Sara A. Showalter Van Tongeren Official: Instagram

Sara A. Showalter Van Tongeren

human | psychotherapist | author | embracer of existential fears

Pre-order: The Sacred Unraveling: A Therapist's Guide to Helping Clients Navigate Religious and Spiritual Change
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The Flourishing Collective - My Group Practice's Website
Sara's Website
Work with a Flourishing Collective Therapist (contact form)
Fox 17 Morning Mix Feature - Women's Mental Health
Contribute: TheFloCo Community Care Fund
Sara's CV, 2026
Author of the book: The Courage to Suffer
 
The Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life's Greatest Crises (Spirituality and Mental Health)Daryl R. Van TongerenPaperbackIn The Courage to Suffer, Daryl and Sara Van Tongeren introduce a new therapeutic framework that helps people flourish in the midst of suffering by cultivating meaning. Suffering is an inescapable part of life. Some suffering is so profound, so violating, or so dogged that it fundamentally changes people in indelible ways. Many existing therapeutic approaches, from a medical model, treat suffering as mental illness and seek a curative solution. However, such approaches often fail to examine the deep questions that suffering elicits (e.g., existential themes of death, isolation, freedom, identity, and meaninglessness) and the far-reaching ways in which suffering affects the lived experience of each individual. Drawing from scientific research, clinical examples, existential and positive psychology, and their own personal stories of loss and sorrow, Daryl and Sara’s integrative model blends the rich depth of existential clinical approaches with the growth focus of strengths-based approaches.Through cutting edge-research and clinical case examples, they detail five “phases of suffering” and how to work with a client's existential concerns at each phase to develop meaning. They also discuss how current research suggests to build a flourishing life, especially for those who have endured, and are enduring, suffering. Daryl and Sara show how those afflicted with suffering, while acknowledging the reality of their pain, can still choose to live with hope.
The Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life's Greatest Crises (Spirituality and Mental Health)Daryl R. Van TongerenEbookSuffering is an inescapable part of life. Some suffering is so profound, so violating, or so dogged that it fundamentally changes people in indelible ways. Many existing therapeutic approaches, from a medical model, treat suffering as mental illness and seek a curative solution. However, such approaches often fail to examine the deep questions that suffering elicits (e.g., existential themes of death, isolation, freedom, identity, and meaninglessness) and the far-reaching ways in which suffering affects the lived experience of each individual. In The Courage to Suffer, Daryl and Sara Van Tongeren introduce a new therapeutic framework that helps people flourish in the midst of suffering by cultivating meaning. Drawing from scientific research, clinical examples, existential and positive psychology, and their own personal stories of loss and sorrow, Daryl and Sara’s integrative model blends the rich depth of existential clinical approaches with the growth focus of strengths-based approaches.Through cutting edge-research and clinical case examples, they detail five “phases of suffering” and how to work with a client's existential concerns at each phase to develop meaning. They also discuss how current research suggests to build a flourishing life, especially for those who have endured, and are enduring, suffering. Daryl and Sara show how those afflicted with suffering, while acknowledging the reality of their pain, can still choose to live with hope.
Voyage Michigan Magazine's Shoutout Column Feature
Peer-reviewed academic journal article: Finding Meaning Amidst COVID-19
podcast: You have Permission: Religious Trauma & Worldview Change (#323)
Podcast
podcast: When our ‘life rules’ no longer apply: Religious/spiritual suffering
podcast: The Science of Suffering
Podcast
podcast: The courage to suffer with Daryl Van Tongeren & Sara Showalter Van Tongeren
podcast: The Courage to Suffer
podcast - Coming to Terms with Existential Questions
podcast - The Courage to Suffer: Toward an Existential Positive Psychology Framework
podcast - How We Move Through Suffering
book review - The Courage to Suffer