The Psychology of Religion and Spirituality for Clinicians

The Psychology of Religion and Spirituality for Clinicians PDF

Author: Jamie Aten

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-06-19

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 1135224366

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Many therapists and counselors find themselves struggling to connect the research on the psychology of religion and spirituality to their clinical practice. This book will address this issue, providing a valuable resource for clinicians that will help translate basic research findings into useful clinical practice strategies. The editors and chapter authors, all talented and respected scholar-clinicians, offer a practical and functional understanding of the empirical literature on the psychology of religion and spirituality of, while at the same time outlining clinical implications, assessments, and strategies for counseling and psychotherapy. Chapters cover such topics as religious and spiritual identity, its development, and its relationship with one’s personality; client God images; spiritually transcendent experiences; forgiveness and reconciliation; and religion and spirituality in couples and families. Each concludes with clinical application questions and suggestions for further reading. This book is a must-read for all those wishing to ground their clinical work in an empirical understanding of the role that religion and spirituality plays in the lives of their clients.

Handbook of Spirituality and Worldview in Clinical Practice

Handbook of Spirituality and Worldview in Clinical Practice PDF

Author: Allan M. Josephson

Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub

Published: 2008-05-20

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 158562697X

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This refreshing new work is a practical overview of religious and spiritual issues in psychiatric assessment and treatment. Eleven distinguished contributors assert that everyone has a worldview and that these religious and spiritual variables can be collaborative partners of science, bringing critical insight to assessment and healing to treatment. Unlike other works in this field, which focus primarily on spiritual experience, this clearly written volume focuses on the cognitive aspects of belief -- and how personal worldview affects the behavior of both patient and clinician. Informative case vignettes and discussions illustrate how assessment, formulation, and treatment principles can be incorporated within different worldviews, including practical clinical information on major faith traditions and on atheist and agnostic worldviews. The book's four main sections give concise yet comprehensive coverage of varying aspects of worldview: Conceptual Foundation -- The Introduction explains the significance of worldview and its context in the development of psychiatry; reviews misunderstandings about spirituality and worldview and how they can be resolved in contemporary practice; and discusses Freud's significant influence on psychiatry's approach to religion and spirituality. Clinical Foundations -- Three chapters review how clinicians can integrate spiritual and religious perspectives in the basic clinical processes of assessment (gathering a religious or spiritual history); diagnosis and case formulation (including religious and spiritual factors); and treatment (including a review of ethical issues). Patients and Their Traditions -- Six chapters discuss Catholic and Protestant Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and secularists (atheists and agnostics), including a brief history, clinical implications of core beliefs, and variations of therapeutic encounters (both where patient and clinician share the same faith and where they do not) for each faith tradition. Worldview and Culture -- A concluding chapter reviews issues of a global culture where faiths once rarely encountered in North America are increasingly seen in clinical practice. This well-organized text sheds much-needed light on an area too often obscure to many clinicians, fostering a balanced integration of religion and spirituality in mental health training and practice. Bridging several disciplines in a novel way, this thought-provoking volume will find a diverse audience among mental health care students, educators, and professionals everywhere who seek to better integrate the religious and spiritual aspects of their patients' lives into assessment and treatment.

The Challenges of Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Psychotherapy

The Challenges of Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Psychotherapy PDF

Author: Francis A. Martin

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2024-04-23

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 1040019803

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This book examines personal and professional understandings of religion in psychotherapy and advocates for integrity, competency, and cultural pluralism in clinical practice. A major feature of this book is that it confirms the massive proliferation of religion-oriented approaches to counseling and therapy in recent years. It attributes this rise to opportunism and exaggerated individualism among therapists and to the frequent failures of professional associations, clinical preparation programs, and other influences. In response to these influences, it identifies the need for guiding principles for integrating religion into therapy, discusses the religious issues that clients bring to therapy, and advocates for major changes in clinical practice, with emphasis on integrity and competence. Building on a large volume of research and using evidence-based conclusions, it clarifies how these two major features of contemporary life can be integrated with integrity and competence. The author maintains that religion should be a feature of the practice of counseling and therapy, so long as it addresses the clinically relevant needs of clients. However, it also explores how the religion of counselors and therapists often expresses the needs of counselors and therapists, instead of addressing the needs of their clients. In the context of these questions and discussion of contentious challenges, this book provides guidelines for relating religion with clinical practice and recommends needed actions by clinical preparation programs, professional associations, individual therapists, state legislatures, licensing boards, social service agencies, and corporations. All of this stands on the conspicuous need for professional accountability in the delivery of mental health care.

Spirituality, Religiousness and Health

Spirituality, Religiousness and Health PDF

Author: Giancarlo Lucchetti

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-09-03

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 3030212211

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This book provides an overview of the research on spirituality, religiousness and health, including the most important studies, conceptualization, instruments for measurement, types of studies, challenges, and criticisms. It covers essential information on the influence of spirituality and religiousness (S/R) in mental and physical health, and provides guidance for its use in clinical practice. The book discusses the clinical implications of the research findings, including ethical issues, medical/health education, how to take a spiritual history, and challenges in addressing these issues, all based on studies showing the results of incorporating S/R in clinical practice. It contains case reports to facilitate learning, and suggests educational strategies to facilitate teaching S/R to health professionals and students.

Integrating Spirituality and Religion Into Counseling

Integrating Spirituality and Religion Into Counseling PDF

Author: Craig S. Cashwell

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2014-12-01

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 1119025877

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In this book, experts in the field discuss how spiritual and religious issues can be successfully integrated into counseling in a manner that is respectful of client beliefs and practices. Designed as an introductory text for counselors-in-training and clinicians, it describes the knowledge base and skills necessary to effectively engage clients in an exploration of their spiritual and religious lives to further the therapeutic process. Through an examination of the 2009 ASERVIC Competencies for Addressing Spiritual and Religious Issues in Counseling and the use of evidence-based tools and techniques, this book will guide you in providing services to clients presenting with these deeply sensitive and personal issues. Numerous strategies for clinical application are offered throughout the book, and new chapters on mindfulness, ritual, 12-step spirituality, prayer, and feminine spirituality enhance application to practice. *Requests for digital versions from the ACA can be found on wiley.com. *To request print copies, please visit the ACA website here: https://imis.counseling.org/store/detail.aspx?id=78161 *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to [email protected]

Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Practice

Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Practice PDF

Author: Cassandra Vieten

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Published: 2015-09-01

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 162625107X

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Spirituality lies at the heart of many clients' core values, and helps shape their perception of themselves and the world around them. In this book, two clinical psychologists provide a much-needed, research-based road map to help professionals appropriately address their clients’ spiritual or religious beliefs in treatment sessions. More and more, it has become essential for mental health professionals to understand and competently navigate clients' religious and spiritual beliefs in treatment. In Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Practice, you’ll find sixteen research-based guidelines and best practices to help you provide effective therapy while being conscious of your clients' unique spiritual or cultural background. With this professional resource as your guide, you will be prepared to: Take a spiritual and religious history when treating a client Attend to spiritual or religious topics in a clinical setting Hold clear ethical boundaries regarding your own religious or spiritual beliefs Know when and how to make referrals if topics emerge which are beyond the scope of your competence This book is a must-read for any mental health professional looking to develop spiritual, religious, and cultural competencies.

The Power of Spirituality in Therapy

The Power of Spirituality in Therapy PDF

Author: Peter A Kahle

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-07-16

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 1317718526

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Factor your clients' religious beliefs into their therapy! A recent Gallup poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed said they would prefer to receive counseling from a therapist who is religious. The Power of Spirituality in Therapy: Integrating Spiritual and Religious Beliefs in Mental Health Practice addresses the apprehensions many clinicians have when it comes to discussing God with their clients. Authors Peter A. Kahle and John M. Robbins draw from their acclaimed workshops on the integration of spirituality and psychotherapy to teach therapists how they can help clients make positive life changes that are consistent with their values and spiritual and/or religious orientations. The Power of Spirituality in Therapy combines psychotherapy, spirituality, and humor to examine the “pink elephants” of academia-Godphobia and institutional a-spiritualism. The book explores the “learned avoidance” that has historically limited therapists in their ability—and willingness—to engage clients in “God-talk” and presents clinicians with methods they can use to incorporate spirituality into psychotherapy. Topics such as truth, belief, postmodernism, open-mindedness, and all-inclusiveness are examined through empirical findings, practical steps and cognitive processes, and clinical stories. The Power of Spirituality in Therapy includes: To Be (Ethical) or Not to Be? WHAT is the Question? To Believe or Not to Believe? That is NOT the Question! The Deification of Open-Mindedness Learning From Our Clients In God Do Therapists Trust? and much more! The Power of Spirituality in Therapy is an essential resource for therapists, counselors, mental health practitioners, pastoral counselors, and social work professionals who deal with clients who require therapy that reflects the importance of God in their lives. This guide will help those brave enough to explore how their own spiritual beliefs and/or biases can create problems when working with those clients.

Making Health Care Whole

Making Health Care Whole PDF

Author: Christina Puchalski

Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press

Published: 2011-06-01

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1599473712

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In the last fifteen years, the field of palliative care has experienced a surge in interest in spirituality as an important aspect of caring for seriously ill and dying patients. While spirituality has been generally recognized as an essential dimension of palliative care, uniformity of spiritual care practice has been lacking across health care settings due to factors like varying understandings and definitions of spirituality, lack of resources and practical tools, and limited professional education and training in spiritual care. In order to address these shortcomings, more than forty spiritual and palliative care experts gathered for a national conference to discuss guidelines for incorporating spirituality into palliative care. Their consensus findings form the basis of Making Health Care Whole. This important new resource provides much-needed definitions and charts a common language for addressing spiritual care across the disciplines of medicine, nursing, social work, chaplaincy, psychology, and other groups. It presents models of spiritual care that are broad and inclusive, and provides tools for screening, assessment, care planning, and interventions. This book also advocates a team approach to spiritual care, and specifies the roles of each professional on the team. Serving as both a scholarly review of the field as well as a practical resource with specific recommendations to improve spiritual care in clinical practice, Making Health Care Whole will benefit hospices and palliative care programs in hospitals, home care services, and long-term care services. It will also be a valuable addition to the curriculum at seminaries, schools of theology, and medical and nursing schools.