In a day and age that seems to be changing at nauseating rates, this conversation invites you to explore the meeting points between positive psychology and existential philosophy in the context of resilience. With many relating to resilience as some sort of protection or armor, we discuss resilience as the capacity to remain engaged with life when certainty and assumed meaning fall away.
Drawing on existential psychology and spiritual inquiry, the session explores how a positive-existential lens refers to meaning as actively created rather than discovered, especially in moments of loss, disruption, and existential uncertainty. We’ll emphasise agency, freedom, and responsibility, and how spiritual crises and other forms of adversity often open the door into more grounded ways of navigating life and career. Yannick will share how positive psychology was crucial in developing a hopeful attitude towards adversity and the future, and how existential ideas were crucial in grounding positive psychology in existence’s rich tapestry of experience. Participants are hence invited into a reflective exploration of resilience rooted in lived experience and meaning-making.
Speaker Biography:
Yannick Jacob is an existential life and leadership coach, trainer and supervisor, with Masters degrees in Existential Coaching and Applied Positive Psychology. Now teaching faculty at the University of Cambridge and the International Centre for Coaching Supervision, Yannick also designed and curates the School of Positive Transformation’s Accredited Certificate in Integrative Coaching, for which he brought together many of the world’s most influential coaches and earliest pioneers. Inside Yannick’s Coaching Lab you can witness experienced coaches live in action. Yannick presents at conferences internationally, authored An Introduction to Existential Coaching, and created a self-study online course on the subject. A passionate podcaster, he hosted the popular podcast Coaching Uncaged as well as his own ongoing shows Talking about Coaching and Talking about Coaching and Psychedelics.
IPPA’s New Spirituality and Meaning Division Practice Series (2026):
The Spirituality and Meaning Division is pleased to announce the 2026 Practitioner Speaker Series, opening with our initial webinar on Feb 5, 2026. Dr. Maria Sirois, (Psy.D.), resilience expert, and long-standing practitioner of meditation, prayer, and writing on behalf of the spirit, will be leading this quarterly series. Each exploration offers an opportunity to learn from extraordinary thinkers and practitioners, devoted to the science and the experience of meaning and of connection to that which is larger than ourselves. In our quarterly webinars, Dr. Sirois will lead guests in conversation oriented to illuminating the latest considerations of practice, both on personal and systemic levels. Each webinar, lasting 1-1.5 hours, will offer opportunities for audience questions and for shared wisdom about what works on behalf of our own spirits, and those we coach, consult with or counsel. Anticipated webinar dates for 2026: Feb 5, April 8, July 8, Oct. 7.
Please note: Registration ends two days before the event, please register before April 6th!
