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Born September 15,1938 in Americus, Georgia, she earned her degree in Rehabilitation Nursing, later earning her PhD in Nursing with a major in Community Mental Health Nursing and Nursing Education Administration. It was during her doctoral studies that she was introduced to the work of Dr. Viktor Frankl.
As a part of the first generation of logotherapists in the United States, she was actively involved in furthering logotherapy research, especially in the field of nursing. Her many contributions include development of the Meaning in Suffering Test, as well as numerous scholarly articles utilizing logotherapy concepts with those who were chronically ill and care-dependent individuals. Most recently, she was recognized for her work on the history of nursing during the holocaust. She was honored May 12, 2023 at the United Nations by the Nurses with a Global Impact for her work in producing “Caring Corrupted: The Killing Nurses of the Third Reich.” Available for free on YouTube, currently it has been seen by over six million viewers.
In the summer of 1996, Dr. Viktor Frankl telephoned Drs. Robert and Dorothy Barnes and said, “Come soon or we will have to postpone our reunion until we are together in heaven someday.” With an extended weekend for the Fourth of July in between the first and second semesters of summer school at HSU, Drs. Dorothy and Robert Barnes flew to Vienna to be with their beloved mentor, Prof. Viktor Frankl and his dear wife, Elly. During the extended weekend, Drs. Dorothy and Robert Barnes visited one of Dr. Frankl’s most prominent, former students, Dr. Elizabeth Lukas in her home in Munich, Germany. It was only 14 months later that Viktor Frankl transitioned into “heaven”.
On April 20, 2022, The Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy lost an honored colleague and friend with the death of Dr. Steven M. Southwick. He was a lifetime member of our institute and active member of our board of directors. In 2019, Dr. Southwick was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award in grateful recognition of his promoting internationally the work of Viktor E. Frankl, MD, PhD. Even during his illness, Dr. Southwick was participating in Institute board meetings as recently as this past February. He was key-note speaker at the Twenty-second World Congress of Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy held in Dallas, Texas.
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.
28 years ago, in a private conversation with Dr. Viktor Frankl, Dr. Barnes pledged that he would do all he could to further the work of Logotherapy with the remainder of his life. Having served faithfully as the President of the Institute for 28 years, and leading efforts for 14 World Congresses, Dr. Barnes kept his word, and people around the globe have benefitted. Up until his last conscious breath, he was concerned with the business of the Institute.