A Systemic View of Spirituality: God and Twelve Step Programs as Resources in Family Therapy

Working the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with a Client

“…Individuals with alcoholism and counselors alike, may react negatively to the word "God." Berenson (1990) recommends supplanting the word "spirituality" for the word "religious," and argues effectively that the systemic view of God, the hallmark of the m k r e thinker, is to view God as the go-between or relatedness with others.…”

Alcohol-Related God/Higher Power Control Beliefs, Locus of Control, and Recovery Within the Alcoholics Anonymous Paradigm

“…Spirituality has been differentiated from religiosity, with spirituality defined as focused on an individual's direct personal experience of the sacred, in contrast to religion's focus on specific belief systems and dogma as presented by hierarchical structures of religious leaders such as priests or rabbis (Berenson, 1990). God/Higher Power control beliefs represent an aspect of spirituality within AA in that they involve a direct experience of a power greater than one's self, yet are not limited to one particular belief system.…”

Addiction, Power and Gender

“…Borrowing from Martin Buber, David Berenson sees powerlessness as an 'I with Me' relationship position. The 'I with Me' position is situated between the 'I-it' position and the' I-Thou' (Berenson, 1990). This 'I with Me' position involves the experience of not being in a relationship with others, that is, feelings of helplessness and inability to control one's own experience.…”