The first edition of The Human Quest for Meaning was a major publication on the empirical research of meaning in life and its vital role in well-being, resilience, and psychotherapy. This new edition continues that quest and seeks to answer the questions, what is the meaning of life? How do we explain what constitutes meaningful relationships, work, and living?

The answers, as the eminent scholars and practitioners who contributed to this text find, are neither simple nor straightforward. While seeking to clarify subjective vs. objective meaning in 21 new and 7 revised chapters, the authors also address the differences in cultural contexts, and identify 8 different sources of meaning, as well as at least 6 different stages in the process of the search for meaning. They also address different perspectives, including positive psychology, self-determination, integrative, narrative, and relational perspectives, to ensure that readers obtain the most thorough information possible. Mental health practitioners will find the numerous meaning-centered interventions, such as the PURE and ABCDE methods, highly useful in their own work with facilitating healing and personal growth in their clients. The Human Quest for Meaning represents a bold new vision for the future of meaning-oriented research and applications. No one seeking to truly understand the human condition should be without it.

“The human heart is a meaning-making organ. Living meaningfully with intention is a fulcrum that can counter the gravity of any predicament. In The Human Quest for Meaning a host of old pros provide the theory, research, and methods of meaning-centered practice.”
–Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD, The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Arizona

“This new edition of The Human Quest for Meaning: Theories, Research, and Applications presents much of the best thinking and research on the human quest for meaning done in clinical, experimental, and social psychology today. Paul T. Wong has done a commendable job in selecting and bringing together leading researchers and their ideas. This book is destined to become a classic textbook in positive psychology, counseling, and the existential philosophy of psychology.”
–Alexander Batthyany, PhD, Lecturer of Philosophy of Psychology & Cognitive Science, University of Vienna; Director, Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna; Author, Empirical Research on Logotherapy and Meaning-Oriented Psychotherapy and Mind and Materialism; Principal Editor, Collected Works of Viktor Frankl (14 volumes)

You may pre-order The Human Quest for Meaning at Amazon.com using the link on the left under "Buy Books" or by clicking here.

Check out Dr Wong's chapters here:

Introduction - http://www.DrPaulWong.com/documents/HQM2-intro.pdf
Chapter 1 - http://www.DrPaulWong.com/documents/HQM2-chapter1.pdf
Chapter 17 - http://www.DrPaulWong.com/documents/HQM2-chapter17.pdf
Chapter 27 - http://www.DrPaulWong.com/documents/HQM2-chapter27.pdf
Chapter 28 - http://www.DrPaulWong.com/documents/HQM2-chapter28.pdf

Paul T. P. Wong & Lilian C. J. Wong
An edited version will appear in Emmy van Deuzen and Susan Iacovou (Eds). Existential Perspectives on Relationship Therapy. Palgrave Publisher 

Introduction

All the evidence on effective psychotherapy has confirmed that relationship heals regardless of what therapeutic approach is employed (Duncan, Miller, Wampold & Hubbel, 2009). However, from a humanistic-existential framework, relationship goes beyond building rapport and therapeutic alliance; the curative effect of relationship can only be fully understood in terms of Rogers’s (1951) preconditions for effective therapy: empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard as personal qualities of the therapist. These preconditions create a positive and safe environment in which clients are free to share their deepest fears as well as explore risky new options.