Encountering the Sacred in Psychotherapy - How to Talk with People about Their Spiritual Lives (Hardcover)

This book explores ways to open therapy to the creative and healing po ssibilities in people's spiritual and religious experience, while coun tering ways it can do harm. Through moving case examples, the authors demonstrate how spiritual experiences may color and illuminate the sto ries told in therapy, the language and metaphors used, and the meaning s brought to key relationships and events. A framework is presented to help therapists listen and respond when spiritual or religious themes are invoked; ask appropriate questions about beliefs, practices, and communities; and work collaboratively to identify personally meaningfu l resources for change. Ideal for all clinicians, regardless of religi ous, spiritual, or theoretical orientation, the book emphasizes the ne ed to honor the language, ideas, and traditions that each individual b rings to the therapeutic setting.