Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl · first published 1946 · ISBN 9780807014264
Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, reflects on his time in Nazi camps and connects his observations to a theory of human motivation. He argues that people can endure extraordinary suffering if they find meaning in their circumstances, and that the pursuit of meaning is the primary human drive.
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This slim book teaches you existential psychology and introduces logotheory, a framework that shows up repeatedly in clinical training and informs how therapists work with clients facing despair. It's also a moral anchor, reminding you why psychology matters.
Clients come to therapy searching for meaning, and you need to understand why that search matters more than symptom relief alone. Frankl teaches that meaning is what transforms suffering from crushing to bearable.