The Courage to Suffer – Toward an Existential Positive Psychology Framework with Daryl & Sara Van Tongeren

About this Episode:

Mike speaks with Daryl and Sara Van Tongeren on their recent book The Courage to Suffer. They discuss the origins of the book in Daryl and Sara’s personal loss, what an existential positive psychology framework is and why it’s particularly helpful in our current times, and implications for counseling practice.

About Daryl and Sara:

Daryl R. Van Tongeren, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Daryl is a social psychologist and has published over 150 scholarly articles and chapters on topics such as meaning in life, religion, virtues (including forgiveness and humility), relationships, and well-being. His research has been supported by numerous grants from the John Templeton Foundation to explore topics including meaning in life, religion and religious de-identification, and humility, and his research has won national and international awards. He received a 2016 Rising Star designation from the Association for Psychological Science (APS), and he was named a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) and a Fellow of the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA). Currently, he is an associate editor for The Journal of Positive Psychology, and a consulting editor for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality and The Journal of Social Psychology.

Sara A. Showalter Van Tongeren, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in the states of Michigan and Virginia and is a graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work in Richmond, Virginia. Sara has more than twelve years of clinical social work experience in settings such as private practice, foster care, inpatient hospitals and outpatient medical clinics, interpartner violence shelters, and behavioral health. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Currently, she owns a private practice in Holland, Michigan, where she works with individuals, couples, families, and children to help them cultivate a sense of meaning and develop narratives of resilience following trauma and unexpected life events. Sara specializes in cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, existential psychotherapy, narrative therapy, brainspotting, and acceptance commitment therapy.

Links & Resources:

The Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life’s Greatest Crises

APA Citation for this Episode:

Shook, M. (Producer). (2020, May 5). EP169: The Courage to Suffer – Toward an Existential Positive Psychology Framework with Daryl & Sara Van Tongeren [Audio Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from https://wp.me/p7R6fn-Xh2.

Thanks to the Following:

Photo by Adrien Converse on Unsplash