Psychology professor leads search for personal meaning

By Caroline Cournoyer, staff writer
Posted on September 10, 2007

Ever since JMU Professor William Evans was a child, he has been interested in psychology. 

“I had a very close family,” he said. “I had two older sisters and my dad was the manager of his own business. One of the things that got me interested in psychology was that my mom had bipolar disorder. Because of my mom’s illness, we had to pull together even more.”

After he grew up, Evans wanted to use his abilities to help others. This might be why, effective Aug. 1. Evans will succeed Paul T.P. Wong as the President of the International Network on Personal Meaning.

Wong created the organization in 1998, and in less than a decade INPM consisted of over 300 members throughout 30 different countries including the United States, Canada, Russia, Australia and China.

In 2002, Evans first learned of INPM through an e-mail, and within a couple of weeks he became a member.

The inspiration for the organization, Dr. Viktor Frankl, believes that three things are necessary for a person to live a meaningful life: “A loving relationship, finding something significant to do for others that utilizes your talents, gifts, and abilities, and learning to suffer with courage and dignity,” Evans said.

INPM stresses the importance of positive, existential therapy, which acknowledges that all human beings will suffer at one point in their life and that rather than avoid it, they should seek help, Evans said.

“INPM represents a new voice which emphasizes the human potential of transforming negative existential given into positive experiences through exploring and discovering personal meaning and applying meaning management strategies,” INPM said.