Relational spirituality in psychotherapy: Healing suffering and promoting growth.

Sandage, Steven J.; Rupert, David; Stavros, George; Devor, Nancy G.

doi:10.1037/0000174-000

Cited by 61 publications

(91 citation statements)

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“…Lastly, the 4‐month assessment period was possibly not long enough in some cases to adequately test changes in God representations and certain theoretical orientations that place greater emphasis on long‐term treatment were not represented (e.g., psychodynamic). Beyond incorporating R/S in treatment, research on SIPs should also examine a more nuanced theoretical integration of change processes and goals with theoretically consistent clinical strategies (for a dynamically informed approach to addressing God representations, see Sandage et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A practice‐based evidence investigation of God representations in spiritually integrated psychotherapies

et al. 2020

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Objective This practice‐based evidence study examined trajectories of God representations and psychological distress among Christians participating in spiritually integrated psychotherapies (SIPs). Methods In total, 17 clinicians practicing SIPs in a mid‐sized city on the US Gulf Coast implemented session‐to‐session assessments of these outcomes with 158 clients over a 4‐month period and also reported their use of specific spiritual interventions after each session (e.g., affirmed client's divine worth). Results Multivariate growth modeling revealed clients' psychological distress decreased over the study period whereas authoritarian God representations increased and benevolent God representations remained stable. In addition, clients who increased in benevolent representations of God had a greater likelihood of experiencing alleviation of psychological distress. Conclusion These findings affirm the potential efficacy of SIPs and cultural importance of belief in a benevolent deity as a source of strength, identity, and potential healing among Christians clients who prefer a spiritually integrated approach in psychotherapy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A practice‐based evidence investigation of God representations in spiritually integrated psychotherapies

et al. 2020

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“…Contemporary relational psychotherapy (CRP; Sandage et al, 2020) is a pantheoretical framework that transcends the diversity of ideas and practices within the psychoanalytic tradition, including distinctions between psychoanalytic and psychodynamic approaches. Huber et al (2013) characterized psychoanalytic approaches as “insight oriented” with a focus on restructuring internalized “maladaptive relationship representations,” whereas psychodynamic approaches focus on “symptom sustaining here‐and‐now conflicts” (p. 138).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk, Symptoms, and Well‐Being: Emerging Adult Latent Profiles During Treatment

Jankowski

Hall

Crabtree

et al. 2021

Jour of Counseling & Develop

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Emerging adulthood seems to be a period of not only heightened risk for mental health symptoms, but also growth toward greater well‐being. Mental health disorders are highest among adults ages 18 to 29 years, yet emerging adults are unlikely to access treatment. However, emerging adults can also experience gains in life satisfaction and interpersonal functioning, and mental health treatment for emerging adults tends to reduce symptoms. This dialectic of risk and growth has prompted a call for a specialty clinical practice focused on emerging adults and highlights a need for treatment effectiveness research that examines symptoms and well‐being. We examined the influence of risk variables on change in a sample of emerging adult clients (N = 187; mean age = 25.82 years; 62.0% female; 75.9% White). Results provide evidence of improvement, conditioned by risk variables. Implications included integrating distinct interventions to reduce symptoms and promote well‐being and addressing intra‐ and interpersonal processes associated with positive development.

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“…Future research could enable further comparisons between the types of stressors and various ministry contexts by asking individuals to comment on or rate each of the categories. The relational themes in the qualitative findings also suggest future studies might benefit from engagement with research on relational trauma, which Herman (2015) defined as "violations of human connection" (p. 54), and can result in a susceptibility to frequent and intense dysregulation in response to interpersonal and spiritual conflicts (for an overview of relational trauma and spirituality, see Sandage et al, 2020). It is plausible that those with a history of relational trauma are at increased risk of ministry-related trauma that leads to problems with selfesteem regulation.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 96%

PTSD symptoms in religious leaders: Prevalence, stressors, and associations with narcissism

Ruffing¹,

Bell

Sandage

2020

Archive for the Psychology of Religion

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Religious leaders face numerous mental health challenges, and prior research suggests that some experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to work-related experiences. This study employed a diverse sample of 274 religious leaders to (a) qualitatively describe the types of work-related experiences they identify as particularly stressful or overwhelming, (b) assess the prevalence of PTSD symptoms associated with these experiences, and (c) test hypothesized associations between PTSD symptoms and narcissism. The study found that the stressful experiences reported typically involved relational conflict, having limited resources, or caring for people suffering. Over half of the sample endorsed symptoms that were above the cutoff for a clinical concern for PTSD, and PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with symptoms of both vulnerable narcissism and grandiose narcissism. Practical implications for the ongoing formation and support of religious leaders are discussed.

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Relational spirituality in psychotherapy: Healing suffering and promoting growth.

Cited by 61 publications

References 0 publications

A practice‐based evidence investigation of God representations in spiritually integrated psychotherapies

A practice‐based evidence investigation of God representations in spiritually integrated psychotherapies

Risk, Symptoms, and Well‐Being: Emerging Adult Latent Profiles During Treatment

PTSD symptoms in religious leaders: Prevalence, stressors, and associations with narcissism

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