How to Make Sense of it All: A Feasibility Study of Meaning-Centered Interventions in Deradicalization Counseling

Leaving violent extremist milieus and terrorist groups is often associated with a sense of meaninglessness, lack of perspectives and purpose, or even a crisis of meaning which can lead to suicidal tendencies driven by feelings of guilt and shame. While many methods to aid deradicalization and disengagement counseling are used today, there is a surprising paucity regarding available tools to support a person’s search for meaning and purpose during this process. This article presents findings from two studies: A) a survey among German deradicalization and disengagement practitioners (n = 11) regarding the importance of meaning and purpose in their counseling work and B) a feedback study regarding four meaning centered interventions (MCI) to gather indications for which one might be subject for wider impact testing. Together, both studies form a feasibility study—a so far novel methodology in the deradicalization and disengagement field. The need for MCIs in deradicalization and disengagement counseling is firmly established and implications for each tested MCI are presented with recommendations on how to best implement them in deradicalization and disengagement work. The study also provided proof of concept for the importance of feasibility studies to advance scientific rigour and “Do No Harm” in this field.