1st Edition
How to Integrate Spirituality in Psychotherapeutic Practice Working with Spiritually-Minded Clients
How to Integrate Spirituality in Psychotherapeutic Practice: Working with Spiritually Minded Clients enables mental health professionals to acquire the skills they need to diagnose and treat religious or spiritually minded clients. Research and practical experience show that religion and spirituality of clients can be very important in psychotherapy. Given the great diversity in the area of religion and spirituality, it is not easy to understand the complicated interconnections between the psychological complaints and the spirituality and/or religion of a client.
By providing an understanding of various types of spirituality, as well as theory, case histories, and clinical information using DSM diagnoses, this book will help therapists to design effective interventions. It takes account of the plurality in psychotherapeutic methods, as well as in spiritual/religious views, practices, and use of terms.
How to Integrate Spirituality in Psychotherapeutic Practice is directed to a readership of practitioners who have decided to integrate the religious/spiritual dimension into their practice. It primarily addresses psychotherapists and mental health counsellors practising in general mental health residential units and day-to-day consultation clinics, as well as religious therapists, pastoral psychotherapists, pastoral counsellors, and the clergy.
Introduction Part I: Elementary Skills and Insights 01. And There You Are… 02. Some Examples 03. Let’s Look at Ourselves... 04. Speaking is Silver, Listening is Gold! 05. Religious Countertransference and Metacountertransference 06. Spiritual Noise in Your Professional Ear? Part II: Identifying Religious and Spiritual Problems 07. Obtaining Relevant Information 08. Religion and Spirituality in the DSM 09. Religious Sense of Guilt 10. Near-Death Experiences and Mystical Experiences 11. Spiritual Crises 12. Recognising and Coping with Religious Experiences and Spiritual Crises Part III: A Structural Approach to Spirituality 13. How to Make Sense of Complex Issues 14. Spiritual Root Metaphors 15. When Spiritual Root Metaphors Are Disconnected 16. When Spiritual Root Metaphors Go Underground 17. Spiritual Flexibility Part IV: A Relational Approach to Spirituality 18. Spirituality as an Interpersonal Relationship 19. Three Aspects of Interpersonal and Spiritual Relationships 20. Existential Aspects of Spiritual Relationships 21. Cognitive Aspects of Spiritual Relationships 22. Relational Aspects of Spiritual Relationships 23. Manipulative Spiritual Relationships 24. Contractual Spiritual Relationships 25. Spiritual Relationships of Mutual Love or Fellowship 26. Concluding Documents
Biography
Agneta Schreurs has studied social psychology, philosophy, and theology at the Universities of Utrecht and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, specializing in group analysis and group psychotherapy. She worked as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Utrecht, the VU University Amsterdam, and the Windesheim University of Applied Sciences (Zwolle), and as a group analytic psychotherapist at the Dr C. Aalders Foundation (Utrecht).
'Filled with sensitivity and wisdom, this book is sure to deepen practitioners' appreciation for the richness of spirituality and ability to integrate this vital dimension more fully into treatment. Schreurs skilfully engages the reader in thought-provoking questions, exercises, and readings that lead them toward greater understanding of their clients'spirituality and their own spirituality as well. The book is rooted in a psychodynamic, relational, and Christian context, but it has much to teach practitioners who hold diverse orientations to spirituality and psychotherapy.' - Kenneth I. Pargament, Ph. D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, USA
'Anyone interested in the interplay between psychotherapy and spirituality will welcome this new book by Agneta Schreurs. After reading her previous book, Psychotherapy and Spirituality (2002), I felt that the author, although European in her own background, had written about this topic from a much broader perspective. It especially appealed to me with my background as an American having lived in Japan for more than 40 years practicing counselling and delving into Eastern spirituality as reflected in Japanese Zen. I was fortunate to get a sabbatical at the time and go to visit Dr Schreurs personally to hear more directly her ideas. This second book targets those who wish to take more concrete steps to integrate the two domains of psychotherapy and spirituality and contains group exercises and other suggestions for implementation. Her first book was ground-breaking in many ways, and this second one is a very welcome follow-up.' - Jerry Cusumano, S.J., Professor Emeritus, Sophia University (Tokyo), Clinical Psychologist, Industrial Counsellor
'Agneta Schreurs has authored a volume pervaded with a depth of clinical experience, the assimilation of extensive reading in the literature, and spiritual wisdom developed over a lifetime of faith. This volume features case vignettes, guidelines for assessment, and a comprehensive model for the integration of psychology and theology. It is beautifully written and will be an excellent textbook for the clinical training of Christian psychologists and psychiatrists.' -Hendrika Vande Kemp, Former Professor of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, USA, Author and Editor of Family Therapy: Christian Perspectives (1991)
