Services


Welcome to a space where your unique journey toward healing and growth is honored. I offer evidence-based, client-centered services designed to help you navigate life’s challenges and discover deeper meaning and fulfillment.

A unique approach for each unique person: Every person’s journey toward healing and flourishing is unique, which is why I combine multiple evidence-based psychological approaches rather than relying on a single method. My integrative practice draws on decades of research in psychological therapies, enabling me to offer personalized care tailored to your specific needs, goals, and circumstances. Our relationship forms the foundation of our work together – creating a space where you feel genuinely safe and understood is essential for meaningful exploration and lasting change.

Grounded in research evidence: My approach combines decades of clinical experience with ongoing research in psychological therapies, philosophy, politics, social justice, and social change, ensuring that your treatment is both personally meaningful and scientifically grounded. As a senior lecturer and researcher, I stay current with the latest developments in therapeutic practice while maintaining deep respect for the wisdom that emerges from the therapeutic relationship itself.

Authentic, safe, and relational: What makes my practice unique is the integration of academic rigor with genuine human connection. I don’t simply apply techniques; I work collaboratively with you to understand which approaches resonate most deeply with your particular situation and personality. This client-led approach means that you remain the expert on your own experience while I provide the framework and tools for exploration and change. My research background allows me to draw from the most current evidence about what works in therapy while adapting these approaches to your individual needs. This combination of scientific knowledge and clinical artistry creates space for both immediate symptom relief and deeper, lasting transformation.

When life feels overwhelming or directionless, finding your authentic sense of meaning in life becomes essential for your well-being. My meaning-centered approach is grounded in extensive research and clinical evidence, including the most extensive reviews ever conducted on meaning in life within therapeutic contexts. This isn’t theoretical work – it’s practical, research-backed guidance that helps you discover what truly matters.

Perhaps you’re successful by external measures but feel empty inside. Maybe you’re facing a health diagnosis that’s shifted your entire perspective. Or you might be at a career crossroads, unsure which direction aligns with your deeper values. These moments of questioning aren’t problems to fix quickly – they’re opportunities for profound growth and clarity.

The Science Behind Meaning-Making

My published research demonstrates that clients achieve the best outcomes when we systematically address meaning in life rather than hoping it emerges naturally. This involves carefully exploring all possible sources of meaning available to you, then focusing on developing at least 5 or 6 distinct meanings that feel authentic and achievable.

The process honors both your rational mind and your deeper wisdom. We combine attention to gut feelings and bodily intuition with practical, down-to-earth thinking. This integration ensures that your chosen meanings aren’t just inspiring ideas but realistic directions you can actually pursue given your current life circumstances.

Specialized Support for Life’s Challenges

Professional existential crisis support becomes essential during certain life phases:

  • Health Challenges: Cancer, heart conditions, chronic pain, or other physical limitations that force you to reconsider priorities
  • Career Transitions: Feeling trapped in unfulfilling work or uncertain about professional direction
  • Life Stages: Midlife questioning, retirement planning, or young adults establishing their identity
  • Existential Moments: Times when life’s fragility or uncertainty becomes overwhelming

Service Formats Designed for Your Needs

Meaning-Centered Therapy: Individual sessions where we dive deep into your personal meaning-making patterns, exploring what has given your life purpose in the past and what might in the future.

Life Meaning Coaching: Goal-oriented work focused on translating your discovered meanings into concrete life changes and decisions.

Group Workshops: Shared exploration with others facing similar questions, providing both individual insight and community support.

Professional Training: For those who want to develop meaning-making skills they can use independently or share with others in their professional roles.

A Collaborative Discovery Process

This work requires your active participation. While I bring research expertise and proven frameworks, you bring the most important element: your own inner knowing about what feels authentic and meaningful. My role is to guide you through systematic exploration, showing you options and resources while you determine what truly resonates.

This approach respects that meaning is deeply personal and cannot be prescribed from outside. Through our work together, you’ll develop confidence in your own meaning-making abilities, creating a foundation for navigating future challenges with greater clarity and direction.

Existential therapy explores fundamental questions about existence, freedom, and personal responsibility, helping you develop an authentic relationship with yourself and your choices. This approach acknowledges that anxiety and depression often arise from our confrontation with life’s ultimate concerns: death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness.

Rather than pathologizing these concerns, existential therapy views them as natural aspects of human consciousness that, when explored thoughtfully, can lead to greater authenticity and vitality. We examine how you relate to your freedom to choose, your responsibility for creating your life, and your capacity to find meaning even in uncertainty.

This approach is particularly valuable for individuals questioning their identity, facing major life decisions, or struggling with feelings of emptiness or disconnection. Through existential exploration, many clients discover a renewed sense of agency and purpose, along with greater tolerance for life’s inherent uncertainties.

CBT therapy and Cognitive Schema Therapy provide practical tools for identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. This evidence-based approach recognizes the interconnection between thoughts, feelings, and actions, offering concrete strategies for breaking cycles of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.

In our work together, we’ll identify specific thinking patterns that may be maintaining your difficulties and develop alternative ways of interpreting situations. CBT therapy includes behavioral experiments, homework assignments, and skill-building exercises that you can apply in your daily life. This approach is particularly effective for anxiety disorders, depression, and trauma-related symptoms.

What makes CBT therapy unique in an integrative approach is how it combines with other modalities to address both symptoms and deeper existential concerns. While CBT provides immediate coping tools, other therapeutic approaches help you understand the broader context of your experiences and develop lasting resilience.

Trauma therapy creates a safe space for processing difficult experiences and building resilience, recognizing that trauma affects not just our minds but our entire nervous system. This approach emphasizes safety, stabilization, and gradual integration of traumatic experiences rather than re-traumatization through premature exposure.

We begin by developing your capacity for self-regulation and emotional safety before exploring traumatic memories. This might include somatic techniques, grounding exercises, and building your window of tolerance for difficult emotions. The goal isn’t to eliminate all traces of trauma but to help you develop a different relationship with your experiences.

Trauma therapy recognizes that healing happens in relationship and that the therapeutic connection itself can be reparative. Whether you’re dealing with single-incident trauma, complex developmental trauma, or ongoing stress responses, we work at a pace that honors your nervous system’s capacity for integration and growth.

Compassion-focused therapy develops self-compassion and emotional regulation skills, particularly for individuals who struggle with self-criticism, shame, or trauma responses. This approach recognizes that many psychological difficulties stem from an overactive threat system and an underdeveloped capacity for self-soothing and care.

Through compassion-focused therapy, we work to balance your emotional systems, developing your ability to offer yourself the same kindness you would give a good friend. This includes mindfulness practices, breathing techniques, and imagery exercises designed to activate your body’s natural soothing systems.

This approach is especially valuable for individuals with trauma histories, those who experienced critical or neglectful caregiving, or anyone who struggles with perfectionism and self-judgment. Many clients find that developing self-compassion creates the emotional safety needed to explore deeper issues and make lasting changes.

Transactional Analysis provides a framework for understanding how past experiences shape current relationship patterns and communication styles. This approach examines the different “ego states” we operate from – Parent, Adult, and Child – and how these influence our interactions with others.

Through Transactional Analysis, we explore your “life script” – the unconscious plan you developed in childhood about how life works and your place in it. Many clients find this approach illuminating for understanding recurring relationship difficulties, workplace conflicts, or patterns of self-sabotage.

This method is particularly valuable for individuals who want to improve their relationships, develop better boundaries, or understand why they keep finding themselves in similar situations. By becoming aware of these patterns, you gain the freedom to choose more conscious responses rather than automatically repeating old scripts.

Understanding yourself is the first step toward meaningful change. My psychological assessment services provide detailed insights into mental health concerns, personality patterns, burnout levels, career direction, and life meaning. These assessments help identify your unique strengths and areas for growth, creating a foundation for targeted therapeutic work.

Whether you’re facing career transitions, seeking to understand recurring patterns, or exploring your authentic self, these assessments offer clarity and direction. The process is collaborative, with results presented in an accessible way that empowers your decision-making. The assessment is tailored to your goals. I have the highest accreditation in psychological assessment, recognised by professional bodies; I have developed various questionnaires, and have been training many psychologists and therapists in how to conduct assessments..

Who This Helps:

  • Anyone wanting clarity about their mental health and wellbeing
  • Individuals who have had multiple therapies without much success
  • Individuals at turning points in their life, such as searching for a job, study, quarterlife crisis, deciding to get children, midlife crisis, retirement
  • Individuals facing physical and/or mental helath limitations, particularly those wondering how to live a meaningful and satisfying life despite life’s inevitable limitations and challenges
  • Individuals experiencing burnout or career change
  • People seeking deeper self-understanding
  • Those wondering ‘Is this it?’ in life: lack of life satisfaction, fulfilment, crisis, etc.

The journey toward healing and resolution often benefits from the wisdom of community and the guidance of neutral facilitation. My services in group therapy and professional mediation draw from specialized training in both fields, offering clients multiple pathways to growth, understanding, and conflict resolution.

Specialized Training in Group Dynamics

My background as a trained group therapist encompasses deep understanding of how therapeutic groups function, develop, and create healing environments. This training includes expertise in group formation, managing challenging dynamics, facilitating meaningful interactions, and ensuring psychological safety for all participants.

The skills developed through group therapy training extend beyond traditional therapeutic settings, informing my approach to any situation where multiple people need to work together constructively. Understanding group processes, power dynamics, and communication patterns proves invaluable across various contexts.

Formal Mediation Recognition and Training

My ongoing training toward formal recognition as a professional mediator adds another dimension to my practice. This specialized education focuses on neutral facilitation, conflict analysis, communication enhancement, and collaborative problem-solving techniques.

Mediation training emphasizes creating structured processes where conflicting parties can express their perspectives, understand each other’s needs, and work toward mutually beneficial solutions. This approach proves particularly valuable when relationships need preservation alongside conflict resolution.

Group Therapy: Healing Through Connection

Group therapy sessions provide unique therapeutic benefits that individual work cannot offer. Participants gain perspective through shared experiences, develop interpersonal skills in real-time, and receive support from peers who understand their challenges firsthand.

The group setting allows exploration of relationship patterns, communication styles, and social anxieties within a supportive, professionally guided environment. Many clients find that witnessing others’ growth journeys inspires their own progress while reducing feelings of isolation and shame.

Groups can focus on specific themes such as anxiety management, grief processing, life transitions, or general personal development, depending on participants’ needs and goals.

Professional Mediation for Constructive Resolution

Mediation offers an alternative to adversarial conflict resolution, focusing instead on collaborative problem-solving and mutual understanding. As a trained mediator, I facilitate conversations between conflicting parties, helping them communicate more effectively and identify solutions that address everyone’s core concerns.

This approach proves valuable for workplace disputes, family conflicts, business disagreements, and community issues where maintaining relationships matters as much as resolving immediate problems. The mediation process emphasizes confidentiality, neutrality, and voluntary participation.

Synergy Between Group Work and Mediation

The combination of group therapy and mediation expertise creates unique advantages. Group facilitation skills enhance mediation by providing deeper understanding of interpersonal dynamics, while mediation techniques strengthen group therapy through improved conflict navigation and communication facilitation.

This integrated approach proves particularly valuable when working with couples, families, or teams where both therapeutic growth and conflict resolution are needed.

Contact me to explore how group therapy or mediation services might address your specific situation and goals.

Modern businesses face an unprecedented challenge: employees are increasingly seeking meaningful work, customers are choosing purpose-driven brands, and organizations without clear values struggle to attract and retain talent. Whether you’re launching a startup or leading an established corporation, integrating meaning into your business strategy isn’t just ethical—it’s essential for sustainable success.

The Challenge Facing Today’s Organizations

Many businesses operate without a clear sense of purpose beyond profit generation. This approach leads to disengaged employees, high turnover rates, and difficulty differentiating in competitive markets. Research consistently shows that organizations lacking meaningful direction struggle with employee retention, customer loyalty, and long-term sustainability. Small and medium enterprises often lack the frameworks to build meaning into their operations from the start, while larger companies find themselves needing to transform established cultures that may have lost their original purpose.

Evidence-Based Solutions for Meaningful Business Transformation

My business consultancy approach draws directly from extensive research documented in “The Economics of Meaning in Life,” combined with practical experience advising companies across various industries. This isn’t theoretical work—it’s proven methodology that helps organizations integrate authentic purpose into their operations, culture, and strategic planning.

For beginning SMEs, I help establish meaning-oriented foundations from the ground up. This includes developing purpose statements that genuinely reflect your values, creating hiring practices that attract purpose-driven employees, and building operational systems that reinforce your organizational meaning. Early-stage companies have the advantage of embedding meaning into their DNA before habits and cultures become entrenched.

Larger organizations require a different approach focused on cultural transformation and strategic realignment. I work with leadership teams to rediscover or redefine their organizational purpose, then develop systematic approaches for communicating and implementing this meaning throughout all levels of the company. This process often involves restructuring decision-making processes, revising performance metrics, and creating new pathways for employee engagement and development.

Measurable Benefits of Meaning-Oriented Business Practices

Organizations that successfully integrate meaning into their operations experience significant competitive advantages. Employee engagement scores typically increase by 20-30%, while turnover rates often decrease by similar margins. Companies report improved customer loyalty, enhanced brand reputation, and increased resilience during challenging periods. Perhaps most importantly, meaning-driven organizations tend to achieve more sustainable long-term growth because their strategies align with deeper human values and societal needs.

The financial benefits extend beyond employee satisfaction. Purpose-driven companies often command premium pricing, attract higher-quality partnerships, and find it easier to navigate regulatory environments. They also tend to be more innovative because employees feel personally invested in the organization’s success and are more willing to contribute creative solutions.

Tailored Approaches for Different Organizational Needs

My consultancy recognizes that meaning-oriented transformation looks different for every organization. A tech startup might focus on how their product improves users’ lives, while a manufacturing company might emphasize their role in supporting local communities. The key is identifying authentic sources of meaning that align with your business model and stakeholder needs.

For SMEs, the process often involves clarifying the founder’s original vision and translating that into scalable business practices. We develop frameworks for maintaining meaning as the company grows, ensuring that purpose doesn’t get lost in the pursuit of expansion.

Larger companies typically require more complex change management strategies. I work with leadership teams to assess current culture, identify areas where meaning has been lost or never existed, and create step-by-step transformation plans. This might involve restructuring teams, revising communication strategies, or implementing new performance measurement systems that account for purpose alongside profit.

Ready to Transform Your Organization?

If you’re ready to build a business that thrives through authentic purpose, let’s discuss how meaning-oriented practices can strengthen your organization. Whether you’re just starting out or leading an established company seeking transformation, evidence-based approaches to meaningful business development can provide the foundation for sustainable success.

In today’s polarized political climate, leaders and activists face unprecedented challenges. Whether you’re a politician working to bridge divides, a pro-democracy advocate fighting authoritarianism, an ecological activist pushing for environmental justice, or part of a social movement seeking lasting change, the path forward requires more than passion—it demands strategic expertise grounded in real-world experience.

The Challenge of Modern Political Action

Political leaders and social movements today operate in an environment marked by increasing extremism, rapid radicalization, and complex conflicts that can escalate quickly. Traditional approaches often fall short when dealing with deeply entrenched positions, violent extremism, or the delicate work of facilitating peaceful transitions. The stakes are high, and the margin for error is small.

Specialized Consultancy Rooted in Crisis Experience

My consultancy services for political leaders and social movements draw from extensive experience in counter-radicalization research and direct involvement in crisis and war zones. Having contributed to the organization of peaceful political transitions and revolutions in multiple countries, I bring a unique perspective that combines psychological expertise with practical knowledge of how real change happens on the ground.

This work goes beyond theoretical frameworks. It’s informed by hands-on experience in some of the world’s most challenging political environments, where the difference between peaceful transition and violent conflict often comes down to understanding human psychology, group dynamics, and the complex factors that drive radicalization or promote reconciliation.

Services for Political Leaders and Movements

Counter-Radicalization Strategy Development: Working with governments and organizations to develop evidence-based approaches to preventing extremism and reducing political violence. This includes assessment of radicalization risks, development of intervention strategies, and training for frontline workers.

Peaceful Transition Facilitation: Supporting political leaders and movements in navigating major political changes without violence. Drawing from experience in organizing peaceful transitions, I help develop strategies that honor democratic principles while managing the complex dynamics of political transformation.

Social Movement Strategy Consulting: Helping activist organizations and social movements develop more effective approaches to creating lasting change. This includes strategic planning, coalition building, and developing messaging that resonates across different communities.

Crisis Zone Political Consulting: For situations involving active conflict or high-tension political environments, providing specialized guidance based on direct experience working in war zones and crisis situations.

Ready to Create Lasting Political Change?

Whether you’re facing a specific political crisis, planning a major campaign, or working to build more resilient democratic institutions, specialized consultancy can provide the strategic guidance needed to navigate complex challenges successfully. Contact me to discuss how evidence-based approaches to political change can support your goals.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your ministry? Struggling with questions of faith or purpose? Perhaps you’re facing personal challenges, mental health concerns, or relationship issues. Or maybe you’re grappling with ethical dilemmas or cultural shifts affecting your vocation? Whatever brings you here, I’m here to walk alongside you through the intricate paths of your personal life and vocation as clergy.
I offer you my expertise as a chartered psychologist, philosopher, and existential, meaning-centred, humanistic, and cognitive-behavioural therapist. My unique background, blending psychological expertise with a lifelong involvement in church communities, allows me to offer a distinctive approach to counselling that honours your vocation while addressing your personal needs.
My approach is rooted in understanding the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. I provide a welcoming, nonjudgmental environment where you can freely explore whatever is on your heart. Whether you’re grappling with stress, anxiety, doubts, relationship issues, or seeking to deepen your sense of purpose, I’m here to listen and guide you towards clarity and renewed strength. Together, we can work through your challenges, helping you rediscover joy in your ministry, find balance in your personal life, and cultivate a deeper sense of meaning. I’m here to support you on your journey, respecting your individual needs and the unique nature of your faith and calling.

Examples of where I may offer support
1. Navigating Spiritual and Existential Questions:
• Exploring doubts and uncertainties about vocation, faith and life
• Finding meaning and purpose in your vocation
• Reconciling personal beliefs and identity with church teachings and roles
• Adapting to new roles or responsibilities

2. Managing the Challenges of Ministry:
• Coping with the demands of pastoral care
• Balancing personal life with professional responsibilities
• Addressing burnout and compassion fatigue
• Navigating complex moral or ethical situations
• Addressing the impact of secularization and societal challenges
• Exploring how to cope with individuals in your community with specific mental health, existential or spiritual needs

3. Relationship and Community Dynamics:
• Navigating diverse cultural contexts within the church
• Navigating complex relationships within the church community
• Addressing conflicts with parishioners, colleagues, friends and family
• Improving communication and leadership skills

4. Personal Growth and Self-Care:
• Developing resilience and stress management techniques
• Improving self-awareness and emotional intelligence
• Cultivating mindfulness and spiritual practices

5. Life Transitions and Mental Health Concerns:
• Coping with significant life changes or losses
• Managing anxiety, depression, or other mood problems
• Addressing trauma or past experiences
• Developing coping strategies for ongoing mental health challenges

Understanding the Unique Journey of Clergy:
I have personal insight into religious life, clerical responsibilities, and diverse spiritual traditions, rooted in lifelong church involvement, family background in ministry, brief theological studies, and pastoral care within a Oecumenic upbringing in the Netherlands. My extensive experience in religious communities has given me a deep understanding of the unique challenges clergy and consecrated persons face. Their vocation intertwines complex personal and professional journeys, creating a distinctive need for support. This calling involves a multifaceted personal journey, encompassing mental and relational health issues and deeper existential and spiritual struggles. Simultaneously, the professional journey presents its challenges: managing diverse communities, leading while on one’s spiritual path, and being intimately involved in people’s most profound life moments. This intersection of personal and professional realms creates a unique situation where standard psychotherapy or peer support may fail. My approach, informed by my psychological expertise and deep understanding of religious life, offers tailored support.

I view the spiritual journey of clergy and consecrated persons as a personal quest to find meaning in the face of Mystery, akin to Kierkegaard’s “leap into darkness.” I don’t claim to have ultimate answers as your therapist or mentor. Instead, I offer:
1. A compassionate presence on your journey
2. Professional insights grounded in psychological expertise
3. Deep understanding of the challenges in religious life
4. Support in navigating both personal growth and professional responsibilities
My role is to walk alongside you like a fellow-pilgrim, respecting your pace and the sacred nature of your path. I aim to be a professional friend with relevant expertise, helping you find direction and overcome hurdles while honoring your unique vocation and personal spiritual journey.

Earning a doctorate in psychology requires more than individual determination—it demands expert supervision that combines deep methodological knowledge with understanding of what makes each student successful. Through 25 years of teaching research methods and supervising approximately 100 doctoral students across counselling psychology, clinical psychology, and psychotherapy, I’ve developed an approach that adapts to your unique research interests and working preferences while ensuring you meet the highest academic standards.

The Reality of Doctoral Research Challenges

Doctoral students often underestimate the complexity of conducting original research that contributes meaningfully to psychological knowledge. You may find yourself struggling with methodology selection, data collection obstacles, or analysis challenges that weren’t covered in coursework. The pressure to produce work worthy of doctoral examination, combined with the isolation of independent research, can create anxiety that interferes with your ability to think clearly and work effectively.

Supervision Grounded in Real-World Success

My supervision approach is informed by extensive experience with what actually leads to successful doctoral completion. Having examined over 100 doctoral students, I understand the standards examiners apply and the common pitfalls that can derail otherwise strong research projects. This knowledge shapes every aspect of our supervision relationship, from initial research planning through examination preparation.

The practical resources I’ve developed, including those featured in “Doing research in psychological therapies,” provide concrete tools that address common research challenges. These templates, frameworks, and strategies have been tested through years of use with doctoral students, offering you proven solutions rather than theoretical advice.

Individualized Supervision That Honors Your Strengths

Effective supervision recognizes that every student brings different strengths, faces different challenges, and works most effectively under different conditions. Rather than imposing a standard supervision model, we’ll work together to identify what approach helps you produce your best work. This might involve frequent brief check-ins, intensive monthly sessions, detailed written feedback, or collaborative problem-solving meetings—whatever combination serves your research progress best.

My expertise in counselling psychology, clinical psychology, and psychotherapy research means I can provide specialized guidance regardless of your specific focus area. Whether you’re conducting intervention studies, exploring therapeutic processes, or investigating clinical assessment approaches, I bring relevant experience and methodological knowledge to support your work.

Beyond Completion: Building Research Expertise

While completing your doctorate is the immediate goal, my supervision also focuses on developing your long-term research capabilities. Through our collaborative relationship, you’ll build skills in research design, methodology selection, data analysis, and academic writing that will serve you throughout your career. This foundation prepares you for independent research whether you pursue academic positions, clinical practice with research components, or applied psychology roles.

Begin Your Doctoral Research Partnership

If you’re seeking supervision that combines proven expertise with personalized attention to your individual needs and research goals, I invite you to discuss how my approach might support your doctoral journey. Contact me to explore whether my supervision style aligns with your research interests and working preferences.

I provide affirming, knowledgeable support for LGBTQIA+ individuals navigating their authentic journey. This includes support for transgender individuals, those coming out, survivors of conversion therapy practices, and anyone facing discrimination or identity-related challenges. I feel very privileged to walk alongside many transgender and homosexual individuals on their journey of being or becoming their authentic selves. This includes supporting them in exploring various forms of relationships, love, polyamory, sex, kink, and BDSM. I know the importance and challenges of learning how to embrace your authentic self, overcome shame, and find your own meaning in life, not only professionally, but also personally as a gay man who has undergone gay conversion “therapy” (also called SOGIECE: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Change).

When you’re facing a serious illness, genetic diagnosis, or life-limiting condition, the questions that arise go far beyond medical treatment. How do you find meaning when your body feels like it’s betraying you? How do you make decisions about genetic testing that could change everything? How do you live fully when time feels limited? These aren’t just medical questions—they’re deeply human ones that deserve thoughtful, experienced support.

Having worked with thousands of individuals navigating these profound challenges, I understand that serious illness affects not just your body, but your sense of identity, purpose, and hope for the future. My approach combines evidence-based therapeutic methods with deep personal understanding—including my own experience living with congenital physical differences, missing fingers from birth—to help you discover what Viktor Frankl called “tragic optimism”: the ability to find meaning and maintain hope even in the face of unavoidable suffering.

When Standard Support Isn’t Enough

Serious illness creates unique psychological challenges that general counseling often doesn’t address. You might be struggling with questions like: What’s the point of planning for the future when everything feels uncertain? How do you tell your children about a hereditary condition they might inherit? How do you maintain relationships when chronic pain makes you feel like a burden? How do you make peace with considering end-of-life options when suffering becomes unbearable?

These situations require specialized understanding that goes beyond traditional therapy approaches. They need someone who recognizes that finding meaning in limitation isn’t about positive thinking—it’s about discovering authentic sources of purpose that can sustain you through the most difficult circumstances.

Meaning-Centered Therapy for Chronic Illness and Serious Health Conditions

My chronic illness therapy approach is grounded in extensive research on meaning in life, combined with practical experience supporting individuals through some of life’s most challenging circumstances. Rather than focusing solely on symptom management or acceptance, we work together to identify sources of meaning that remain available to you despite physical limitations.

This isn’t about pretending your condition doesn’t matter or finding silver linings in suffering. Instead, we explore how you can live authentically and purposefully within the reality of your situation. Through meaning-centered therapy for chronic illness, many clients discover that their condition, while unwanted, can become a pathway to deeper understanding of what truly matters to them.

Conditions and Situations I Specialize In:

Cancer and Life-Threatening Illnesses: Whether you’re newly diagnosed, in treatment, or facing recurrence, existential therapy for cancer patients addresses the profound questions that arise when confronting mortality. We explore how to live meaningfully during treatment, make decisions aligned with your values, and find purpose that transcends your diagnosis.

Chronic Pain and Long-Term Conditions: Living with persistent pain or conditions like fibromyalgia, arthritis, or autoimmune disorders requires developing new relationships with your body and capabilities. Together, we explore how to maintain identity and purpose when physical limitations change what’s possible.

Genetic and Hereditary Conditions: Receiving information about BRCA1/2 mutations, Huntington’s disease, or other hereditary conditions raises complex questions about family planning, preventive measures, and living with uncertainty. Our genetic disease counseling helps you process this information and make decisions that align with your values and life goals.

Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Recovery: Heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events often trigger existential questioning about lifestyle, priorities, and mortality. We work together to rebuild meaning and purpose in your changed circumstances.

Congenital Differences and Physical Disabilities: Having lived with physical differences myself, I bring personal understanding to the unique challenges of navigating a world designed for typical bodies. We explore how to develop authentic self-acceptance while advocating for your needs.

Palliative Care Counseling and End-of-Life Support

When cure is no longer the goal, the focus shifts to living as fully as possible with the time remaining. My palliative care counseling approach helps individuals and families navigate this transition with dignity, meaning, and connection. This work isn’t about giving up hope—it’s about redirecting hope toward what remains possible and meaningful.

For those in the terminal phase of illness, we explore questions of legacy, reconciliation, and spiritual preparation. Many clients find that confronting mortality directly, rather than avoiding it, actually enhances their ability to live meaningfully in their remaining time.

Support for Difficult End-of-Life Decisions

When suffering becomes overwhelming, some individuals consider euthanasia, medically assisted suicide, or other end-of-life options. This decision requires careful exploration of values, alternatives, and the meaning of suffering itself. I provide non-judgmental support for individuals and families grappling with these profound choices, helping you explore all options while honoring your autonomy and dignity.

This work requires exceptional sensitivity and expertise. Having supported many individuals through these decisions, I understand that the question isn’t whether life is worth living in general, but whether your particular life, in your specific circumstances, feels meaningful and bearable to you.

The Power of Tragic Optimism

Viktor Frankl’s concept of tragic optimism—maintaining hope and finding meaning despite unavoidable suffering—forms the foundation of my approach. This isn’t about forced positivity or denying the reality of your situation. Instead, it’s about discovering that meaning can coexist with suffering, that purpose can emerge from limitation, and that hope can be found even in the darkest circumstances.

Through our work together, many clients discover that their illness or condition, while never welcome, has led them to deeper relationships, clearer priorities, and more authentic living. This doesn’t make the suffering worthwhile, but it does make it meaningful.

Beginning Your Journey Toward Meaning

If you’re facing a serious health condition and struggling with questions that go beyond medical treatment, specialized therapeutic support can provide the guidance and understanding you need. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, living with chronic conditions, or facing end-of-life decisions, you don’t have to navigate these challenges alone.

The first step is simply reaching out to discuss how meaning-centered approaches might support your unique situation and help you discover sources of purpose and hope that remain available to you, regardless of your physical circumstances.

I have 25 years experience in HIgher Education in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. I have reorganised various research strands of doctorate programmes in psychological therapies, and supported the successful revalidation of various doctoral programmes. I have been an examiner at the final research vivas of more than 100 doctorate students. Please contact me for examinations and consultancy to improve your academic degrees.

Please contact me for bespoke commercial research projects on any areas of my expertise.

Contact

You can contact me via the contact form on this website, or email contact@joelvos.com

 

Individual Therapy, Counselling & Coaching (90 minutes):

  • Commercial rate: £150
  • Waged individuals: £110
  • Unwaged individuals: £60
  • Alternative arrangements available by discussion

Research Supervision: £100 per hour (flexible pricing available)

Business Consultancy, Workshops & Training: Rates discussed based on specific needs


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