[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-450210-en":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":31,"doc-seo-450210-105":82},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":28,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":29,"read_time":30},450210,1099514068035,"Ezra","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c",8,"Research & Report","History as Therapy: A Novel Interdisciplinary Framework for Meaning-making and Well-being","This paper introduces History Therapy (HT), an interdisciplinary framework integrating historical knowledge with psychological and philosophical approaches to meaning-making, well-being, and happiness. HT responds to a contemporary crisis of meaning shaped by mental health difficulties and feelings of emptiness across populations, from existentially uncertain youth to adults facing serious medical diagnoses. HT enables participants to examine and compare past worldviews, supporting self-reflection, identity understanding, and personal transformation. The method uses curated historical cases to stimulate new perspectives, advancing meaning-centered therapies with insights from anthropology, archaeology, history, and psychology, and outlining future research directions and applications.","Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science (2026) 60:4  \n[https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-025-09963-y](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-025-09963-y)  \nRESEARCH  \nHistory as Therapy: A Novel Interdisciplinary Framework for Meaning-making and Well-being  \nNatalia P. Simonenko1  \nReceived: 8 September 2025 / Accepted: 26 November 2025 / Published online: 7 January 2026 © The Author(s) 2026  \nAbstract  \nThis paper introduces History Therapy (HT)—an interdisciplinary framework that integrates historical knowledge with psychological and philosophical approaches to meaning-making, well-being, and happiness. HT addresses the contemporary crisis of meaning, marked by mental health issues and feelings of emptiness among diverse populations, from young people facing existential uncertainty to adults distressed by serious medical diagnoses. HT provides a method for participants to explore and analyze the worldviews of people from other eras and civilizations and compare their attitudes and beliefs with those of the past. This fosters deep selfreflection, new perspectives on life’s questions, a better understanding of identity, and new meanings, all of which contribute to personal transformation and psychological well-being. Prior studies mainly focused on psychological or philosophical interventions to address the crisis of meaning. In contrast, HT provides a framework that uses curated historical “cases” to expose participants to alternative cultural worldviews, thereby catalyzing novel forms of self-reflection. This integrates historical knowledge in a structured, replicable manner and enhances meaning-centered therapies with interdisciplinary perspectives from anthropology, archaeology, history, and psychology. HT targets individuals seeking deeper self-knowledge and personal meaning, along with therapists and coaches interested in expanding their professional practice with historical knowledge. This article discusses future research directions and potential applications of HT to develop and consolidate the new method as a valuable addition to the humanities, social sciences, and mental health disciplines.  \nKeywords Meaning · Worldview · History · Therapy · Well-being · Happiness  \n􀀍 Natalia P. Simonenko [kh.natalie@gmail.com](kh.natalie@gmail.com)  \n1 London, UK  \nIntroduction  \nIn an era of increasing mental health challenges, many individuals experience a crisis of meaning in their lives. Traditional therapeutic models address this crisis through psychological and philosophical lenses; yet the potential of historical knowledge remains largely untapped. History Therapy (HT) offers a novel interdisciplinary approach that leverages historical perspectives to foster self-reflection, meaningmaking, and psychological growth. By engaging with historical worldviews, individuals can uncover their hidden assumptions, develop alternative perspectives, and integrate new understandings into their personal and professional lives. This study explores HT’s theoretical foundations, methodological framework, and potential applications, positioning it as an innovative tool for addressing contemporary meaning crises.  \nThe Crisis of Meaning and Worldview  \nThis section explores the foundational concepts underpinning HT, focusing on the crisis of meaning, the role of worldview, and its psychological implications. The crisis of meaning has been identified as one of the key factors in modern mental health challenges, contributing to existential distress and reduced well-being. Worldview, a central construct in understanding human thought and behavior, serves as the lens through which individuals interpret reality. In psychology, worldview has been linked to identity, cognitive frameworks, and emotional regulation, influencing how individuals navigate life’s uncertainties. However, the hidden nature of worldview means it is rarely questioned unless external events or crises challenge it. This section examines these key themes, highlighting how the proc","cbCaidoA2kv7U7Tb","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidoA2kv7U7Tb","pdf",2430929,3,1,26,"English","en",105,"# Abstract\n# Introduction\n## The Crisis of Meaning and Worldview\n### The Crisis of Meaning","[{\"question\":\"What is History Therapy (HT) and what does it aim to address?\",\"answer\":\"History Therapy is an interdisciplinary framework that integrates historical knowledge with psychological and philosophical approaches. It targets the contemporary crisis of meaning linked to mental health issues and feelings of emptiness.\"},{\"question\":\"How does HT help participants develop meaning-making and psychological well-being?\",\"answer\":\"HT uses curated historical “cases” to let participants explore, analyze, and compare worldviews from other eras. This process supports deep self-reflection, new perspectives on life questions, and improved understanding of identity and meaning.\"},{\"question\":\"What disciplines does the HT approach integrate?\",\"answer\":\"HT integrates historical knowledge with psychological and philosophical methods and adds interdisciplinary perspectives from anthropology, archaeology, history, and psychology to strengthen meaning-centered therapies.\"}]","History as Therapy: A Novel Interdisciplinary Framework for Meaning-making and Well-being | PDF",1790732461,66,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":32},[33,38,43,48,53,58,63,66,71,74,78],{"id":21,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":49,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":50,"show_sort_weight":51,"slug":52},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":54,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":55,"show_sort_weight":56,"slug":57},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":59,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":60,"show_sort_weight":61,"slug":62},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":64,"slug":65},30,"research-report",{"id":67,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":68,"show_sort_weight":69,"slug":70},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":69,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":72,"show_sort_weight":69,"slug":73},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":75,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":76,"show_sort_weight":75,"slug":77},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":79,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":34,"category_name":80,"show_sort_weight":49,"slug":81},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":83,"data":84},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":85,"title":13,"keywords":86,"description":14,"schema_data":87,"social_meta":140,"head_meta":142,"extra_data":144,"updated_unix":145},"history-as-therapy-a-novel-interdisciplinary-framework-for-meaning-making-and-well-being","",{"@graph":88,"@context":139},[89,102,122],{"@type":90,"itemListElement":91},"BreadcrumbList",[92,96,98,100],{"item":93,"name":94,"@type":95,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":97,"name":34,"@type":95,"position":39},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":99,"name":12,"@type":95,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",{"item":101,"name":13,"@type":95,"position":44},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/history-as-therapy-a-novel-interdisciplinary-framework-for-meaning-making-and-well-being/450210/",{"url":101,"name":13,"@type":103,"image":104,"author":109,"headline":13,"publisher":111,"fileFormat":114,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":115,"datePublished":116,"encodingFormat":114,"isAccessibleForFree":117,"interactionStatistic":118},"DigitalDocument",{"url":105,"@type":106,"width":107,"height":108},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/history-as-therapy-a-novel-interdisciplinary-framework-for-meaning-making-and-well-being/450210.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":9,"@type":110},"Person",{"url":93,"name":112,"@type":113},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-07","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":119,"interactionType":120,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":121},"ViewAction",{"@type":123,"mainEntity":124},"FAQPage",[125,131,135],{"name":126,"@type":127,"acceptedAnswer":128},"What is History Therapy (HT) and what does it aim to address?","Question",{"text":129,"@type":130},"History Therapy is an interdisciplinary framework that integrates historical knowledge with psychological and philosophical approaches. 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