Meaning-Centered Coaching: letting our purpose come first in life

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”, Friedrich Nietsche

When Viktor Frankl returned to the devastated city of Vienna after the end of the World War II he was a broken man. Frankl, like many of those Jews who survived the Holocaust and who were spared the fate of the 6 million Jews that were murdered, was forced to endure a painful experience: only upon return home after years of unfathomable suffering did he learn for sure about the death of his dear ones. Frankl had to confront the grief and despair in hearing of the death of his young wife, his parents and brother. In a deep existential crisis, Viktor Frankl contemplated suicide. Tragically, many others did the same and in the end, took their lives.

But Viktor Frankl was no ordinary man. In his writings in which he described this dark period in his life, Frankl explained how he found renewed meaning through his work and his responsibility to share the lessons he had learned in the concentration camps. His experience of despair, and the way he found meaning in suffering, deeply informed his belief that even in the most challenging circumstances, life holds potential meaning, and that this meaning can serve as a source of hope and resilience.

In a period of just nine days during the summer of 1945, Frankl dictated a manuscript while staying in a hut at a sanitarium where he was working as a neurologist and psychiatrist. Originally written in German Viktor Frankl’s book became known as Man’s Search for Meaning, a book that became one of the most influential works of the 20th century, inspiring millions with its timeless message. While Frankl developed this approach called “Logotherapy” (healing through meaning) in the years before the War, it was his reflections on his Holocaust experience that propelled logotherapy into worldwide recognition. Frankl’s existential humanistic philosophy reflected his deep conviction to share the lessons he had learned in the concentration camps and to offer his insights on the importance of finding meaning, even in the midst of suffering.

Viktor Frankl's core message centers on the "will to meaning," asserting that the primary human drive is to find meaning in life, even amidst suffering. He posits that life's meaning can be discovered through purposeful work, deep experiences, and the attitudes we adopt toward unavoidable hardships.

“Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”— Viktor E. Frankl

My Father: the Holocaust survivor who chose life

My father and I, at 93. He passed on at the age of 96.

Together- I am around two years old.

Reunited after the war, July 1944, liberated from Partisans, in Zhetl, Belarus. My father (left), with sister Fanya and cousin, Chaim. Only surviving relatives.

In some very profound way when I first encountered Man’s Search for Meaning and Viktor Frankl I felt that I was engaging with a person and a story that was somehow already “part of me”. My father too, Max Dunetz, survived the Holocaust, miraculously being saved while his parents, siblings, grandmother and many more relatives were murdered by the Nazis and their heinous collaborators. Ever since I can remember myself, I always felt perplexed at how my father could survive such a tragedy and rise from it to create a life so rich with meaning and value for himself, his family, and all those whom he touched as an educator, journalist and community leader. In some unexplainable way for me, my father “was Viktor Frankl”, not in the words and books that Frankl wrote, but by serving as a living exemplar of “logotherapy in life”. My father was led by his purpose and the meaning he uncovered in the way he embraced hope, resilience and meaning in his life. In looking back on my own journey, which for me is till unfolding at age 65, I can now better understand my choice to take up my doctoral studies at age 61 to perform research and write a dissertation on The Reflections of children of Holocaust survivors in their second half of life on their life experience”. 

For me, as a second generation, I am aware today, more than ever, that my own existential search for meaning has been at the core of all who I have been, who I am and who I hope to be. When I say “let meaning and purpose come first”, I am talking from within myself and to you, whoever is now reading these words. The “way of meaning” is a journey of deep value and transformation and “always under construction”...

Meaning is REAL LIFE!

What drives you to get out of bed in the morning?

For many people the word “meaning” sounds distant, impractical and overly-intellectual. The term seems to conjure up highbrow, philosophical pontification, spiritual guru messages or the like. But to me the concept of meaning is “real life”- far beyond all of this- taking us into the nitty-gritty of what makes us get up in the morning?! Defining meaning is difficult, no doubt, like many fundamental  concepts in our lives such as “love”, “happiness”, “fear”, etc.

While Frankl’s work towers over all other contributors to understanding the vital importance of meaning in our lives, others have gone on to explore and expand the concept. Clinical psychologist and researcher, Michael Steger, PhD, has found that “meaning” can actually be seen as a combination of three different components:

1. Coherence

The thinking-oriented level of meaning. It is about making sense of things: does my life make sense to me?

2. Significance

The feeling-oriented level of meaning. It is about feeling that you matter and that life matters: do I appreciate my being alive and am I “seen” by the world?  

3. Purpose

The behavior-oriented level of meaning. It is about having important life goals and working to achieve them: do I have something to work for and care for, do I have a direction in my life? (Martela & Steger, 2016)

Joel Vos, PhD, an existential and clinical psychologist, philosopher and researcher conducted an expansive study on meaning in life, collecting insights from 45,000 people across 109 countries. His research highlights how individuals interpret and pursue meaning, emphasizing the diversity of experiences based on cultural, historical, and social contexts. Vos categorized meaning into six universal types: materialistic, hedonistic, self-oriented, social, larger-purpose, and existential-philosophical meanings. According to Vos, we have many sources and outlets for creating meaning, ranging from very simple materialistic needs (such as a cup of coffee in the morning, for many), to very abstract and spiritual desires such as belief in a higher power, ethics, justice, among others.

The writer/journalist and student of positive psychology, Emily Esfanjani Smith, has written in her bestseller book The Power of Meaning about how our storytelling-how we tell our stories to ourselves- influences the meaning we feel in our lives. When we shape our stories as “redemptive”, we foster growth, connection and a deeper sense of purpose in our lives.

At times the word meaning in itself is not used but the connection is there, as in the Japanese concept of ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese concept combining "iki" (life) and "gai" (worth or value), that emphasizes living a meaningful life by aligning passion, mission, vocation, and profession. It’s a deeply personal and cultural philosophy that revolves around finding joy in small daily activities and cultivating a reason to wake up each day.

Viktor Frankl: Meaning as the key to life

Viktor Frankl believed that the search for meaning is the primary motivation in human life. He argued that life has meaning under all circumstances, even in suffering, and that it is our responsibility to find that meaning rather than expecting it to be given to us. His teachings are the core of any meaning-oriented approach to therapy, coaching, teaching, among others. His ideas about meaning are seminal:

1. Life Always Has Meaning

Frankl emphasized that life is meaningful at all times, even in the face of hardship, suffering, or death. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, he wrote:

"Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose."

Even in the harsh conditions of a Nazi concentration camp, Frankl observed that those who found meaning in their suffering were more resilient and better able to endure.

2. We Are Questioned by Life

Frankl wisely flipped the common question of "What is the meaning of life?" and suggested that it is life that questions us. He wrote:

"Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked. Life asks us, and we respond by being responsible for our own existence." This concept is very central to logotherapy, which stresses that one must be responsible to one’s life, which is both an invitation and a fact, in his eyes. The concept of “conscience” as Frankl sees it, is the place where we “engage with deeper selves” in navigating life’s challenges.

3. Meaning is Individual and Unique

The meaning of life is not universal; it differs from person to person and moment to moment.

• Meaning is Universal and Individual: While Frankl believed that the search for meaning is the primary motivation in life (the will to meaning), it is unique to each person and each moment.  Even in our suffering it is our responsibility to discover it.

• Momentary Meaning: Meaning isn't only found in grand purposes—it can also emerge in everyday experiences, acts of love, or even small, seemingly mundane moments.

  
  

Frankl argued that meaning is found through three sources of meaning:

1. Work/Creativity: Doing something that contributes to the world. This often ties to one’s purpose.

   • Example: A doctor who sees their purpose in healing others and finds meaning in the daily care they provide to patients.

2. Love/Relationships: Connecting deeply with others, which can offer profound moments of meaning independent of a larger purpose.

   • Example: A parent finds meaning in a tender interaction with their child, even if their broader purpose is to raise them to be independent and kind adults.

3. Attitude in Suffering: Finding meaning in unavoidable suffering by adopting a courageous and values-driven attitude.

   • Example: Frankl himself found meaning in surviving the concentration camps by maintaining his dignity and hope, while his purpose became sharing his insights with the world.

4. The Importance of Freedom and Responsibility

Frankl highlighted the interplay between freedom and responsibility, stating that we are free to choose our attitudes and responses, even in the most restrictive circumstances. This choice gives our lives meaning.

5. Suffering as a Gateway to Meaning

Frankl believed that suffering, when unavoidable, can lead to a deeper sense of purpose. He wrote:

"If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete."

6. Meaning as the Key to Mental Health

Frankl saw a lack of meaning—what he called the "existential vacuum"—as a root cause of despair, depression, and even addiction. He believed helping people find meaning is essential for psychological and spiritual well-being.

7. Transcendence and Self-Actualization

Frankl viewed self-actualization as a byproduct of pursuing meaning. True fulfillment, he argued, comes from transcending oneself in service to a higher purpose or greater cause.

Frankl's View on Purpose and Meaning

 For Frankl, purpose is often a larger, enduring framework that helps individuals anchor their sense of meaning. He viewed purpose as the personal mission or contribution that gives direction to one’s life, which might come through creative work, relationships, or values.

While Frankl saw meaning as something we discover in the present moment—especially through attitudes, actions, and relationships—purpose can be seen as the broader "why" that guides us in the long term.

Frankl emphasized that finding meaning and purpose is a personal responsibility. He argued that individuals must respond to life's questions rather than passively expect life to provide answers.

Frankl saw meaning as the fulfillment of one’s potential within the context of life’s moments, while purpose provides a directional focus for that fulfillment. For example, a scientist might have the purpose of advancing knowledge to solve global issues, but they find meaning in the process of experimentation and discovery each day.

Frankl's Use of "Noetic"Dimension

Perhaps the most prominent innovative teaching of Frankl- and one which would put him in opposition to many other thinkers and practitioners in the area of existential and humanistic psychology- is the term "noetic" which he himself coined. It refers to the spiritual dimension of human existence—not in a religious sense, but in terms of uniquely human capacities that transcend the biological and psychological dimensions. The noetic dimension includes qualities like creativity, love, morality, conscience, and the capacity to search for meaning. It is a realm of freedom and responsibility, where individuals can make choices, exercise their will, and respond to life’s challenges.

For Frankl, the noetic was central to his concept of logotherapy, as it represented the part of a person that could not be reduced to instinct or environment. Even in dire circumstances, Frankl believed this dimension allowed individuals to maintain their dignity and choose their attitude. It's where a person's deepest sense of meaning resides. This idea aligns with his famous quote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” To seek to understand and apply the teachings of Viktor Frankl without delving into the noetic concept is to bypass the “heart” of logotherapy, in my eyes.

The word "noetic" comes from the Greek term nous, meaning mind, intellect, or spirit. In Frankl's logotherapy there is a distinction between the noetic, the psychological and physical dimensions of a human being. Frankl argued that while humans are influenced by biological and psychological factors, they are not wholly determined by them. The noetic dimension is where true freedom lies—the freedom to choose one's attitude and response to life's challenges (even under the greatest of sufferings). The noetic dimension is where individuals grapple with life’s ultimate questions and seek meaning. It's the part of us that asks, “What is the purpose of my existence?” It is also where we encounter existential values like love, beauty, and truth. We respond to life’s greatest challenges in our “noetic” dimension. It is at the heart of our deepest morality, purpose and values in our lives.

Meaning-Centered Coaching in Life (MCC): the heart of coaching for life

Until now I have expanded all about meaning and purpose, so you might ask where does the coaching part of MCC come in?

I have chosen to elaborate about meaning first, in that,  as I pointed out, it is often wrongly viewed as “abstract and philosophical”, and not what it really is: central, critical and transformative. That said, the coaching methodology is the “engine” which enables taking a deep understanding of one’s meaning and purpose and to go out and solve problems, create opportunities and “make things happen”.  I would like now to describe  how I see coaching and the immense value it offers all of us on our journeys through change and transition in our lives.

For me, coaching has transformed my life in ways that are hard to fully describe. Going to a life coach for three months at age 44 helped me extricate myself from a career path of 15 years for which I had no passion and little meaning. The coach training program that followed enabled me to connect to “who I really am”, and the last 21 years in which I have been privileged to coach hundreds of individuals have been a blessing for which I am deeply grateful.

Unfortunately, there is much about coaching that people do not correctly understand or underestimate the value of.  Life coaching is a powerful approach to establishing positive change in the world, and if society were better and more correctly informed about coaching many more people would be passionately going about improving their own lives which would have a ripple effect on society on the whole.

What is Life Coaching?

The coaching profession began as a formalized practice in the late 20th century in the US, emerging from a spectrum of fields like psychology, sports coaching, organizational development, personal and spiritual development. While there are many (perhaps too many) “niches” for coaching, a gross division can usually be drawn usually between “business coaching”, which deals with one’s career whether or not it is precisely “in business”, and “life coaching”, which deals with everything else that impacts the way one lives one life, both on the “being” side of mindset, thinking, lifestyle, and the “doing” side, that is activity and achievement oriented.

Major influences on the development of early-stage coaching were humanistic and Gestalt psychology, the Human Potential Movement, new age and spiritual traditions from Asia, among others. The focus was on helping individuals achieve growth and self-actualization. emphasizing mindset and performance. By the 1980s and 1990s, coaching gained traction in corporate settings, where it was seen as a tool to enhance leadership and employee development. Coaching grew in response to societal and workplace changes, including the demand for personal growth, the rise of collaborative leadership, and the challenges posed by globalization and technological advancements. Unlike therapy, coaching emphasized present and future goals, appealing to individuals seeking actionable support, including those who would not think to engage in psychotherapy of any kind. Its adaptability also made it valuable in emerging markets like entrepreneurship, health, and wellness.

A major distinction about coaching is that it took a “middle ground” between long-term psychodynamic therapy and “goal-oriented” management consulting. In the area of life coaching, people began to seek out coaches for support in a “non-therapeutic way” in dealing with such diverse needs as better decision-making and planning, overcoming fear of change, increasing well-being in relationships and pursuing one’s passion, in whatever area that may be in, among others. Coaching continues to expand as a new and practical paradigm, addressing diverse needs such as resilience, grief, and hope, while maintaining its focus on empowering individuals to unlock their potential.

There have always been “life coaches” in the world, of course, they didn’t call themselves as such, no one studied “that field”, but their value was always solid, vital and often transformational. Today,  the need may be greater and more acute than ever. We are living in a world of increasing complexity, confusion, loneliness and conflict, which all invite us to take heed to what is REALLY important to us and what we can and should let go of. It is a world that challenges our values, upsets our balance, trespasses our boundaries and often forgets how and when to support us when the going gets rough and overwhelming.

Who doesn’t need at times- or perhaps all throughout- a person who is fit, trained and experienced to:

Ø  Listen discretely and without judgement

Ø  Ask the questions that will challenge us and invite curiosity and creativity

Ø  Help us with our never-ending decisions in life

Ø  Be there to help us set goals, plans and accountability

Ø  Support us when we fall and brainstorm as we move forward

Ø  Stand with us we when we are facing life and adversity

Ø  Brainstorm with us when we lack clarity

Ø  Celebrate our wins and come back after our losses

A professional life coach is a person who brings with him/her:

Ø  Life experience, skills, education, “intelligence for life”  and the ability to learn

Ø  A high level of empathy and a personality which expresses authentic caring

Ø  Professional experience as a huge resource well for the benefit of others

Ø  A deep respect and willingness to stress process and not just  quick solutions

So often in life we find ourselves having to respond to life, to make difficult decisions and to initiate and persevere challenging changes:  Who doesn’t do better when they are not alone, but supported and encouraged ? A life coach is there to listen to us deeply and suggest our blind-spots, see new perspectives and help us sort threw the “muddle” that comes upon us every so often? The coaching relationship is there to address situations in which we may feel we lack confidence, it is the coach who will act as our non-judgemental “thinking and listening partner” to help us reclaim our  excitement and passion for what calls to us.

The Life Coach in our lives has a very definitive role to play, to put it simply.  It is only for us to decide when the timing is right and who that person is that we invite to “team up” with us for this next leg of the journey, to navigate the way to the next level. We are not meant to do it all alone in life, we never were.

The Coaching field: not without challenges

The coaching profession, however, is not without its problems and challenges.  A low barrier to entry has flooded the market in many ways, bringing supposed life or business coaches to over-represent themselves with little or insufficient training and experience. At times certain life coaches have gone beyond the boundaries of the profession in engaging with clients who suffer from psychological and psychiatric conditions. The deregulated ecosystem of coaching has confused would be clients into not being able to rely upon finding reputable coaches, which has in some cases led to a devalued estimation of the benefit of hiring on coaches. Most of the criticism of life coaching stems from this challenge. There is much to remedy in this situation.

That said, one should not throw out the “baby with the bathwater” as the saying goes, since the creation of a professional, reputable and suitable coach- coachee relationship has the potential to transform one’s life, career and decision-making process. We need more coaches, not fewer, but we need them to be well-trained, experienced, curious, creative, empowering, compassionate with superb interpersonal skills, and a full tool-box of wisdom from their journey in life!

What is Meaning-Centered Coaching(MCC)?

The Heart of Life Coaching is found in the will to meaning

Meaning-Centered Coaching (MCC), is all about bringing your purpose, values, authentic personality and aspirations into alignment with who you are, what you want to do in your life and what drives you forward with passion when you get up in the morning?! It is both a profound and practical approach to bridging gaps, solving problems and creating opportunities on our paths in life. “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how,” Friedrich Nietzsche.

My personal journey with Meaning-Centered Coaching(MCC)

I have come to develop Meaning-Centered Coaching after thousands of hours of coaching and years of life experience. I did not call it this, not because it was not present in my work and coaching relationships per se, but I did it more intuitively in the coaching process. It was only after years of experience and studying existential psychology, logotherapy, sage-ing (“conscious aging) and undergoing some family challenges in recent years, did I really hone in that element that was ever-present in all situations- a search for meaning. It was rarely called that, but now I feel I can sense how this was present and “calling” to both my clients and to myself.

My life has very much been characterized by such a “search for meaning”, taking me through different living experiences, careers, cultures and choices. It was often there “underneath” the dilemmas I was facing, the decisions I was making and the plans I was putting together. In most cases I did not have a life coach of sorts to help me through the muddle- I wish I had had that. It was only when I delved deeply into my doctoral research in Wisdom Studies did the message fully solidify for me.

In my doctoral dissertation process in Wisdom Studies I interviewed 41 children of Holocaust survivors in their second half of life from 11 countries, exploring how the Holocaust experience of their parents impacted their lives and who they came to be in the world. The process for me was as deeply soul-searching as it was enlightening, in that it was- and still is- my journey as well. I observed that what many of the cohort seemed to be pointing to was some type of existential search for meaning, manifested in diverse ways and forms. For them, as for myself, the horrific trauma of their parents could be felt in ripples throughout their lives. For some these ripples were frightening and debilitating at times, for others they came to provide resilience, purpose and deep appreciation for their very existence and life itself.  A large percentage of those who interviewed with me spoke of engaging in a large diversity of “legacy projects”- family history, language preservation, art, writing, volunteer projects, spiritual seeking, to name a few.

Finally, I would say that in life meaning and purpose are very much related to “hope”, the type of hope that does not only stay in the realm of “wishing for good results”, but that which sees life as requiring motivated action and taking responsibility in whatever situation we may be in.

In the words of Viktor Frankl, “What is life asking of us?”, in this moment, at this time and place in our live is the most fundamental question of Meaning-Centered Coaching.

Examples, please…

I realize that for some readers the words of this article may remain “abstract” and require some type of grounding to make it accessible and compelling. I would like to provide some examples to help to bring more tangible clarity as such to Meaning-Centered Coaching.

Life Transition: Retirement- what is that?

Putting meaning and purpose first is not, as mentioned, an exercise in intellectual gymnastics but a central factor in navigating life’s changes and transitions. Several client examples can help illuminate this point (names have been changed to maintain confidentiality):

Avi, a man in his late sixties, found himself parting way from his 3 partners in their long-standing accounting firm. The partners were together for more than 30 years. Even though the breakup was done amicably, Avi was deeply hurt, at a loss to find his way. Adhering to exploration of the path of “looking for his purpose” brought him into redesigning his life. He created a healthy lifestyle which brought him into deeper and more significant contact with his family members- who seemed to have gotten used to him being somewhat of an “outsider” in the more intricate parts of their family life.

Fred retired early at 60 with full financial benefits from this employer. In fact, money was never a problem for Fred as he had inherited a large sum of money and real estate. What was lacking for Fred was purpose, now that he did not have to report to work every day, what would bring meaning to his life? Fred was very focused on what to do, and the work of finding his sources of meaning led him into areas of life in which his “doing” would be of value to others, as a volunteer, an investor/donor and a mentor.

Beth, at 78, was feeling that life had taken out the rug from under her feet. Always an active person working in management positions in both profit and non-profit companies, she now felt deeply alone and not knowing how to steer her life. Beth had lost her husband more than twenty years earlier, she never remarried but poured her love and concern into her three children, and later, grandchildren. But over the years, one by one, her children left Israel where Beth is living, so that now she had become “really alone”, as she put it. For Beth, our work in pursuing her “meaning search” took us into unique legacy work, into the stories of her parents, Holocaust survivors, and to her own life.

Personal/family challenges and crisis

All of us- at all ages, but especially in mid-age- will need to contend at some time with personal challenges and crisis events. Meaning-Centered Coaching can be a very effective container to support and grow through these events:

Carlolyn (50) came to coaching when she felt that life had given her “too many blows at one time”, as divorce proceedings with her soon to be ex-husband had become ugly and painful. An empty-nester, who had come through battling cancer just a few years earlier, Carolyn looked for what was “really important” in her life and build her future from there. Eric (55), was totally devoted to a frantic lifestyle before succumbing to heart surgery that eventually led to his leaving his job and many of his previous social circles. Prior to his heart attack, Eric hardly rested a moment, every “time opening” was filled…now, he felt that it was time to build a more holistic lifestyle, driven by a private consulting business, less strenuous sports and more time to devote to his hobbies, music and intellectual pursuits.

Grief is part of life, but when it hits us when we are least expecting it then things can come crumbling down. Orna and Keren, two middle-aged women, found that when trauma hit their families it was time to stop, take a break and take a “bird’s-eye view” of their lives. Both women had lost children to terror and war,  amidst the heart-wrenching grief that came upon them they eventually began to look at where they would draw meaning from what “life was asking of them”. Slowly but surely they found that in actually helping others in need were they able to find a sense of purpose, despite the “huge whole in their soul” that would now be part of their lives. The concept of Post-traumatic growth (PTG) should be noted here in that it refers to the positive psychological changes that individuals may experience as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances or traumatic events. PTG doesn't imply that trauma is desirable or that everyone who experiences trauma will undergo growth. However, quality MCC can profoundly contribute to an individual’s pursuit of PTG.

MCC: Also for younger adults

Meaning-Centered Coaching is by no means just for people in later life. Young people in their 20’s and early 30’s are often in transition, trying to balance the demands of a new career, relationships, putting down family roots and finding their own unique voice amidst all of this. Josh, Natalie, Bob and Susan were all in their late twenties and early thirties when they came to explore some or all of these issues. Josh and Natalie had studied and qualified as lawyers but then found that there was no passion in this for them. Bob and Susan wanted to be self-employed and work in alternative medicine, but needed to leave well-paying jobs in the tech world and to navigate both how to “tell the new story” and deal with the incessant “FOMO”- Fear of Missing Out- feeling of leaving secure-income for uncertain paths. Looking deeply into their meaning, purpose and vision or their lives facilitated making the transitions they aspired to.

MCC is not a panacea for all things in life and should never be portrayed as such. It offers an authentic exploration of what drives us from within and with this clearly identified and supported the path forward will both have a “heart” and a plan that will help us be what we are meant to be at any given time in our lives.

How does MCC work and how long?

MCC is very approachable and open to people and amenable to people who desire support but cannot afford to pay for longer processes.  Depending on the nature of the question to be explored, MCC is an approach that can be effective in as little as one session as well as constituting the basis of deeper and more complex work for months and even years.

What goes on in any given session of MCC is hard to pin down, as the process is inherently dynamic and suited to fit the client and his/her needs at the time. The following will likely characterize a typical session of MCC with me:

·        Initial meeting or “intake” in which we will explore your “call for meaning” in your life.  In the intake session we are likely to make use of  unique

additional tools such as “The Wheel of Meaning” and “Questions on purpose.”

·        Deep listening for where the you (the client) may be “speaking from”, listening for what is called “logo-cues”, things that appear in our conversation that may “hint at” where your personal meaning and purpose lie for you at this particular time.

·        Logotherapy is known for its “Socratic questioning”, a method involving guided questioning that encourages clients to reflect deeply on their beliefs, values, and life purposes.

·        Where suitable and helpful, we might include some reflective writing or exercises, mindfulness, or other type of approach to assist in our exploration of your inquiry into the meaning that is “calling out” to you at this time.

·        At the end of our session (which is a full hour and may even extend to 75 minutes at times), it is likely that you will take with you a question, an action-item or an insight to pursue until our follow-up session.

·        In order to support the success of your MCC process, I encourage you to update me in between sessions or briefly consult we me as needed (at no extra charge). This to me is part of the DNA of Meaning-Centered Coaching.

Summary and Next Steps

Meaning-Centered Coaching (MCC) is a process and framework that is bolstered by the depth, inspiration and practicality of focusing on meaning and allowing the platform of life coaching to support and empower us in navigating the challenges and calling of our individual lives. It can be applied “across the board” as it cuts to the core of what drives us forward in life: What makes our lives worth living? How can we approach challenges with courage, purpose in seeking our goals? What would living more aligned with our deepest values look like and how can this support us in the challenges that lay before us?

https://quotefancy.com/quote/927196/Viktor-E-Frankl-The-meaning-of-my-life-is-to-help-others-find-meaning-in-theirs

Contact Ronnie for a Free short consultation by phone of 20-30 minutes

Martela, F., & Steger, M. F. (2016). The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance. Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(5), 531-545.

Vos, J. (2018). Meaning in life: An evidence-based handbook for practitioners. Bloomsbury Publishing.