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Spirituality—our relationship with the sacred—is expressed through our beliefs, practices, emotions, values, and relationships. Spirituality can play a vital role in understanding the problems clients face and the solutions they seek in psychotherapy. This volume brings together top scholars who show how therapists can ethically and competently integrate spiritual perspectives and interventions into their practices and thereby more effectively treat clients from diverse religious, spiritual, racial, and cultural backgrounds. The chapters present research, clinical guidance, and case studies representing a wide variety of approaches and settings, including community mental health centers, private practice offices, hospitals and medical clinics, universities, and prisons. Given the important role that spirituality plays in many people's lives, this book will help practitioners bring attention, sensitivity, and evidence-based knowledge about the spiritual dimension into their psychotherapy practice.

Faith-Based ACT for Christian Clients balances empirical evidence with theology to give mental health professionals a deep understanding of both the'why'and'how'of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for Christians. The new edition includes updated discussions in each chapter, more than 20 new and updated exercises, and new chapters on couples and trauma.The book includes a detailed exploration of the overlap between ACT and the Christian faith, case studies, and techniques that are explicitly designed to be accessible to both non-Christian and Christian (including evangelical Christian) counselors and therapists. Chapters also present the established research on Buddhist-influenced mindfulness meditation and newer research on Christian-derived meditative and contemplative practices and lay a firm theological foundation through the use of engaging biblical stories and metaphors.

The power of faith intersects with the practicality of counseling in this unique partnership of a faith/worship leader and a therapist as they offer a pathway for readers to find help, hope, healing, and freedom while navigating life's struggles.No one is immune from life's difficulties, yet many people are reluctant to talk about mental health or seek professional help when they are struggling. People of faith who are battling issues such as anxiety, depression, life changes, stress, or relationship problems may suffer in silence, believing things will get better if only their faith was stronger, they prayed more, or they had more self-discipline. The stigma about needing to seek help is all too real.But seeking professional help isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign that someone is serious about moving forward emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Written by producer, artist, and author Anthony Evans, along with licensed psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser, When Faith Meets Therapy dispels the cultural myths and stigmas that surround professional therapy;shares stories from the authors'personal experiences and from others who are facing life's challenges; andprovides practical steps that readers can take in the pursuit of emotional, relational, and spiritual progress.Anthony and Stacy met five years ago when he was seeking emotional and relational healing of his own. Stacy led Anthony through a process of internal renovation and continues as his personal therapist. When Faith Meets Therapy contains priceless, practical knowledge to break stereotypes that surround therapy while also offering immeasurable hope and encouragement.

The New York Times bestselling author of the classic The Care of the Soul addresses the needs of those providing soul care to others—therapists, psychiatrists, ministers, spiritual directors, teachers, and even friends—sharing his insights for incorporating a spiritual or soulful dimension into their work and practices.Soul Therapy is the culmination of Thomas Moore's work. In his previous acclaimed books, he explored the soul in important areas of our lives—work, sex, marriage, family, religion, and aging. In this wise guide, he now returns to his core vocation: teaching practitioners—therapists, psychiatrists, ministers, spiritual directors, and others—how to offer soul care to those they assist.A training manual infused with a lifetime's worth of wisdom, Soul Therapy is divided into five sections: What therapy or “soul care” is and how it works;What soul work is required of the helper to be able to address the needs of others;How to access and move forward the spiritual dimension;How to apply this work to specific areas, such as work, marriage, parenting, or teaching;How to deal with other issues that arise, such as developing a therapeutic style, dealing with one's shadow, and the need for self-care. Profound yet practical, enlightened yet grounded in real-world experience, Soul Therapy will become a definitive resource for caregivers and practitioners for years to come.

This book examines the interaction of spiritual and psychoanalytic lineages with psychotherapy in everyday practice. Written by a team of seasoned clinicians and illustrated through clinical vignettes, chapters explore topics pertaining to the mystical dimensions of psychological and spiritual life and how it may be integrated into clinical practice. Topics discussed include dreams, dissociation, creativity, therapeutic relationship, free association, transcendence, poetry, paradox, doubleness, loss, death, grief, mystery, embodiment and soul. The authors, clinicians with decades of experience in psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and spiritual practice, draw from their deep engagement with spirituality and psychoanalysis, focusing on a particular theme and its application to clinical work that is supported by the generative conversation among these lineages. At once applied and theoretical, this book weaves insights from the heart of Vajrayana Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Catholicism, Ecumenicism, Integral Spirituality, Judaism, Kabbalah, Non-violence, Sufism and Vedanta. They are in conversation with psychoanalytic perspectives including Jungian, Post-Jungian, Winnicottian, Bionian, Post-Bionian and Relational. A felt sense of the spiritual psyche in clinical practice emerges from this conversation among spiritual and psychoanalytic lineages, beckoning clinicians ever further on the path of spiritually rooted, psychodynamic practice.

Religiosity and spirituality (R/S) represent a very important factor of daily life for many individuals across different cultures and contexts. It is associated with lower rates of depression, suicide, mortality, and substance abuse, and is positively correlated with well-being and quality of life. Despite growing academic recognition and scientific literature on these connections this knowledge has not been translated into clinical practice. Part of the expanding Oxford Cultural Psychiatry series, Spirituality and Mental Health Across Cultures is a timely exploration of the implications of R/S on mental health. Written and edited by 38 experts in the fields of spirituality and mental health from 11 countries, covering a wide range of cultural and geographical perspectives, this unique resource assesses how mental health relates to world religions, agnosticism, atheism, and spiritualism unaffiliated with organised religion, with a practical touch. Across 25 chapters, this resource provides readers with a succinct and trustworthy review of the latest research and how this can be applied to clinical care. The first section covers the principles and fundamental questions that relate science, history, philosophy, neuroscience, religion, and spirituality with mental health. The second section discusses the main beliefs and practices related to world religions and their implications to mental health. The third reviews the impact of R/S on specific clinical situations and offers practical guidance on how to handle these appropriately, such as practical suggestions for assessing and integrating R/S in personal history anamnesis or psychotherapy.

This book brings together the historically separate domains of mental health and spiritual awareness in a holistic framework called InnerView Guidance. Building on strength-based and solution-oriented approaches to therapy, the InnerView model offers a unique psychospiritual approach which can be applied in any of the helping professions.InnerView recognizes the individual's need for internal cohesion between psychological growth and spiritual development. It is a principle-driven paradigm that foregrounds ‘soul work'as a central evolutionary task. The book presents the core concepts and methodology involved in the alignment of ego with soul. Chapters explain the theoretical roots of the model, explore practical applications in therapeutic settings, and introduce InnerView as a rich synergy of psychotherapy and spiritual guidance.Taking an original and cutting-edge approach, this valuable text will be essential reading for scholars and students, as well as practitioners in the fields of psychotherapy, counselling, life coaching, social work, and spiritual care.

Spiritual and existential struggles tell a story about the quality of clients'lives, beyond what clinicians can learn from their mental health symptoms alone. This book presents the relational spirituality model (RSM) of psychotherapy, a creative clinical process that engages existential themes to help people make sense of profound suffering or trauma. To promote healing and growth, practitioners using the RSM provide a secure yet challenging therapeutic space, while guiding clients as they explore ways of relating to the sacred in their lives. In this model, therapeutic change is seen as an intense yet safe process of movement and tension between dwelling and seeking, stability and disruption. Assessment and intervention strategies focus on developmental systems—attachment, differentiation, and intersubjectivity—to restructure relationships with the self, others, and the sacred. In‑depth clinical case examples demonstrate how to respect diverse client perspectives on suffering and trauma, and apply the RSM in individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy. Readers will find new ways of working within the spiritual, existential, religious, and theological concerns that infuse their clients'struggles and triumphs.

This key text presents an accessible and diverse exploration of spirituality in mental health practice, broadening the definition of spirituality to comprise a variety of transcendent experiences. Chapters include a brief history of the tensions of spirituality in mental health practice and consider a range of emerging topics, from spirituality among the elderly and energy work (Reiki), to spirituality in addiction recovery, incarceration, and hospice work. The book offers a close examination of the limits of the medical model of care, making a case for a more spiritually sensitive practice. Rich case examples are woven throughout, and the book is paired with podcasts that can be applied across chapters, illuminating the narrative stories and building active listening and teaching skills. Suitable for students of social work and counseling at master's level, as well as practicing clinicians, Spirituality in Mental Health Practice is an essential text for widening our understanding of how spiritual frameworks can enrich mental health practice.

This book explores how Western European psychotherapists, interviewed between 2016 and 2019, understand spirituality and how they address spiritual matters in clinical sessions. By studying a purposive sample of 15 clinicians from Spain, England, Switzerland, Greece, Norway and Denmark, it was found that these shared similar views about spirituality, understood as dynamic, fluid and independent from religion. The interviewed psychotherapists showed great variation in their psychotherapy trainings, theoretical background and spiritual stances. However, the participants'rich narratives illustrate that independently from their personal and professional background they all approached spiritual matters from a client centered, humanistic perspective. Spirituality was often addressed heuristically, integrating different approaches in a creative manner through an array of interventions. Differences in the participants'religious and cultural background did not appear to determine the clinicians'views and approaches. Recommendations for practice are discussed, stressing the relevance of implementing a non-materialistic scientific paradigm that acknowledges different personal experiences, as a source of spiritual knowledge. The importance of keeping a non-judgmental perspective and the need to acknowledge views and practices of those considering themselves as spiritual but not religious are also highlighted. Different audiences may find this book relevant, for instance psychotherapists and those in charge of psychotherapy training programs wishing to integrate a spiritual perspective in clinical work independent from religious doctrines. Likewise, those interested in historical perspectives about the traditional exclusion of spirituality from clinical work as well as the current re-integration of non- dogmatic, fluid spiritual perspectives may find relevant information. The theoretical discussions and methodological explanations could be of interest for those considering to implement thematic analysis or to pursue qualitative studies from a collaborative and reflexive stance.

Using Spirituality in Psychotherapy: The Heart Led Approach to Clinical Practice offers a means for therapists to integrate a spiritual perspective into their clinical practice. The book provides a valuable alternative to traditional forms of psychotherapy by placing an emphasis on purpose and meaning. Introducing a new spiritually-informed model, Heart Led Psychotherapy (HLP), the book uses a BioPsychoSocialSpiritual approach to treat psychological distress. When clients experience challenges, trauma or attachment difficulties, this can create blocks and restrictions which result in repeated patterns of behaviours and subsequent psychological distress. Based on the premise that everyone is on an individual life journey, HLP teaches clients to become an observer, identifying the life lesson that they are being asked to understand or experience. The model can be used whether a client has spiritual beliefs or not, enabling them to make new choices that are in keeping with their authentic selves, and to live a more fulfilled and peaceful life.Illustrated by case studies to highlight key points, and including a range of practical resource exercises and strategies, this engaging book will have wide appeal to therapists and clinicians from a variety of backgrounds.

Der Umgang mit Glaubensfragen, Spiritualität und Religion in der Psychotherapie ist seit einiger Zeit in der Diskussion. Dürfen spirituell-religiöse Sehnsüchte der Patientinnen in der Richtlinien-Psychotherapie zur Sprache kommen? Wie können sie hilfreich einbezogen werden? Patientinnen der Psychotherapeutin und DaseinsanalytikerinGisela Ana Cöppicus Lichtsteiner haben dramatische spirituell-religiöse Erfahrungen im Rahmen von therapeutischen Imaginationen gemacht, obwohl sie weder christlich noch spirituell-esoterisch orientiert sind. Sie erlebten Heilung auch dort, wo die Hoffnung fast aufgegeben war. Im Zentrum dieses praxisorientierten und theoretisch fundierten Fachbuchs stehen fünf ausführliche Fallgeschichten, die zeigen, wie religiös-spirituelle Fragen, Anliegen und Sehnsüchte, oft aus existentiellen Notsituationen heraus, hilfreich ins gemeinsame therapeutische Blickfeld geraten und heilende Wirkung entfalten können. Jede Fallgeschichte wird durch einen theoretischen Exkurs ergänzt.

Evil Eye, Jinn Possession, and Mental Health Issues raises awareness of the cultural considerations, religion and spirituality involved in the assessment of Muslim patients with mental health problems. The belief that Jinn spirits can cause mental illness in humans through affliction or possession is widely accepted among Muslims, meaning this belief is a crucial, but frequently overlooked, aspect of mental health problems with Muslim patients in psychiatric care. This book explores the nature of such beliefs, their relationship to mental health and the reasons for their importance in clinical practice.The book argues that it is vital to consider mental disorders as a multifactorial affair, in which spiritual, social, psychological and physical factors may all play a role. It suggests differential diagnostic skills may have an important part to play in offering help to those who believe their problems are caused by possession, and provides accessible literature on clinical issues and practice, interventions, management and evidence-based practice to help health workers achieve a better understanding of Muslim beliefs about possession and how to work with patients that hold such beliefs.Evil Eye, Jinn Possession, and Mental Health Issues is an essential manual for mental health professionals, social workers and psychologists. It should also be of interest to academics and students in the healthcare sciences.

Spirituality is an important part of many clients'lives. It can be a resource for stabilization, healing, and growth. It can also be the cause of struggle and even harm. More and more therapists—those who consider themselves spiritual and those who do not—recognize the value of addressing spirituality in therapy and increasing their skill for engaging it ethically and effectively. In this immensely practical book, Russell Siler Jones helps therapists feel more competent and confident about having spiritual conversations with clients. With a refreshing, down-to-earth style, he describes how to recognize the diverse explicit and implicit ways spirituality can appear in psychotherapy, how to assess the impact spirituality is having on clients, how to make interventions to maximize its healthy impact and lessen its unhealthy impact, and how therapists can draw upon their own spirituality in ethical and skillful ways. He includes extended case studies and clinical dialogue so readers can hear how spirituality becomes part of case conceptualization and what spiritual conversation actually sounds like in psychotherapy. Jones has been a therapist for nearly 30 years and has trained therapists in the use of spirituality for over a decade. He writes about a complex topic with an elegant simplicity and provides how-to advice in a way that encourages therapists to find their own way to apply it. Spirit in Session is a pragmatic guide that therapists will turn to again and again as they engage their clients in one of the most meaningful and consequential dimensions of human experience.

Christian Psychotherapy in Context combines theology with the latest research in clinical psychology to equip mental health practitioners to meet the unique psychological and spiritual needs of Christian clients. Encouraging therapists to operate from within a Christian framework, the authors explore the intersection between a Christian worldview and clients'emotional struggles, drawing from sources including both foundational theological texts and the “common factors” psychotherapy literature. Written collaboratively by two clinical psychologists, an academic psychologist, and a theologian, this book paves the way for psychotherapeutic practice that builds on Christian principles as the foundation, rather than merely adding them to treatment as an afterthought.

This insightful work answers essential questions in family therapy by exploring the ethical use of religion and spirituality in the clinical context. Its justice-informed framework explores how to employ the spiritual as a source of resilience and empowerment as well as counter harmful spiritual and religious influences in situations that cause families and couples stress, particularly relating to gender, sexuality, race, culture, and identity. Powerful case studies show therapists and clients collaborating on meaning-making and comfort in the face of longstanding conflict, acute and chronic illness, estrangement, and loss. Coverage also explores the ethical responsibilities of determining whether beliefs are helpful or harmful to client mental health and offers guidelines for therapists navigating personal biases regarding faith. This vital text:· Spotlights the influence of an often-overlooked aspectof mental health· Provides detailed examples of religion and spirituality across diverse families and issues· Outlines practical strategies for integrating helpful aspects of clients'relationship with the sacred into treatment· Offers a framework for countering harmful aspects of clients'religious beliefs or practices· Includes interventions used with couples, parents/children, and other family units· Adds a socially just perspective on the spiritual dimension of mind/body concerns· Encourages readers'professional development and self-reflection Addressing critical issues where belief frequently takes center stage, Socially JustReligious and Spiritual Interventions is an invaluable resource for family therapists, psychotherapists, and other professionals pursuing a socially just, clinically relevant approach to spiritual and religious therapeutic integration.

Die interdisziplinär angelegte caritaswissenschaftliche Studie rückt Religiosität bzw. Spiritualität (im Sinne von Offenheit für Transzendenz, Sinn, das Ganze, Werthaltungen, ein transzendentes Gegenüber …) als klinisch ernst zu nehmende Dimension in den Fokus. Sie erörtert die anthropologische Frage, inwiefern diese Dimension eine zu beachtende Möglichkeit des Menschseins darstellt, und diskutiert im internationalen Vergleich berufsethische Fragen und Richtlinien sowie den empirischen Forschungsstand. Im Zentrum stehen die Ergebnisse einer über 18 Monate durchgeführten Patientenbefragung an der Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie der Uniklinik Freiburg/Br. und Konsequenzen für die Versorgung von Menschen mit psychischen Störungen in Klinikseelsorge und multidisziplinärer Spiritual Care.

This new collection explores the intersection of spiritual direction and counselling. It considers the ways in which they can enhance each other to provide better therapeutic and pastoral care.

Stories and practices from the casebook of pioneering transpersonal psychotherapist Ralph Metzner • Shows how psychological problems often derive from factors not considered in conventional psychotherapy, such as prenatal imprints and ancestral connections • Shares 15 detailed case histories from Metzner's more than 50 years of practice • Describes how guided imagery meditations, yogic light-fire practices, and selective use of entheogenic substances can be integrated with transpersonal psychotherapy and bring about deep healing Drawing on more than 50 years'experience as a transpersonal psychotherapist, Ralph Metzner explores the spiritual overtones, karmic undercurrents, and ancestral connections that shape our individual psychologies. Sharing 15 detailed histories from his casebook and the innovative practices he uses in his therapeutic sessions, Metzner shows how the psychological problems we confront often derive from factors not considered in conventional psychotherapy, such as birth trauma, unconscious imprints from prenatal existence, memories from past lives, ancestral and familial soul connections, and even psychic intrusions. The case histories he describes include a wide spectrum of practices, such as the use of quiet meditative retreat, guided regressions, as well as imagery visualizations amplified by entheogens. He describes how tuning in with the spiritual overtones of our being and the karmic undercurrents of our lives can resolve issues such as a fear of intimacy, help heal the after-effects of abuse and abortion, reconcile estranged parental and ancestral relationships, dissolve fears left over from past incarnations, and convert malignant presences into protective allies. In addition to guided meditations, visualizations, and yogic light-fire exercises, the practices in his psychotherapy sessions at times include the selective use of small amounts of psychedelics, mind-expanding substances functioning to amplify awareness of the subtler realms of consciousness. Part of each case history gives a description of the particular visualization used, adding to the book's practical use as a guidebook for transpersonal psychotherapists. Through the healing experiences he describes, Metzner reveals how attending to karmic undercurrents and spiritual overtones can often bring about a peaceful resolution to long-standing distress and spiritual alienation.

Eine Konstante im Leben des Psychotherapeuten und Theologen Arnold Mettnitzer ist die Spiritualität. Dabei versteht er sie – fernab von Glaubensdogmen ¬ als das Teilen von dem, was einen bewegt, mit seinen Mitmenschen. So kann und soll sie im Alltag in der unmittelbaren Lebenswelt eines jeden spürbar werden. Dieses Buch ist auch eine Rückschau: Anlässlich seines 65. Geburtstag reflektiert der Autor prägende Stationen seines Lebens und verknüpft diese Meilensteine auf vielfältige Weise mit seinem Spiritualitätsverständnis. Die Texte laden die Leser dazu ein, in sich selbst hinein zu spüren; sind aber auch eine (ent)spannende und inspirierende Lektüre.

Spiritually Transformative Psychotherapy offers fresh insights into counseling people with diverse spiritual and religious philosophies. Grounded in theory and research, this text focuses on building contemplative methods like meditation into practice and provides valuable applications to help clients work toward forgiveness, resolving spiritual conflicts between partners, and ultimately achieving spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

This book addresses the need for maturational growth in undergraduate and entry-level graduate students as a foundation for professional and civic development. It presents an engaged learning curriculum for higher education, Know Your Self, which strengthens psychological resilience and interpersonal community-building skills through person-centered growth in five dimensions of self: bio-behavioral, cognitive-sociocultural, social-emotional, existential-spiritual, and resilient worldview formation. This growth promotes well-being and a positive campus culture, preparing students to build cultures of health, social justice, and peace in the social systems where they will work and live. This project emerged from Kass'professional work in humanistic psychology with Dr. Carl Rogers. Case studies and statistical data illustrate the formation of health-promoting, pro-social behaviors, culturally-inclusive community building, and secure existential attachment. This book will help facultyand student life professionals address the urgent need in young adults for person-centered psychospiritual maturation.

Das deutschsprachige Referenzwerk zu allen Fragen rund um das Thema spirituelle Krisen in der therapeutischen und Beratungspraxis. Spiritualität als Suche nach Sinn und Bedeutung des eigenen Seins ist ein menschliches Grundbedürfnis. Persönliche Schicksalsschläge oder existenzielle Fragen, die sich innerhalb eines materialistischen Weltbilds nur unzureichend beantworten lassen, können dieses Bedürfnis verstärken und den Wunsch nach einer Neuorientierung wachrufen. Verbindet sich dies mit einer unkritischen Anwendung von spirituell-meditativen Techniken können sich krisenhafte Zuspitzungen ergeben, in denen Sie als Wegbegleiter oder Therapeut gefordert sind. - Wodurch werden Sinnfragen, Grenzerfahrungen oder das Streben nach Bewusstseinsentfaltung zu einer behandlungsbedürftigen spirituellen Krise? - Welchen Verlauf können spirituelle Krisen nehmen? - Wie können Betroffene bestmöglich betreut und behandelt werden? Neben diesen zentralen Fragen beantworten die Herausgeberinnen mit einem interdisziplinären Team ausgewiesener Experten ein breites Fragenspektrum rund um das Thema spirituelle Entwicklung und mögliche Gefährdungen – für Psychotherapeuten, Psychiater, Berater, Seelsorger und andere, die Menschen in spirituellen Krisen begleiten, ein unverzichtbares Referenzwerk. - Praktische Unterstützung für die professionelle Begleitung durch erprobte und etablierte Behandlungsansätze und Hinweise auf relevante Anlaufstellen und Ressourcen - Up to date durch gezieltes Nachschlagen aktueller Erkenntnisse aus Theorie, Forschung und Praxis - Gebündelte wissenschaftliche, psychotherapeutische und erfahrungsbasierte Expertise durch Beteiligung namhafter Fachvertreter, Repräsentanten eines renommierten spirituellen Zentrums und semi-professioneller unterstützender Netzwerke

Ritual scholars note that rituals have powerful psychological, social and even biological effects, but these findings have not yet been integrated into the practice of psychotherapy and psychiatry. In Healing Symbols in Psychotherapy Erik D. Goodwyn attempts to rectify this by reviewing the most pertinent work done in the area of ritual study and applying it to the practice of psychotherapy and psychiatry, providing a new framework with which to approach therapy. The book combines ritual study with depth psychology, placebo study, biogenetic structuralism and cognitive anthropology to create a model of interdisciplinary psychology.Goodwyn uses examples of rituals from history, folklore and cross-cultural study and uncovers the universal themes embedded within them as well as their psychological functions. As ritual scholars show time and again how Western culture and medicine is ‘ritually impoverished'the application of ritual themes to therapy yields many new avenues for healing. The interdisciplinary model used here suggests new ways to approach problems with basic identity, complicated grief, anxiety, depression meaninglessness and a host of other problems encountered in clinical work.The interdisciplinary approach of this accessibly-written book will appeal to psychotherapists, psychiatrists and Jungian analysts as well as those in training and readers with an interest in the science behind ritual.

Faith-Based ACT for Christian Clients balances empirical evidence with theology to give clinicians a deep understanding of not just the'why'but also the'how'of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Christian clients. Chapters include a detailed exploration of the overlap between ACT and the Christian faith, case studies, and techniques that are explicitly designed to be accessible to non-Christian as well as Christian (including evangelical Christian) counselors and therapists. Chapters present the established research on mindfulness and ACT, including a nuanced, non-dichotomous view of complex issues such as medication, and lay a firm theological foundation through the use of engaging biblical stories and metaphors.

Spirituality as a Working Model in Brief Psychotherapy is a practical book that describes easily applicable methods for use by nontheologically trained therapists. The focus is on brief psychotherapy, since long-term treatment is no longer possible for many individuals today living busy lives on a limited budget. The book is unique in its approach involving real-life encounters between patients and therapists with years of experience in both spirituality and psychotherapy. While there are other books in the field of spirituality and psychotherapy, they are written from a traditional Freudian-based philosophy and do not include practical, easily applicable methods for use when time is limited. Most assume a traditional longer commitment by both therapist and patient, which today is often unrealistic. The authors of this book come from multiple disciplines including pastoral counseling, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, social work, and theology. Major areas of presentation include: Spirituality as a Multidimensional Model for Psychotherapy; The Ubiquity of Spirituality; Dynamics of Faith: Understanding Religion and Spirituality; Spirituality and the Therapist; Counseling Body/Soul Persons; Energy of Change; Spiritual Competence in a Medical Setting; Rituals and Symbols in Brief Psychotherapy; Working through the Steps of Spiritual Development; and Ethics in Spiritually Based Psychotherapy. The primary audience for this text is students in all the human behavior fields, professional counselors, clergy, chaplains, as well as professionals already in practice looking for better ways to achieve real results using brief psychotherapy. Each of the 11 chapters contains many practical applications for therapists.

While it is easy to see the emotional benefits of forgiveness, actually forgiving a transgressor can be difficult. And the process may be either helped or hindered by the way one relates to the sacred. In this book, Worthington and Sandage bring together decades of experience as both researchers and clinicians to show when and why forgiveness and spiritual transformation might be appropriate goals for clients in psychotherapy, as well as how to facilitate these processes. Applications are described for short-term therapy, long-term therapy, couple and family therapy, and group therapy.

This collection considers how spiritual accompaniment and counselling can inform each other to improve therapeutic relationships and the spiritual dimension of care across professions.

Elfie Hinterkopf explains how the Experiential Focusing Method enables counselors and spiritual directors to integrate the spiritual dimension in their counseling effectively and provides practical information for its application.

Since the late nineteenth century, religious ideas and practices in Japan have become increasingly intertwined with those associated with mental health and healing. This relationship developed against the backdrop of a far broader, and deeply consequential meeting: between Japan's long-standing, Chinese-influenced intellectual and institutional forms, and the politics, science, philosophy, and religion of the post-Enlightenment West. In striving to craft a modern society and culture that could exist on terms with – rather than be subsumed by – western power and influence, Japan became home to a religion--psy dialogue informed by pressing political priorities and rapidly shifting cultural concerns.This book provides a historically contextualized introduction to the dialogue between religion and psychotherapy in modern Japan. In doing so, it draws out connections between developments in medicine, government policy, Japanese religion and spirituality, social and cultural criticism, regional dynamics, and gender relations. The chapters all focus on the meeting and intermingling of religious with psychotherapeutic ideas and draw on a wide range of case studies including: how temple and shrine ‘cures'of early modern Japan fared in the light of German neuropsychiatry; how Japanese Buddhist theories of mind, body, and self-cultivation negotiated with the findings of western medicine; how Buddhists, Christians, and other organizations and groups drew and redrew the lines between religious praxis and psychological healing; how major European therapies such as Freud's fed into self-consciously Japanese analyses of and treatments for the ills of the age; and how distress, suffering, and individuality came to be reinterpreted across the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, from the southern islands of Okinawa to the devastated northern neighbourhoods of the Tohoku region after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters of March 2011.Religion and Psychotherapy in Modern Japan will be welcomed by students and scholars working across a broad range of subjects, including Japanese culture and society, religious studies, psychology and psychotherapy, mental health, and international history.

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 clientAttend to spiritual or religious topics in a clinical settingHold clear ethical boundaries regarding your own religious or spiritual beliefsKnow when and how to make referrals if topics emerge which are beyond the scope of your competenceThis book is a must-read for any mental health professional looking to develop spiritual, religious, and cultural competencies.

This edited collection addresses how therapy can engage with issues of race, culture, religion and spirituality. It is a response to the need for practitioners to further their understanding and skills base in developing ways of appropriately responding to the interconnectivity of these evolving issues.

In The Skillful Soul of the Psychotherapist, master clinicians reflect on their core spiritualvalues, beliefs, experiences, and the role these play in psychotherapy. Reflections by Nancy McWilliams,David Wallin, and Salman Akhtar are responded to by scholars representing a substantial range of psychological, spiritual, religious, and theological perspectives. The ensuing scholarly, clinical dialogue advances the idea that a psychotherapist's formative spiritual experiences and core values both deeply influence and are simultaneously influenced by the therapeutic relationships and healing work that constitute his or her clinical practice. Through this addressing of the interplay between these master clinicians'inner wisdom and the therapeutic process, readers will see demonstrated firsthand the vital importance of the psychotherapist's spiritual life for creative and effective clinical work. This volume will also provide the opportunity for both experienced and training psychotherapists to enrich their own clinical practice via a more robust engagement in the points of contact and resonance that exist between their work with clients and their own unique spiritual lives and experiences.

Learn to treat a variety of diagnostic disorders through various psychospiritual treatment models!Increasing numbers of people are moving beyond psychological therapy to seek alternative spiritual perspectives to medical and mental health care such as yoga and meditation. The Psychospiritual Clinician's Handbook: Alternative Methods for Understanding and Treating Mental Disorders provides the latest theoretical perspectives and practical applications by recognized experts in positive and integrative psychotherapy. Leading clinicians examine and re-examine their therapeutic worldviews and attitudes to focus on the right problems to solve—for the whole person.This essential Handbook is a window on the quiet revolution now sweeping the field of psychology, that of locating the whole human being in the center of the therapeutic process. The Psychospiritual Clinician's Handbook: Alternative Methods for Understanding and Treating Mental Disorders helps you effectively treat the whole person by providing a practical introduction to some of the worldviews and most effective practices like yoga, meditation, and humanological therapy used by psychospiritually oriented therapists. Helpful illustrations of body positions used in yoga and meditation plus photographs, tables, figures, and detailed case studies illustrate the process.The Psychospiritual Clinician's Handbook: Alternative Methods for Understanding and Treating Mental Disorders will show you: the importance of a therapist's worldview for effective therapeutic outcome new perspectives on alternative treatments for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, and sexual dysfunction how yoga and mindfulness meditation can be used in psychotherapy the use and integration of meditation therapies in emergency situations the therapeutic integration of other alternative treatments, such as Kundalini yoga each contributor's case studies as illustration of effective treatment The Psychospiritual Clinician's Handbook: Alternative Methods for Understanding and Treating Mental Disorders is an invaluable resource for those interested in treating patients with a therapeutic process that is effective, adaptable, and wholly transformational.

One of the few books on this topic, The Family, Spirituality, and Social Work offers mental health professionals new information and research for creating more positive, effective, and satisfying sessions. You will learn how integrating spirituality and therapy can create open and trusting environments where clients feel accepted, respected, and spiritually affirmed.Studies show that religion is not only a way for people to be closer to their god but is also a part of their identity that dictates what they do, how they think, and who they are. The Family, Spirituality, and Social Work will help you understand what religion means to your clients and discusses different methods of answering the questions, “What is religion?” and “How does religion affect our lives?” In addition, you will gain insight into: how a social constructionist perspective can create the most successful sessions for your patients cases studies of how therapists'personal biases, lack of adequate education, personal discomfort, and self-serving needs may contribute to problems and complications in therapy the importance of including spirituality in the education of social workers and other therapists in order to avoid problems and complications with clients the nine major components of spirituality, defined in psychological terms the guidance women may need in therapy to find themselves spiritually given male-centered biases and patriarchal values in many spiritual traditions the seven steps used to help women find their spirituality, including awakening and discovering, as well as a practice model that will help practitioners address women's spirituality how and why the relational systems model (RSM) can promote wholeness and growth in family therapy groupsProviding you with information on how people perceive religion and spirituality, The Family, Spirituality, and Social Work also features studies of the therapeutic needs of those with different religious beliefs. With this solid knowledge and understanding of religion and spirituality and how it may affect clients, you will create a trusting environment that enhances your clients'experiences and makes you a more successful practitioner.

Spiritualität ist für die einen ein Hingucker, für die anderen ein Weggucker. Die Psychologie hat sie allerdings bereits vor Jahren als ernstzunehmende Ressource in Therapie und Beratung entdeckt und wertet sie nicht mehr länger als verstaubtes Konzept oder gar als Ausdruck einer neurotischen Störung. Spiritualität ist eingebettet in ein spezifisch kulturelles Umfeld und dem psychischen Erleben einer Person.Es gibt jedoch noch wenig Fachbücher, die sich fundiert damit auseinandersetzen, wie die Ressource Spiritualität – die Praktiker wie Patienten zunehmend beschäftigt – professionell anzuwenden ist und wo die Grenzen sind. Unter bestimmten Umständen kann religiöses Erleben auch krankhafte Züge annehmen, deren Bearbeitung viel Einfühlung und Fachwissen erfordert. Das vorliegende Buch vermittelt Grundlagen zum Verständnis und zur therapeutischen Begleitung religiöser Menschen in psychischen Krisen. Dieses Buch schließt damit eine Lücke. Aus dem Inhalt:- Teil I Umgang mit Sinnfragen und Transzendenz in der Psychotherapie- Teil II Spiritualität aus psychotherapeutischer Sicht- Teil III Spiritualität in der psychotherapeutischen Praxis - Teil IV Berührungspunkte zwischen Psychotherapie und SpiritualitätGeschrieben für Psychotherapeuten in Klinik und Praxis, Psychiater, Mitarbeiter in Beratungsstellen, Seelsorger, interessierte Klienten.

Midwest Publishing Association Award of ExcellenceSince its origin in the early 1980s, the field of developmental psychopathology has become a highly influential framework for approaching the clinical treatment of children. Until now there has been no effort to integrate this framework with a Christian understanding of psychopathology.The essays in this volume break new ground by providing Christian mental health professionals with a theoretically and empirically sound basis for working with children, adolescents and families. Throughout the book, the authors explore three integrative themes, looking at children as divine gifts, as persons and as agents in their own development.Given the deep biblical and theological interest in children and the'least of these,'there is great potential in this integrative work for mutual enrichment. Christian insights help to prevent the scientific study of the developmental process from being reductive. At the same time, research into the biological, sociocultural and psychological dimensions of human development can serve to inform and guide Christian practices of care and hospitality toward children and families. Christianity and Developmental Psychopathology makes an important contribution to a conversation that is still in its infancy.Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Readers of this book should get a glimpse of the demons that drive them and the angels who are waiting at the entrance to the cave. They may find that the demons really want to be freed and that the angels are mere mortals with wings attached. So, there is nothing to be afraid of except not learning how to fly. Everyone carries an emotional truth, but some are still in the cave, while others are flying free ('The glory of God is a human being fully alive'--Irenaeus, 130-ca. 200). Cave dwellers can have visitors, and if a visitor happens to be a therapist (or someone else fully alive), light might flood the cave. Cave dwellers have symptoms, problems, and other glitches, but if the visitor can help the cave dweller to experience why the glitches are necessary to have, the cave person may be able to take a new position outside the cave. For more details, consult this book.

I invite you to come on a journey with me into one of the most important, yet often most neglected dimension of yourself, namely your heart. I want to help you discover, as I have slowly been discovering, that our hearts not only hold the key to our being able to live a fuller and more meaningful life, but also to our being able to play a part in helping heal our planet.'The change needed is a shift out of our primarily head-focus into becoming increasingly heart-centred, where we are connected to our hearts and are potentially capable of moving mountains. We are only going to be good activists if we have plenty of heart in our lives - if we are big hearted with a well-activated Heart. A culture of Heart is vital if we are to heal the many wounds and splits that exist between different classes, religions, tribes and nations. The book has been written from a place of great hope and joy, based on knowledge that our world is changing and that the planetary heart is at last awakening.

How often do you find moments of deep peace and satisfaction in your day-to-day life? How often does connection with other people, the divine, or nature make you feel more alive? How often are you touched by a sense of awe-inspiring beauty, compassionate love, or pure joy? For many of us, these kinds of experiences tend to be fleeting and all too rare. Fortunately, new research is suggesting that a regular practice of paying attention to experiences like these can help any of us find them more often and cultivate richer, deeper, and more satisfying lives. In Spiritual Connection in Daily Life, Lynn Underwood introduces her Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES), which is comprised of sixteen simple, multiple-choice questions that invite us to become more attuned tothese extraordinary experiences in ordinary life. The DSES is the definitive set of questions for measuring the experience of spiritual connection and has been used in hundreds of studies, translated into over twenty languages, and used around the world by counselors, therapists, nurses, social workers, clergy from multiple faiths, and business leaders. Spiritual Connection in Daily Life offers a step-by-step guide to using the DSES to improve our abilities to sense the “more than” in the midst of our days. Embraced by people from many different cultures, religious traditions, and professional backgrounds, the DSES doesn't require any extraordinary experience like hearing divine voices or embarking upon a dramatic religious conversion. Nor does it belabor the exact definition of “spirituality.” Rather, it simply invites us to focus on aspects of our daily lives such as deep peace, sense of inner strength, longing, and compassionate love. The sixteen questions also provide a common, nonpolarizing language for communicating with others about the role of the “more than” in our lives. Adherents of all faith traditions, as well as people with no religious leanings whatsoever, have experienced profound and lasting benefits from having these experiences, including improved health behaviors, better relationships, decreased stress and burnout, and improvements in daily mood. Now all of us can reap these same long-term benefits with just a little bit of self-reflection and Dr. Underwood's expert guidance.

'Written with great clarity and intelligence, this book will be of benefit to all mental health practitioners, students of psychology, and those seeking a better understanding of their own process of psychological and spiritual transformation.'—Tara Brach, PhD, Author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge'In this wonderful book, Rick Johnson weaves together different theoretical perspectives in a way that welcomes religion, spirituality, and nature into the counseling and psychotherapy process. It's a delight to read Dr. Johnson's approach—an approach that teaches therapists how to empathically explore spirituality as an important dimension of human existence.'—John Sommers-Flanagan, PhD, coauthor of Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice and Clinical Interviewing'Rick Johnson's book Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy is a rich introduction to the varied forms in which spiritual suffering enters the consulting room, the range of theories which address or fail to address this need, and specific attitudes and practices through which therapists can provide a non-doctrinal but open encounter with the spiritual needs of their clients.'—James Hollis, PhD, Jungian analyst, and author of fourteen books, among them What Matters Most: Living a More Considered Life A practical integration of psychology and spirituality that builds upon existing psychological theories While many clients want spiritual and philosophical issues to be addressed in therapy, many mental health professionals report that they feel ill-equipped to meet clients'needs in this area. Providing a model that is approachable from a variety of theoretical orientations, Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy supports therapists in becoming open to the unique ways that clients define, experience, and access life-affirming, spiritual beliefs and practices. Drawing on the author's research into spiritual issues as well as predictors of clients'psychological health, this reflective book presents an integrative approach to discussing the topic of spirituality. An essential resource for mental health professionals of all spiritual and religious persuasions, Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy discusses: Client-defined spirituality Integrating spirituality with psychological theories Why clients become spiritually lost Practical steps for spiritual health and abundance in therapy Helping clients reclaim their real self How spiritually oriented therapy helps Guidance for therapists in differentiating their spirituality from their clients'to foster a more successful therapeutic relationship Filled with numerous cases and stories illustrating how spirituality can be a natural and beneficial part of the therapeutic process, Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy enables mental health professionals to nonjudgmentally invite a collaborative exploration of the role of spirituality in their clients'lives.

The focus of this text is on the clinical aspects of pastoral psychotherapy—that is, those psychological understandings and approaches that provide the pastor, however he or she is defined, with the skills to understand the underlying dynamics of specific behavioral disorders people bring to them, as well as the art of working with and reeducating those in distress as to healthier, less self-defeating choices they can make in life. In this work, the personality theory, understanding of the dynamics of problematic behaviors, and therapy approach selected as the foundation for pastoral psychotherapy is the school of psychological thought of Alfred Adier. The text is divided into four parts. In Chapters 1-3, the basic principles of Individual Psychology are presented, introducing the pastor to the teleological system of Adier. Additional, the explanations of the dynamics of pathological are presented, with disorders ranging from the minor to the major. Further presented are select, important processes in Individual Psycholo-gy's method of psychotherapy. In Chapter 4, non-Adlerian approaches are discussed, affording the pastoral psychotherapist the option of expanding his or her repertoire of techniques if he or she feels comfortable employing them. Chapter 5 surveys areas of daily life that all people experience and encounter and presents spiritual understandings and guidance for the (pastor or) individual to use through his or her travels on this planet. Last, Chapter 6 offers a view and opinions as to what the next decade of pastoral psychotherapy may hold. The book will serve as a springboard for further investigation into the various areas covered. It will also assist pastors in their sacred task of spiritually and psychologically helping and healing the distressed.

Toward a Spiritual Psychotherapy collects a series of lectures presented by psychologist Hunter Beaumont over a 10-year period. Covering such themes as relationships, family, healing, grief, mourning, and death, the book features case stories that demonstrate clients'healing experiences. Practicing in Germany for the past 30 years, Hunter Beaumont has had the unique experience of working with World War II and Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Through this work he discovered that healing requires attending to the soul, a process he describes as an “inner ‘felt sense'and common, everyday dimension of experience.” Demonstrating how therapists can integrate this more spiritual approach into their practices, Beaumont highlights the particular successes of the innovative family constellations therapy. Developed by German psychologist Bert Hellinger and expanded by Beaumont and others, this therapy takes place in a group setting, with group members standing in for family members or others involved in the client's problem. A crucial part of Beaumont's spiritual psychotherapy practice, this method has helped many of his clients release and resolve profound tensions, and offers hope to readers recovering from trauma or PTSD, or simply trying to navigate life's difficulties.

Drawing on narrative, postmodern, and other therapeutic perspectives, this book guides therapists in exploring the creative and healing possibilities in clients'spiritual and religious experience. Vivid personal accounts and dialogues bring to life the ways spirituality may influence the stories told in therapy, the language and metaphors used, and the meanings brought to key relationships and events. Applications are discussed for a wide variety of clinical situations, including helping people resolve relationship problems, manage psychiatric symptoms, and cope with medical illnesses.

Spirituality and religion influence the way many clients interpret their life experiences. Recognizing this reality, Spiritually Oriented Interventions for Counseling and Psychotherapy offers mental health professionals an in-depth look at how to integrate both Western and Eastern spiritually oriented interventions into clinical practice. Through a series of carefully selected interventions, the book examines in detail how each can be utilized in an ethically and culturally sensitive manner with a diverse spectrum of clients who wish to address sacred themes in therapy. Each chapter presents practical strategies and clinical examples of how to successfully implement spiritually oriented interventions into treatment. Relevant theories and research findings are also included. This book will be a valuable tool for equipping mental health professionals to work with spiritually and religiously diverse clients.

Judaic Spiritual Psychotherapy is in the contemporary mode of utilizing the profound insights present in spiritual literature for psychotherapeutic use. Jewish spiritual writings are a rich source that encompasses three thousand years of scholarship and experience dealing with emotional problems. These insights can benefit all clients, not only those nurtured in the Jewish tradition. A whole range of topics include an introduction and history of this modern trend. The basic principles of this approach are clearly defined, and case histories are presented to further refine and clarify the method. In addition, meditation —- including some of its methods and basic, guiding principles —- is analyzed from a Jewish point of view. The topic of forgiveness and its relevance to psychotherapy is presented through the analysis of Simon Wiesenthal's The Sunflower, in which he discusses the morality of forgiving a dying SS soldier for his part in murdering Jews during World War II. Several prominent moral and religious authorities express their views, helping to clarify the role of forgiveness in the fabric of interpersonal relationships. The book concludes with a discussion of the place of values in the process of psychotherapy.

Jeder Einzeltext behandelt ein Thema aus dem Bereich des helfenden Handelns im Raum Kirche / Diakonie. Im Mittelpunkt stehen Fallstudien aus den verschiedenen Praxisbereichen. Das Autorenteam hat Menschen zum Mitschreiben eingeladen, die selbst über viel Praxis oder fachliche Einsichten in die Themenbereiche verfügen. So werden Erfahrungen nutzbar gemacht für eine milieuanalytische Perspektive auf die Themen und daraus auch für praktische Hinweise. So entsteht nicht nur ein Milieu-Zugang zu neuen Themen, sondern auch ein Pool von Vorbildern zur Analyse neuer Themenbereiche, die aufgeweckte Menschen selbst und anderswo durchführen können.Das Äquivalent zu den Befragungsdaten im ersten Band sollen »Fälle« sein, also Erfahrungen, die anhand von Szenen, Begebenheiten oder Konzeptbeispielen in die Darstellung eingespielt werden und ihre »Materialbasis« werden. Die Milieubezüge des jeweiligen Themenfeldes können von hier aus gedeutet werden, so dass Lerneffekte, Konsequenzen, Herausforderungen etc. hervortreten.

“A wonderfully significant and important book.” —Ken Wilber, The Integral Vision “A timely and penetrating analysis of spirituality's shadow.” —Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism without Beliefs A spiritual teacher and integral psychotherapist offers a first-of-its-kind study on how we use—and abuse—spiritual beliefs and practices, revealing how to identify and move beyond what holds us back from living life fully.Spiritual bypassing—the use of spiritual beliefs to avoid dealing with painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs—is so pervasive that it goes largely unnoticed. The spiritual ideals of any tradition, whether Christian commandments or Buddhist precepts, can provide easy justification for practitioners to duck uncomfortable feelings in favor of more seemingly enlightened activity. When split off from fundamental psychological needs, such actions often do much more harm than good.While other authors have touched on the subject, this is the first book fully devoted to spiritual bypassing. In the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa's landmark Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Spiritual Bypassing provides an in-depth look at the unresolved or ignored psychological issues often masked as spirituality, including self-judgment, excessive niceness, and emotional dissociation. A longtime psychotherapist with an engaging writing style, Masters furthers the body of psychological insight into how we use (and abuse) religion in often unconscious ways. This book will hold particular appeal for those who grew up with an unstructured new-age spirituality now looking for a more mature spiritual practice, and for anyone seeking increased self-awareness and a more robust relationship with themselves and others.

This book is for therapists who want to enhance their effectiveness with clients whose spirituality is a salient part of their worldview. Whether or not the therapist has a spiritual background, the authors demonstrate that it is possible to honor clients'spiritual experience from the beginning to the end of the therapeutic process. Practical strategies, techniques, and examples are used to show how spirituality can influence each stage of treatment from before the clinical intake, starting with an understanding of ethical practice guidelines and therapist self-awareness, through termination. Self-reflection questions, diverse case examples, and a multiple session case study chapter are provided to build readers'understanding and ability to incorporate spirituality into counseling and psychotherapy. Practitioners in a broad variety of fields, including counseling and clinical psychology, counselor education, and marriage and family therapy will find this book to be a rich source of ideas for examining and modifying their practice. The authors discuss therapist self-awareness tools such as genogram, autobiography, journaling, and mindfulness; recommendations for overcoming biases toward spirituality; and how an agency's climate, referral sources, and intake forms can discourage or set the stage for discussing the spiritual. The chapters provide example probing questions and assessment instruments for exploring how spirituality can be a source of strength or confound problems, and present sample treatment plans that address various encounters with clients'spirituality. The authors demonstrate how meaning systems theory can inform case conceptualization and how spiritual discussions and interventions can be part of cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, psychodynamic, and humanistic therapies. The book also prepares readers for spiritual issues that frequently arise in termination, even if spirituality had not been a focus in previous sessions.

Gain solid empirical findings to understand your own spiritual development To significantly impact clients'spirituality and use the spiritual strengths the client possesses to facilitate their move toward health, a counselor must be willing to explore his or her own spiritual development. Exploring the Spiritual: Paths for Counselors and Psychotherapists provides cognitive information grounded in the empirical findings of social science, as well as experiential material which encourages the counselors'own spiritual quest. This invaluable source clarifies the interface between the counselor's spirituality and the client's, and allows the spiritual dimension to emerge appropriately in the counseling process. Exploring the Spiritual: Paths for Counselors and Psychotherapists provides challenging questions and exercises that lead the counselor or psychotherapist through a personal exploration to attain the maturity of development needed to facilitate the client's spiritual growth. The text, written in an accessible narrative style, features helpful case studies and personal anecdotes to illustrate the concepts and processes described. Each chapter includes an overview of an issue, develops an argument or position, and presents a focused exploration of some relevant empirical research that is presented in a context that helps the reader see its personal implications. The final section leads the reader through exercises and experiments, helping them to focus on the counselor's own inner experience or encouraging the counselor to experiment with new behaviors. This insightful resource encourages the counselor to work directly with the client's spiritual experiences and conceptualizations without imposing on the client the beliefs of the counselor. Topics discussed in Exploring the Spiritual: Paths for Counselors and Psychotherapists include: models of spiritual development steps toward spiritual maturation the contribution of crises in belief and in values the physical-emotional self, and the contribution of passion and sexuality overcoming the divisiveness of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and culture coping with suffering discovering one's own paths to the spiritual Exploring the Spiritual: Paths for Counselors and Psychotherapists is a valuable resource for counselors, psychotherapists, counselor educators, and graduate students in psychology, counseling, psychotherapy, social work, and psychiatry.