查看文章

In the past, when individuals had questions about meaning in life, they turned to their tribe, religion or philosophy, but nowadays many see therapists. This chapter systematically reviews the evidence base for meaning-centred therapy (MCT). Thirty different MCT schools can be identified, including logotherapy, existential analysis and meaning-centred group psychotherapy. Despite a traditional reluctance to standardisation, there has been an exponential growth in research publications on MCT, possibly because fundamental clinical–aetiological assumptions underlying MCT have been empirically validated. For instance, meaning has been operationalised as motivation, values, understanding, self-worth, action-directed goals and self-regulation. Furthermore, a majority of individuals in stressful life situations have been shown to ask meaning-related questions, and focusing on meaning helps to cope with …