Meaning, Purpose, and Imagination: An Introduction to Imaginal Coaching

Meggan Hartman, PhD, is a psychologist, educator, and Purpose Guide with a focus on transformative education. As a core faculty member at Meridian University, she serves as the Director of Assessment and Student Development. In her developmental coaching work, she helps individuals discover and actualize their life's purpose. Prior to her career in higher education, Meggan was a teacher and leader in outdoor education, including her time with Outward Bound. Her research interests encompass psychology, ecology, sociology, spirituality, and the impact of culture on mothering identity. Meggan is dedicated to fostering supportive communities and integrating transformative experiences with nature, learning, and reflection in her work. Currently, she resides in Western North Carolina with her family, nurturing a close connection to the natural environment.

Melissa Schwartz, PhD is the Chief Academic Officer at Meridian University where she guides integrally-oriented programs in Education, Business, and Psychology. The Director of Meridian’s Center for Transformative Learning, Melissa is dually licensed as both a psychologist and as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). She serves as a reviewer for the American Psychological Association’s Journal, Psychology of Women Quarterly, and the California Psychological Association’s Office of Professional Development. As well, she serves as a Subject Matter Expert for California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences in the continual development of the state’s MFT licensure examination. Melissa’s research interests are in the areas of adult development, the psychology of women, integral transformative assessment, and the role of culture in transformative learning.

Aftab Omer, PhD is the president of Meridian University which offers degree and professional programs globally, emphasizing the power of transformative learning.

He is a sociologist, psychologist, developmentalist, and futurist. Raised in Pakistan, India, Hawaii, and Turkey, he was educated at the universities of M.I.T, Harvard and Brandeis. His publications have addressed the topics of transformative learning, dialogic capability, developmental power, cultural leadership, civil society, generative entrepreneurship, and the power of imagination.

Aftab’s advising work focuses on team development and on leveraging the creative potentials of conflict, diversity, and complexity. Formerly the president of the Council for Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychologies, he is a Fellow of the International Futures Forum and the World Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Paddy Pampallis, a faculty member at Meridian University, is an educationalist, integral psychologist and IntegralU coach who has immersed herself in human consciousness and development. The founder/CEO of Integral Africa (Institute); The Coaching Centre (TCC, 2003); Integral African Conference (2019 IAC) and Ubuntu Coaching Foundation. She partners Susanne Cook-Greuter co-teaching on Leadership Maturity globally. Her unique application of Wilber’s AQAL theory, into the IntegralU Practice of Leadership & Coaching™, from an Africa perspective, has met with Wilber’s acclaim. Hundreds of students have graduated through the ICF accredited programme (IPCP), and many leaders have benefitted from integrative transformational work with individuals, teams and organisations towards consciousness, mastery and impact.