Routledge 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. Review '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) About the Author Agneta Schreurs has studied social psychology, philosophy, and theology at the Universities of Utrecht and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, specializing in group analysis and group psychoth