Founder of Logotherapy & Existential Analysis, Viktor Frankl's maxim, that:

“Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Jennifer did indeed choose her own way, to make a stand against a cruel illness and unchangeable fate.  She threw everything she had into setting up an online book group for the centre, and thereafter working towards launching another online group, this time exploring meaning in film.

Jennifer was passionate about bringing people together and encouraging them to talk about difficult yet deeply meaningful topics; the book group opened with ‘When Breath Becomes Air’, written by a young neurosurgeon (Dr. Paul Kalanithi) who, like Jennifer, lived with a terminal cancer diagnosis. His memoir was beautifully written, his observations profoundly moving, and despite the awfulness of his condition, the narrative was filled with hope.

Jennifer exemplified the same gifts and identified very much with Kalanithi’s worldview. Right up until a few weeks before her passing, we were working together on a seminar titled ‘Living Life with Hope: Logotherapy & The End-of-Life Journey’. It was a practical example of her desire to educate, advocate and deliver a strong message that life can be lived meaningfully in all circumstances.

Jennifer’s legacy is unique. She very much appreciated the value in sharing her journey publicly, to let others in similar circumstances know that they were not alone, and that there is hope.

To honour Jennifer's contribution, and to express our thankfulness for her life, the Viktor Frankl Centre Northern Ireland is pleased to posthumously award her the Diploma in Logotherapy and Existential Analysis.

As we do so, we are mindful that Jennifer reflected Viktor Frankl’s observation that:

'A life of short duration...could be so rich in joy and love that it could contain more meaning than a life lasting eighty years.'

Our condolences remain with Jennifer’s family, friends, and those who knew her best. May her memory be a blessing and her life an inspiration.

With gratitude,

Scott