A Tribute to Irmeli Ivalo Sjølie

Irmeli Ivalo Sjølie of Helsinki, Finland, known at the godmother of Logotherapy, transitioned into eternity November 27, 2021.  To quote Dr. Alexander Batthyany, “She was the epitome of European elegance, education, style and individuality which is becoming increasingly rare these days. And wit!”  To the Logotherapy community, she was our mentor, our patron, and most importantly our friend.  Anyone who encountered her was truly blessed by her spirit.

Although it is impossible to list all the contributions Irmeli gave to the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy, she was the guiding force in the standardization of the curriculum of the Institute.  Under her patronage, the VFIL curriculum was revised. In the year 2000, a committee was formed to update the curriculum. The new curriculum was completed in 2004 and presented to the Board of Directors and the members at the 2005 World Congress. 

 Perhaps the best tribute to Irmeli was the dedication in the course, Meaning- Centered Interventions:

To our benefactress,

Irmeli Ivalo Sjolie,

whose indomitable spirit,

generosity, and

warm hospitality

brought this project into being.

The memorial service will be held 14 December at 3pm (Finnish time) and will be live streamed on youtube