Shared Grace: Therapists and Clergy Working Together

by Bonfiglio; Susan

• ISBN13: 9780789011107
• ISBN10: 0789011107
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2000-07-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Learn how theology and psychology can work together to provide effective therapy! Shared Grace provides a framework within which mental health professionals and clergy can work together to provide people in need with appropriate psychological services and spiritual interventions. Breaking down the walls between psychology and religion, this guide offers you proven and tried methods and models from the authors'collaborative work. Comprehensive and intelligent, this vital book will help therapists incorporate a spiritual dimension to their sessions and give patients successful and effective services. Shared Grace is also a book about the healing power of love. It is the very personal, intense account of the authors' work to help a woman who suffered from dissociative identity disorder heal from the effects of her childhood abuse. Through this poignant story, you'll find that adding a spiritual dimension into psychotherapy brings increased richness and depth to the therapeutic process. Step-by-step practical suggestions for collaboration between therapist and clergy are included. Issues brought to light in Shared Grace include: transforming damaged and dysfunctional images of God the establishment of support systems within the religious community the use of guided imagery the creation of healthy rituals and ceremonies Shared Grace will help therapists and clergy alike and enable each to obtain the support, education, and training to make interdisciplinary collaboration successful.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Our Story: Beginnings	1	(30)
Introduction	1	(9)
Basic Terms	10	(3)
Basic Clinical and Spiritual Premises	13	(4)
Teresa's Story	17	(4)
Our Collaboration Begins	21	(10)
Healing the Effects of Severe Childhood Abuse	31	(24)
Basic Assumptions About Therapy	33	(10)
Effects of Severe Childhood Abuse	43	(7)
Goals of Treatment	50	(5)
The Benevolence Model	55	(26)
God Is Love	61	(3)
God Loves Us	64	(1)
God's Love Is Unconditional	65	(2)
God's Forgiveness Is Always Available to Us	67	(7)
We Are Called to Love God, Ourselves, and Others	74	(3)
We Were Created to Be in Relationship with One Another	77	(4)
Implementation of The Benevolence Model I: Transforming Images and Experience	81	(30)
Healing Images of God	83	(16)
Transforming Experience	99	(12)
Implementation of The Benevolence Model II: Healing Through Relationship	111	(18)
Extending Divine Love into the World	113	(5)
Holy Regard	118	(4)
Transforming Power of Love	122	(7)
Working Together: Guidelines for Therapist/Clergy Collaboration	129	(22)
Types of Collaboration	130	(3)
Benefits of Collaboration	133	(3)
Guidelines for Therapists	136	(5)
Guidelines for Clergy	141	(3)
Overcoming Obstacles to Collaboration	144	(7)
Establishment of Support Groups	151	(14)
Benefits of the Support Group	152	(5)
Guidelines for Establishing Support Groups	157	(3)
Guidelines for Support Group Members	160	(2)
Pitfalls to Avoid	162	(3)
Healing Interventions	165	(22)
Metaphors	166	(1)
Imagery	167	(11)
Stories and Parables	178	(3)
Rituals and Ceremonies	181	(6)
Therapists and Clergy Growing Together	187	(8)
Steven	187	(4)
Susan	191	(1)
Marion	192	(3)
Appendix A: Teresa's Personality Structure	195	(2)
Appendix B: Resources for Therapists	197	(4)
Appendix C: Resources for Clergy	201	(4)
Appendix D: Resources for Support Group Members	205	(2)
Appendix E: Resources for Survivors	207	(2)
Appendix F: Resources for Guided Imagery	209	(4)
References	213	(6)
Index	219