Table 3 Weekly topics and goals of MCP sessions [21]

1

Concepts and Sources of Meaning: Introduction and Overview

Session goals: Learn patient’s cancer story and introduce concepts and sources of meaning

2

Cancer and Meaning: Identity Before and After Cancer Diagnosis

Session goals: Develop a general understanding of one’s sense of identity and the impact cancer has made upon it

3

Historical Sources of Meaning: Life as a Living Legacy (past, present, future)

Session goals: Develop an understanding of one’s legacy through exploration of three temporal legacy modes; the legacy that has been given from the past, the legacy that one lives in the present, and finally, the legacy one will leave in the future. Participants also begin developing a Legacy Project

4

Attitudinal Sources of Meaning: Encountering Life’s Limitations

Session goals: Explore one of Frankl’s core therapeutic principals; ultimately, we have the freedom and capacity to choose our attitude toward suffering and life’s limitations and to derive meaning from that choice

5

Creative Sources of Meaning: Engaging in Life via Creativity and Responsibility

Session goals: Develop an understanding of the significance of ‘creativity’ and ‘responsibility’ as important sources of meaning in life

6

Experiential Sources of Meaning: Connecting with Life via Love, Nature, and Humour

Session goals: Foster an understanding of the significance of connecting with life through experiential sources of meaning—particularly through experiencing love, beauty, and humour

7

Transitions: Reflections and Hopes for the Future

Session goals: Review the sources of meaning. Review of the Legacy Project. Reflections on the lessons and impact of the therapy, discussion of hopes for the future, and the transition from being in the therapy to enacting the lessons learned in daily life as the therapy comes to an end