Psychotherapy with Orthodox Jews.

Abstract

A person lives with himself for seventy years, nevertheless he doesn't really know and understand himself.The gulf separating one's knowledge from one's actions is as wide as that separating the actions and knowledge of two separate people.-Rabbi Israel Lipkin-Salanter ORIGINS AND DESCRIPTIONJews are acutely aware of their roots; this awareness is an important component of their character. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel, and Leah are not perceived as living in the distant past. Their presence is palpably felt and they are mentioned in every major prayer. God's commandment to Abraham to leave his father's land and travel to an unknown destination is not a dry historical fact; it signifies the beginning of Jewish history. The binding of Isaac as preparation for his

Multicultural Counseling and the Orthodox Jew

“…They apply these Biblical precepts to all matters, including family life, business dealings, and the many rituals of prayer and service. (For a historical context of this population, see Rabinowitz, 2000. ) Although population estimates are, for many reasons, difficult to make, it has been suggested that there are between 5.2 and 6.7 million Jews in the United States, if the strict Orthodox definition of Jewishness is used (Cohen, 2002).…”

“…In the case of discussing parents, for example, they will fear breaking the Biblical injunction to "Honor thy father and thy mother" (Exodus 20:12). Even speaking about acquaintances or coworkers may be difficult for a client, given the general prohibition (e.g., Leviticus 19:16) against slander and gossip (Paradis et al, 1996;Rabinowitz, 2000;Sublette & Trappler, 2000).…”

“…For example, even a slight variation in religious commitments may trigger suspicion on the part of one or the other. In addition, countertransference arising from the Orthodox professional's own unresolved religious conflicts may complicate matters (Rabinowitz, 2000). Moreover, university-educated Orthodox Jews are sometimes outright hostile to their more traditional coreligionists-or may be suspected by the client of being such a "traitor" (Bilu & Witztum, 1993;Greenberg, 1991).…”

Religion, Ethnicity, Culture, Way of Life: Jews, Muslims, and Multicultural Counseling

“…Counseling professionals must be aware of Orthodox Jews' potential preference for psychiatry over psychotherapy because of the medical origins of psychiatry and the assumptions about the sexual overtones inherent in Freudian/ psychodynamic psychotherapy (Rabinowitz, 2000). In addition, Rabinowitz noted that there are differences among Orthodox Jews (e.g., Hasidic, Modern Orthodox)-and understanding the distinctions is critical to facilitating effective treatment.…”

“…Hence, counselors must be thoughtful and sensitive in their assessment of the Orthodox Jewish client. At the same time, counselors should not avoid the analysis of religious behavior for the presence of psychopathology; in fact, some clients may seek to avoid discussing important issues for religious reasons (Rabinowitz, 2000). As with any other client, the counselor must assist the client in achieving greater self-awareness about his or her use of defenses.…”