“After carefully assessing our needs, Angela painstakingly adapted the ‘Life Worth Living’ curriculum to the Army context and audience. She is an astute observer of culture, and she has demonstrated an uncanny ability to observe our customs and speak our army language....Her impact upon our soldiers and civilians, their family members, and our nation is truly indelible and life-changing.” 

—Major General Thomas L. Solhjem, former Chief of Chaplains for the entire US Army

“When you are learning from and with Dr. Angela Gorrell you are keenly aware that you are in the presence of a master speaker, educator and coach. She demonstrates not only a great depth of knowledge and experience in guiding people through transformative conversations, she also seamlessly navigates difference. As an educator, pedagogue and facilitator in Bulgaria, Angela led the Life Worth Living journey with people from multiple nations representing diverse cultural and religious backgrounds (Bulgaria, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Israel, America, Belgium), ages and work experiences. She has a unique capability of creating a life affirming community which both encounters and transcends difference at all levels, making it possible for every individual to contribute and grow as part of a cohesive community. During this 4-day experience Angela successfully guided even skeptics and supported everyone as they engaged in the work of understanding and discerning for themselves the fabric of their lives and the multiple interpretations and understanding of what makes a flourishing life.”

—Andrea RC Kasper, EdD, Senior Educational Consultant, North Consulting, Reykjavik, Iceland

“Seven years since I sat in Dr. Gorrell’s classroom, the lessons still deeply resonate with me. Not only does the program give you a chance to learn about different traditions and cultures, but it goes beyond - it gives you a structure to help you live your best life, aligned with the values and people who matter most to you. It helps you be deliberate about your choices, so you can focus on the things that give you positive energy. Being in Dr. Gorrell’s program is a choice that pays off in the long run, and in any environment - be it a workplace, the boardroom, or at home around the dinner table.

—Salaar Ahmed Shaikh, Yale B.A., Harvard MBA; Senior Associate, McKinsey & Company

On the last day of the course, when the men articulated their visions of a good life, they said things like, “connect with others without restraint.”

One man talked about giving himself the chance to become the man he was meant to be. 

Another man said he felt free for two hours each week in the class, that the life worth living felt possible in our weekly hours together.

—men who were incarcerated at a prison in Connecticut and took a 7 week journey with Dr. Gorrell

“ Dr. Gorrell’s course taught me to discover three main core values that I hold dear and that have been shaped by my upbringing: knowledge, freedom of expression, and human security. As a formerly displaced person from Syria, I have been deprived of these rights in the past, and my experience with displacement and insecurity have made me value these concepts. But I could not have discovered how important these concepts are to me without the tools that I have developed during Dr. Gorrell’s course.

Most importantly, the course values skills in active listening so that participants learn from each other as well as the instructor. In that way, the course focuses on providing tools for self-discovery, allowing participants to pursue a journey of meeting themselves and others. The course is also adaptable to the different sets of experiences that participants have, as long as they are prepared to utilize the tools that they acquire to begin that journey. What's most exciting is that it does not end at the end of the course. Rather, the course is just the beginning of a journey to self-discovery that can help with personal and professional development!

—Marwan Safar Jalani; former Rhodes Scholar; Global Crisis Analyst, Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit, International Rescue Committee 

“Dr. Gorrell’s course fundamentally altered my worldview and my self-view. I took the course during a time in my life when I felt directionless, despite going through the motions of my day-to-day routine. Through the conversation and texts we explored together, the community and reflection allowed me the opportunity to zoom out and recommit to my passions and my purpose. As a high-achiever and Division 1 athlete who finds rigor to be my lifeblood, the course opened up a new pathway to internal peace, without sacrificing my innate nature. Most of all it was the strangers who took the course together but endured separate individual journeys each meaningful and unique, that created a space powerful enough for lasting change. “

—Katrina Garry, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, University of San Francisco

“With her authenticity, compelling stories, and timely research, our attendees were captivated throughout our day with Dr. Angela and left inspired to open to more joy and receive its healing gifts. Words like ‘moving,’ ‘extraordinary,’ and ‘deeply touched’ were used to convey their gratitude for the experience. Thank you, Angela!”

–Dianna Amorde, Executive Director, Eremos, a Center of Contemplative Life