"It is not freedom from conditions, but it is freedom to take a stand toward the conditions." (Viktor Frankl)

The physican and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl (1905 - 1997) founded the so called Third Vienna School of Psychotherapy. Frankl considered Existential Analysis as an expansion of Freud's instinctive drive theory ("Triebtheorie"). He stressed that human beings are not the product of their psyche and their early childhood imprinting but that they always have the freedom to take a stand against their drives and physical needs and to react to them according to their free will.

Alfried Längle developed Frankl's theory into a full-fledged school of psychotherapeutic treatment. The goal of existential analysis is to aid a person to mentally and emotionally free experiences, to taking an authentic, independent and self-reliant stand towards their life. Existence means a living a meaningful and responsible life led in freedom and in a dialog with the world. Existence is successful if a person lives their life with inner affirmation - a life they can fully embrace. 

Existential psychotherapy gives guidance in creating the condition for a meaningful life. These conditions for a successful and felicitious life are:

1. I have enough support, protection and space in my life. I have the general feeling of stability and standing on firm ground. I am able to live.
2. I connect with the things that are important to me. I allow closeness and I take the time to allow myself to be touched by whoever or whatever is dear to me. I have access to my emotions. I like to live.
3. I live my life according to my own decision that I make freely and authentically. I live the life I want to lead. I am allowed to be myself.
4. I have my duties in the world that I do with joy. I live the life I find meaningful and fullfilling both in my personal and my professional life. I experience being part of a bigger context. I know what I live for.