Spiritual Dialogues in Family Therapy

Abstract

A spiritual dialogue or reflection can be defined rather broadly as what transcends or takes us beyond our everyday experience of self and world. In these terms being systemic naturally encompasses a spiritual perspective because it invites us to be curious, ask questions, and look beyond the bounded individual or self to contemplate the 'pattern that connects' us to the world and all of life. Nonetheless a spiritual stance in systemic family therapy can encompass a diversity of beliefs about the universe, ecology, or God. Every systemic conversation can evoke the spiritual: the question is whether as therapists we are open to and listen for it? Spirituality in family therapy is informed by a sense of curiosity, imagination, humility, and wonder when change occurs. How therapists and clients imagine change may be just as powerful as techniques or models of therapy. The paper presents several practice vignettes illustrating the relevance of spiritual dialogue in family therapy.

Spirituality – a forgotten dimension? Developing spiritual literacy in family therapy practice

“…Family therapy represented a shift in the psychotherapy movement, which included systemic theory and, later, the social constructionist approach. These perspectives could incorporate a spiritual focus (Larner, 2017), but the focus on multiple realities and ecological frameworks often seems to lack spiritual and religious dimensions . Spiritual needs are mixed with other human needs in a shared construction of meaning.…”

Integrating Spirituality into MFT Training: A Reflexive Curriculum and Qualitative Evaluation

“…Given that spirituality is a core aspect of client's lives, working with spirituality should be more fully incorporated into systemic therapy at both religious and nonreligious institutions (Larner, ). Although various articles address the need for MFT's to incorporate more of these conversations into their clinical work, these writings are primarily theoretical.…”

“…While the definition of spirituality is personal to each individual, in this article we consider spirituality an umbrella term that refers to a dimension of life that provides meaning‐making, purpose, and perspective to people who identify as religious, spiritual, both, or neither (Anderson & Worthen, ; Aponte, ; Prest & Keller, ; Walsh, ). In addition, spirituality is part of systemic practice (Larner, ; Telfener, ) as it comprises an important aspect of many people's lives, influences their relationship systems, and promotes growth and resilience (Carlson, McGeorge, & Anderson, ; Nedumaruthumchalil, ; Walsh, ). MFTs have emphasized the importance of addressing spirituality in therapy and advocated for training in this area for over two decades (Fife & Whiting, ; Haug, ; Helmeke & Sori, , ; Marterella & Brock, ; Stander, Piercy, Mackinnon, & Helmeke, ; Wendel, ).…”

Creative ways of connecting with ‘self’ and ‘other’: A Conversation with Glenn Larner1

“…I saw this as the stuff of the universe and linked to theology in so far as there is a purpose to life and our lives despite the randomness. I had the opportunity to write on my journey in spirituality for a recent ANZJFT special issue on the topic (Larner, 2017).…”

“…And that's where the journey we are on can mirror those of our clients in a strange way. A Norwegian professor of family therapy who I visited in Oslo several years ago, Per Jensen (2012), has written a very nice paper on this theme of relational resonance between the client and therapist journey and I have touched on it in various writings (Larner, 2017). It's the intersection of life and therapy.…”