Samenvatting
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. Contents: TABLE OVERVIEW DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACTS SECTION I: INTRODUCING THIS DISSERTATION CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION -RATIONALE AND CONTEXTUALIZATION Concepts clarification Starting this journey How this chapter is organized Dissertation goals and research question Rationale and significance of this project Theories underpinning this dissertation Qualitative methodology and methods of data generation Approaching an understanding of spirituality SECTION II: LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER II: SPIRITUALITY AND RELATED CONSTRUCTS Re-acknowledging spirituality in secularized societies Spirit: the breath of life Spirituality and religion: some differentiations Spirituality as an evolutionary path CHAPTER III: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES on SPIRITUALITY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY Freud’s hostility towards religion Religion excluded from modernist psychotherapy Acknowledging the spiritual: Carl Gustav Jung Some of Jung’s relevant constructs A non material paradigm in science CHAPTER IV: A SPIRITUAL REAWAKENING Research on religion, spirituality and mental health Integration of spirituality in psychotherapy work Organizations bridging spirituality and mental health Therapists’ attitudes influence clinical work SECTION III: THEORIES, METHODOLOGY AND METHODS CHAPTER V: THEORETICAL INFLUENCES A Bricolage approach to qualitative inquiry Metatheories – theories on what research is about Towards a postmaterialist view of science Postmodern perspectives Reflexivity in collaborative research CHAPTER VI: METHODOLOGY AND METHODS Choosing a qualitative research methodology Methods The research sample Introducing the fifteen participants Table 1- The participants’ Psychotherapeutic Orientation Table 2 – The participants’ Religious Family Background Table 3 – The participants’ Spiritual Stance Now A brief presentation of each participant Research as an invitation Data generation: qualitative research interviews Lines of Inquiry CHAPTER VII: DATA ANALYSIS, QUALITY STANDARDS AND ETHICAL ISSUES The analysis process Addressing quality criteria in this inquiry Ethical concerns SECTION IV: REPRESENTING THE GENERATED DATA in THREE CHAPTERS Representing the generated data My expectations before starting the study CHAPTER VIII: FINDINGS-UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUALITY The Participants’ understanding of Spirituality Spirituality: fluid and evolving CHAPTER IX: FINDINGS- NAVIGATING THE SPIRITUAL Spiritual approaches and the therapist’s orientation Spiritual interventions independent of client’s expectations Spiritual needs come from soul, not culture Therapist’s self-disclosure–or not? Table 4 – Some of the participants’ interventions CHAPTER X: FINDINGS – INTEGRATING SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES Personal and professional growth Table 5 – Personal experiences influencing the therapists’ spiritual views Spirituality and psychotherapy: blurry boundaries Ideas about including spirituality in psychotherapy Signs of a paradigm shift SECTION V: DISCUSSION OF THE GENERATED FINDINGS CHAPTER XI: DISCUSSION – UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUALITY Acknowledging spirituality as a flexible concept Personal sources of spiritual knowledge Reflections on the participants’ spiritual understanding CHAPTER XII: DISCUSSION- NAVIGATING SPIRITUAL ISSUES IN SESSIONS A bricolage of interventions A globalized, non-local psychotherapy culture Openness to a spirituality within psychotherapy Jung inspired understanding Addressing new spiritual expressions CHAPTER XIII: DISCUSSION- INTEGRATING SPIRITUALITY and CRITICAL REMARKS Experiencing and integrating spirituality Critical perspectives and power issues Reflections about the participants’ contributions An autoethnographic reflection SECTION VI: IMPLICATIONS AND EVALUATION CHAPTER XIV: PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS and EVALUATION of the INQUIRY Suggestions for practice Main premises suggested to consider in psychotherapy Limitations of this study Directions for further research E-valuation of the dissertation work BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES Appendix 1: Letter of Information and Consent Appendix 2: Lines of Inquiry Appendix 3: Example of interview follow Up Appendix 4: Excerpts from the reflexive journal
Thuiswinkel Waarborg