Viktor Frankl Centre NI Update
This year has already flown by and there have been some significant events in the life of the Viktor Frankl Centre NI. As I write this, in two weeks time we will welcome our new Diploma in Logotherapy and Existential Analysis students.
Teaching
There will be 5 students in training as we reach the end of 2026. Our numbers are small, but that allows us to work intensively together and to develop a depth of working relationship that is just not possible with large numbers. Their backgrounds are diverse: a former paediatric nurse (now an advocate/pastoral carer), a psychodynamic psychotherapist, a narrative therapist, a trauma therapist, and a medical doctor. The course is international in composition too, with students residing in the UK, Iran, Germany and Czechia.
I am currently supervising one thesis for the Diploma in Logotherapy & Existential Analysis course, titled ‘Meaning in Matrescence: An Autobiographical Exploration of the Transition to Motherhood through a Logotherapeutic Lens’.
As well as continuing to teach basic elements of Logotherapy at University level, the work of the Centre also involved writing, formulating and delivering an entirely new course - the ‘Diploma in Logotherapy & Existential Analysis Clinical Supervision’ - to senior Psychologists, Psychotherapists, and Academics working in Ukraine. This was the first course of its kind worldwide with a focus on conflict and post-conflict practice.
This course was Accredited by the Viktor Frankl Centre Northern Ireland and was delivered in conjunction with two further professional organisations – The Ukrainian Association of Logotherapy & Existential Analysis and the Viktor Frankl Ukrainian Institute.
The titles of the theses I've supervised to date are as follows:
An analytical autoethnographic work with recently qualified Logotherapists in wartime conditions.
Logotherapeutic supervision as a space for restoring meaning in the work of a psychotherapist.
Integration of Logotherapy principles in the practice of clinical supervision.
Understanding supervisory relations as a form of working alliance in an existential-oriented approach.
Supervisory support for specialists working with clients with oncological disease: a logotherapeutic approach.
A trauma-informed approach as a necessary component of supervision in logotherapy and existential analysis.
The influence of logotherapy supervision on the professional perspectives of logotherapists: transitioning from symptomocentric to existential-semantic.
Supervision in logotherapy and existential analysis: a space for personal and professional transformation.
‘Logovision’ as a model of collegiate volunteer psychologists support in war: the Ukrainian experience.
The evaluative role in supervision: a theoretical and empirical study.
A Sample of Student Feedback:
It’s sad that the training is over! You (Scott) are an incredible teacher, specialist and just a wonderful person. I am sincerely grateful to you for all the knowledge that you have passed on to us during the course.
A wonderful, competent teacher and a very good person! I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to be a student of Scott. Time flew by quickly, but for me these meetings were useful and filled with insight. I take much valuable practical experience with me.
The main thing a (clinical supervision) student needs is a personal example. The whole course is practice; the main thing was to observe the facilitator (Scott). On each module he demonstrated what it is to be a supervisor through case studies, discussions, examples, and practice.
Your lectures are not about ‘delivering material’. They are about love, respect, sensitivity, and a belief in life. The value of this experience is conveyed through your attitude, your kindness, and your sincere respect for your students, through your ability to see our potential and to support our readiness to respond to challenges and to act. This is the kind of learning that leaves a mark, not only in knowledge, but in the person.
I really liked the course: it was interesting, interactive, and original. My expectations were 100% met.
I want to express my deep gratitude for the opportunity to learn from you (Scott) in supervision education. You open doors to perspectives that were previously inaccessible to both me and my colleagues, and seeing their dedication to learning gives me immense joy.
Other Work
The online Viktor Frankl Centre Summer Seminar Series 2026 draws to a close at the end of the week, with public lectures delivered on topics including 'Understanding Narcissism', 'Dream Analysis', 'Living Well With Bipolar Disorder', and finally, 'The Meaning of Love'.
The Future?
The core of the work of the Centre will remain training and public education. The Clinical Supervision Diploma course will be offered worldwide in September 2027 and there will be further courses developed according to demand.
Further work overseas is likely with a view to expanding Logotherapy learning opportunities - watch this space for details!
Finally...
We run on a tiny budget and rely on the goodwill of our Honorary Lecturers - Colin, Somayeh, Chantale, Paul, and Vedrana - to offer learning opportunities at affordable prices and to as wide a group as possible.
I am grateful to everyone who assists in our mission and look forward to developing further meaningful alliances in the months ahead.
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