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Psychotherapy and spirituality: A narrative exploration of the therapeutic uses of theories, strategies, and techniques derived from the spiritual traditions, or, if you see the Buddha on the road, invite him into your session
Abstract
The problem addressed by this study is the insufficient information in the professional literature which describes the personal experience of therapists as they endeavor to incorporate spirituality into their therapeutic work. Fourteen practitioners, in various counseling and psychotherapy modalities were interviewed about their work in the field, in an effort to fill that gap. In all cases subjects reported that they were working actively in their professions with an interface of spirituality and psychotherapy. Many common themes and experiences emerged and at the same time, each story was unique. The research included a literature review of both psychological and spiritual texts as well as review of the researcher's own experience of twenty years of work in the dual worlds of spirituality and psychotherapy. Data gathered was coded for the emergent categories and themes. The categories included: the participants' personal journey as it lead them to their current work and the interface in that work of spiritual and psychological perspectives, the spiritual views and beliefs of the participants, their general experience of work with people, their understanding of clients' spiritual issues, the techniques and strategies of a spiritual nature that the subjects use in their work, and the problems that they experience as a result of the interface of spirituality and psychotherapy. Case illustrations were offered by subjects to illustrate their work. Profiles of each participant, organized through these categories, and presented in their own words, offered an expression of the lived, subjective experience that each shared with the researcher. Thematic analysis of each category further refined the elements of subject experience and offered a data base for emerging implications. The implications include: the need for greater openness between the fields of spirituality and psychotherapy, the need for greater educational and clinical inclusion of spirituality as a valid topic for consideration, the need for clients to be able to actively pursue, with their helping professionals, the spiritual issues in their lives, the need for spiritual traditions to open themselves more fully to an inclusion of psychological components, the need for more literature from practitioners practicing at this interface, and the the larger need in this culture for inclusion of spirituality in all aspects of life.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|School counseling|Religion
Recommended Citation
Firman, Dorothy Talcott, "Psychotherapy and spirituality: A narrative exploration of the therapeutic uses of theories, strategies, and techniques derived from the spiritual traditions, or, if you see the Buddha on the road, invite him into your session" (1994). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9420624.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9420624