Heart and spirit: Research with psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists about spirituality

Abstract

In qualitative interview research with 25 psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in London, Sydney and Melbourne, the author explored how these clinicians experienced, conceptualised and worked with spiritual issues. Bringing to bear their experience on both sides of the couch, this 'information-rich' sample of mainly senior practitioners reflected on a psychoanalytically informed view of spirituality, and its understanding in clinical practice. Two methods of analysis were used. The technique of 'narrative finding' was followed by coding of core ideas, themes and concepts expressed. Participants noted that spirit may be the 'blind spot' of psychoanalysis, and reflected that what they had wanted in their own analyses--and consider that what patients want--is to be able to have spiritual issues addressed in a similar manner to other matters, not prejudged as infantile or pathological. In participants' concepts and experience of spirit, a comfort/challenge dimension was identified. Comfort was taken in having a 'wider view', a more inclusive sense of inter-relatedness, with challenge involving a heightened sense of the unknown and a greater degree of uncertainty.

Being and potential: psychoanalytic clinicians' concepts of God

“…For the present research (part of a larger research project, the methodology of which is reported more fully in Simmonds, 2004), I sought out psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists who were willing to discuss the issues under investigation in this under-researched area. Introducing myself as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and researcher, I invited participation in the research by placing notices in professional bulletins, and contacted some possible participants by letter or telephone.…”

Recapturing the Essence of Spirituality: A Letter to the Guest Editor

“…2004; Salsman, Brown, Brechting, & Carlson, 2005;Simmonds, 2004;Weber & Cummings, 2003). The second most researched area concerns itself with spirituality as a positive and protective factor, diminishing the symptoms as well as the occurrence of psychopathology and substance abuse while increasing a sense of well-being (Daugherty et al, 2005;Ervin-Cox, Hoffman, & Grimes, 2005;Falkenstein, 2004;Greene, Ball, Belcher, & McAlpine, 2003;Kanitsaki, 2002;Koenig, George, & Titus, 2004;Krejci et al, 2004;Ritt-Olson et al, 2004;.…”

Deciding what belongs: How psychotherapists in New Zealand attend to religion and/or spirituality in psychotherapy

“…For the most part, clients want to explore their RS issues in therapy (Knox, Catlin, Casper, & Schlosser, ; Peteet, ; Post & Wade, ) and have their beliefs treated “respectfully and non‐reductively” (Simmonds, , pp. 966–967).…”