No abstract available / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Facilitating improvement, here-and-now, in a person's psycho-spiritual functioning is an aspect of both practical theology and group psychotherapy. This improvement can only occur through human intermediary, as both practical theology and group psychotherapy recognise. The premise of this thesis is that people reveal their religious and existential concerns (i.e., one's deepest feelings about God, life, and existence) through their here-and-now interpersonal interactions. These existential and religious concerns can be successfully addressed within psychotherapy groups by adopting a nonlinear, psychotherapeutic approach which focuses on here-and-now interpersonal interactions. This here-and-now style of psychotherapy provides the pastor/therapist with a practical-theologically sound method by which to relate to another person on the deepest level, and it provides the means by which the pastor/therapist can identify, describe, and analyse another person's existential/religious issues. The following propositions are put forth: * * * * * * * Existential concerns are inevitably religious in nature but not always articulated in religious terms. These existential/religious concerns are the subject of both group therapy and practical theology. Practical theology is characterised by a Janus-like, self-reflective loop of theory to praxis. This loop is also seen in the here-and-now style of group psychotherapy. Group psychotherapy and practical theology deal with religious ideation: group therapy by examining interpersonal interactions; practical theology by examining the person-to-God relationship. Psychotherapy groups can be a "coming of God with human action as intermediary." Group psychotherapy and practical theology address genuine human need through the four pastoral functions. Group psychotherapy and practical theology adhere to the scientific method of constructing hypotheses based on deductions stemming from heightened awareness. Group psychotherapy has a practical theological function when it serves as a means of transitin~ through the theological stages of God the void, to God the enemy, to God the companion. Group psychotherapy fulfils a practical theological function by transforming human ways, i.e., opening one up to the influence of other people and the Christian God who works through those people as intermediaries. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

by Samuel Ng Ka Chiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-66). / Abstracts in English and Chinese, questionnaire in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 - --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Religious population and church's community involvement --- p.2 / What is religious coping --- p.2 / Religious coping styles and coping outcomes --- p.4 / Factors contributing to religious coping styles --- p.5 / The Need for a theoretical framework to study religious coping styles --- p.10 / Transactional model of stress and coping --- p.10 / Objective of the present study --- p.18 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 - --- METHOD --- p.19 / Participants --- p.19 / Measures --- p.20 / Procedures --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 - --- RESULTS --- p.25 / Internal consistency of the measures --- p.25 / Descriptive statistics of the participants --- p.25 / Relationship between religiousness and religious coping styles --- p.27 / "Relationship between internal control, God-mediated control, optimism and religious coping styles" --- p.30 / Predictive power of dispositional factors on religious coping styles --- p.32 / Manipulation check and differential use of religious coping styles --- p.36 / Mediational role of situational control appraisals --- p.39 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 - --- DISCUSSION --- p.48 / The role of dispositional factors in religious coping styles --- p.48 / Situational variation of religious coping styles --- p.52 / Interaction between dispositional and situational factors --- p.55 / Implications for psychotherapy --- p.57 / Limitations of the present study --- p.59 / Future research direction --- p.60 / Summary --- p.62 / REFERENCES --- p.64 / APPENDIX --- p.67

My research explores the work of six psychotherapists who meditate. Vipassana meditation focuses on developing sensitivity to body sensations, which are understood to accompany all emotion experiences; experienced meditators can feel in their own bodies physical sensations that reflect the experience of a person in close proximity. An aim of the research was to discover whether their meditation practice had enabled the participants to use this ability in their work with patients. The study focuses on psychotherapists' lived experience during clinical hours, and enquires about how they direct their attention to their body sensations, and to the relationship with patients. The study explores links between the practice of Buddhist meditation and the evenly-suspended attention recommended by Freud, and further developed by Bion in his psychoanalysis without memory or desire. Because I was interested in many aspects of therapists' lived experience, I chose the methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 2003) as a framework for analysing the data. I drew on philosophical underpinnings offered by Heidegger and van Manen. The study showed that the participating psychotherapists were helped by their meditative training to develop a sensitive receptivity to their own physical sensations and emotion experience, predisposing them to be aware of limbic resonance with their patients' emotional and physical experiences. Some participants focused their meditative awareness on the ebb and flow of closeness and distance between themselves and their patients, in an orientation to psychotherapy that can be described as relational mindfulness.

My research explores the work of six psychotherapists who meditate. Vipassana meditation focuses on developing sensitivity to body sensations, which are understood to accompany all emotion experiences; experienced meditators can feel in their own bodies physical sensations that reflect the experience of a person in close proximity. An aim of the research was to discover whether their meditation practice had enabled the participants to use this ability in their work with patients. The study focuses on psychotherapists' lived experience during clinical hours, and enquires about how they direct their attention to their body sensations, and to the relationship with patients. The study explores links between the practice of Buddhist meditation and the evenly-suspended attention recommended by Freud, and further developed by Bion in his psychoanalysis without memory or desire. Because I was interested in many aspects of therapists' lived experience, I chose the methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 2003) as a framework for analysing the data. I drew on philosophical underpinnings offered by Heidegger and van Manen. The study showed that the participating psychotherapists were helped by their meditative training to develop a sensitive receptivity to their own physical sensations and emotion experience, predisposing them to be aware of limbic resonance with their patients' emotional and physical experiences. Some participants focused their meditative awareness on the ebb and flow of closeness and distance between themselves and their patients, in an orientation to psychotherapy that can be described as relational mindfulness.

No abstract available / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Facilitating improvement, here-and-now, in a person's psycho-spiritual functioning is an aspect of both practical theology and group psychotherapy. This improvement can only occur through human intermediary, as both practical theology and group psychotherapy recognise. The premise of this thesis is that people reveal their religious and existential concerns (i.e., one's deepest feelings about God, life, and existence) through their here-and-now interpersonal interactions. These existential and religious concerns can be successfully addressed within psychotherapy groups by adopting a nonlinear, psychotherapeutic approach which focuses on here-and-now interpersonal interactions. This here-and-now style of psychotherapy provides the pastor/therapist with a practical-theologically sound method by which to relate to another person on the deepest level, and it provides the means by which the pastor/therapist can identify, describe, and analyse another person's existential/religious issues. The following propositions are put forth: * * * * * * * Existential concerns are inevitably religious in nature but not always articulated in religious terms. These existential/religious concerns are the subject of both group therapy and practical theology. Practical theology is characterised by a Janus-like, self-reflective loop of theory to praxis. This loop is also seen in the here-and-now style of group psychotherapy. Group psychotherapy and practical theology deal with religious ideation: group therapy by examining interpersonal interactions; practical theology by examining the person-to-God relationship. Psychotherapy groups can be a "coming of God with human action as intermediary." Group psychotherapy and practical theology address genuine human need through the four pastoral functions. Group psychotherapy and practical theology adhere to the scientific method of constructing hypotheses based on deductions stemming from heightened awareness. Group psychotherapy has a practical theological function when it serves as a means of transitin~ through the theological stages of God the void, to God the enemy, to God the companion. Group psychotherapy fulfils a practical theological function by transforming human ways, i.e., opening one up to the influence of other people and the Christian God who works through those people as intermediaries. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

This study extended research on the influence of counselor Christian values on the client's perceptions of the counselor by adding consensus values to the description of the counselor and examining the effects of age and religious maturity of the client. Subjects consisted of two samples, one of 250 undergraduate students (younger group) and the other of adults of at least thirty-five years of age (older group). There were equal number of males and females in each group. Subjects read one of five descriptions of a counselor, which varied according to the religious values of the counselor, and then rated the counselor. The following instruments were used to rate the counselor: Counselor Rating Form, Confidence in Counselor's Helpfulness Scale, Willingness to Meet the Counselor Scale and the Similarity of Values and Opinions Scale. The religiosity of the subjects was measured with the Religious Orientation Scale, the Christian Orthodoxy Scale and the Religious Status Inventory. The major premise of the study that the Christian values of the counselor influence the client's perceptions of the counselor as the client increases in age and religious maturity was partially supported. A significant counselor Christian value by age interaction was obtained in which the older subjects were less willing to see the apostate counselor and Christian counselor who was not willing to discuss religion than the other counselors. Whereas a significant counselor Christian value by religious maturity interaction was obtained, it was the less religiously mature subjects who differentiated between counselor Christian values. Main effects for counselor Christian values, religious maturity, and sex were found. Several interactions were also obtained.

Religion and spirituality are acknowledged coping resources, yet for many years, the use of religion and spirituality was not practiced in therapy. Psychologists were once branded the least religious of all academicians; however there is evidence of an integration of psychology with religion and spirituality. Recently, studies have been conducted to prove the success of using religion and spirituality to cope with psychological disorders, prevent unhealthy behaviours and promote resilience. Despite this, very little research to date has explored South African psychologists’ perceptions on this matter. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of psychologists in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality area about the use of religion and spirituality in therapy. Purposive sampling was employed to obtain a sample and focus groups were used to the collect data. The data was analyzed using Tesch’s model of qualitative content analysis. Many themes emerged from the data analysis process. The participants indicated that they perceive the definitions of religion and spirituality as difficult to define and reach consensus on. Nevertheless, the participants recognized that religion and spirituality are important aspects of their clients’ lives and that they cannot be ignored in therapy. Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that religion and spirituality are coping mechanisms for both clients and psychologists. Most of the participants indicated that they were willing to discuss religion and spirituality with their clients if they brought it up. The participants highlighted specific factors that made it possible for them to engage with their clients on religious and spiritual levels, and factors that made it difficult for them to do so. The value of the research was discussed. Limitations of the study were also highlighted and based on these, recommendations for future research were outlined.

The subject of spirituality is growing in popularity within the field of mental health. A major aspect of our human experience includes striving for meaning, hopefulness and purpose - this process can be understood as a spiritual experience. Another aspect of our shared human experience includes psychological distress and alienation. This is understood in most contemporary mental health literature as mental disorders. In our contemporary era mental health has addressed the latter. Spirituality, as an integral component of human experience, involves tapping into the innate need for integration while paving the way forward towards a transformative experience. The present research explores important interpretive issues related to spirituality and mental health from within a historical perspective. The present research suggests that holistic trends in mental health cohere with contemporary, phenomenologically rooted trends in spirituality. / Christian Spirituality / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)