Spiritual Life and Relational Functioning: A Model and a Dialogue

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the dialogue on spirituality in mental health care (psychiatry and psychotherapy). Spirituality is still an uncomfortable theme in mental health care despite a burgeoning literature and research. We will introduce a conceptual model on spiritual and interpersonal relationships based on love in relatedness. The model will enable the (psycho)therapist to assess the interconnectedness of spiritual and interpersonal relationships, to analyse positive or negative effects of spirituality on interpersonal functioning and vice versa, and to look for possibilities for spiritual and therapeutic change. Based on the model, the next step is to reflect on the relationship between psychiatry and spirituality with a view to dialogue instead of unfruitful discussion and controversy. We will propose a dialogue about the alternative DSM-5™ model for personality disorders. Although preliminary, we will show the usefulness of such an interdisciplinary dialogue.

Closeness to God, Spiritual Struggles, and Wellbeing in the First Year of College

“… Hill and Pargament (2003) define closeness to God as an individual’s “felt close relationship with the divine” (p. 67). In many religious traditions, developing a close relationship with God is a key aspect of spiritual development ( Kass et al, 1991 ; Hill and Pargament, 2003 ), and models of relational spirituality maintain that the quality of personal relationships with the divine is a central factor of many predominant monotheistic religions (e.g., Davis et al, 2018 ; Verhagen and Schreurs, 2018 ).…”