Meaning

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The practice of meaning-making involves exploring our belief systems, especially our beliefs around spirituality, which offer a distinct and powerful role in making meaning.

News

On Oct. 5th, 2023, Dr. King joined the 'Redefine the Middle Third' Workshop.

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Thinking through paths out of anxiety and fear   If it rings true for you that you need to train your brain to tone down anxiety and/or discover more about yourself – your sources of love and mattering, and your purposes – find a trusted friend or loved one or a small group and work through some of these questions together.     Getting in touch with love: What are your fundamental beliefs about being loved–for just who you are? Not what you do, but just who you are now?  Pause. Close your eyes, take 3 slow breaths–imagine God is looking...

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Research indicates spirituality links meaning to joy, and may provide insight into the balance and purpose we seek.

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How does love contributing to thriving? The practice of the 5 B's of love is explained here.

Research Link

Citation King, P. E., Mangan, S., & Riveros, R. (2023). Religion, Spirituality, and Youth Thriving: Investigating the Roles of the Developing Mind and Meaning-Making. In E. B. Davis, E. L. Worthington, & S. A. Schnitker (Eds.), Handbook of Positive Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality (pp. 263–277). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10274-5_17 Abstract In this chapter, we draw on positive developmental psychology, psychology of religion and spirituality, and developmental neuroscience to explore how youth religiousness and spirituality contribute to thriving through the process of meaning-making. Thriving involves the individual, relational, and aspirational development necessary to pursue a life purpose that is meaningful to...

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Dr. Stephanie Trudeau continues her discussion on loss, and how meaning-making and beliefs can guide us toward healing.

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Citation King, P. E. (2003). Religion and identity: The role of ideological, social, and spiritual contexts. Applied Developmental Sciences, 7(3), 197-204. Abstract Existing research demonstrates a positive relation between religion and identity among adolescents. A conceptual framework is presented suggesting that religion provides a distinct setting for identity exploration and commitment through offering ideological, social, and spiritual contexts. It is then suggested that the religious context promotes a sense of identity that transcends the self and promotes a concern for the social good and that religious institutions provide unique settings for adolescent identity formation. In addition to the potential developmental...