Sprirtual aspects of psychotherapy
This article addresses the relevance of spirituality to psychology and psychotherapy. It argues that spiritual experience is phenomenologically legitimate and worthy of study, especially by students of mental health. It utilizes Fox's (1985) definition of spirituality as "unitive experienc...
Published in: | Journal of religion and health |
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Main Author: | |
Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Springer Science + Business Media B. V.
[1992]
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In: |
Journal of religion and health
Year: 1992, Volume: 31, Issue: 1, Pages: 41-52 |
Further subjects: | B
Communal Healing
B Healing Process B Paradigmatic Shift B Unitive Experience B Mental Health |
Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
Summary: | This article addresses the relevance of spirituality to psychology and psychotherapy. It argues that spiritual experience is phenomenologically legitimate and worthy of study, especially by students of mental health. It utilizes Fox's (1985) definition of spirituality as "unitive experience" to show that spiritual experience is often present, overtly or covertly, within the ritual of psychotherapy. The paper argues that the therapist's adoption of an empathic posture is essentially a spiritual position. This position consists of a sense of peace, eternity, forgiveness, faith, love, truth, and God. These aspects are part of an integrated spiritual gestalt which is, though generally unacknowledged, fundamental to the communal healing process of psychotherapy. The paper concludes by asserting that greater involvement with the unitive (as opposed to the disunitive) represents a positive paradigmatic shift for psychology and humanity. |
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ISSN: | 1573-6571 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/BF00986844 |