Spiritual Resources in Family Therapy

good content to understand how to incorporate an awareness and understanding of spirituality in clinical praxis, the tone can often feel as if the approaches are obligatory in their application to client relations, however, the discussion and content is valuable in thinking about how to best meet the client needs when spirituality is brought up in session

I have used Walsh's book as a text in my graduate course, Spirituality in Social Work Practice, for four years. I've reviewed a number of other texts and have found none that provide as good an introduction to this topic. It touches both the mind and the heart--quite appropriate for a course like this.

good book to use in class.

Spiritual resource is what is needed to approach individuals as whole persons. I will give information that enlightens on on worldview.

This book is a good resource for those of us who work with people facing the problems of everyday life and family conflict.

Very good book

Reading "within the field" of one's discipline is necessary in order for one to be current with the state of practice of one's profession. It is also invigorating to learn new theories and techniques as well as be refreshed in regards to the basics of (in this case) therapy. The present work is a veritable workshop in book form, granting the reader both new information and reminders of things learned.The editor is a respected clinician in her own right and she gathers more than 20 other Master Therapists to join her in writing articles for this anthology. The task of the book is twofold, first, to offer ways in which the family therapist can bring "into the room" the discussion of Spiritual matters in the counseling session, secondly (presented more as an undercurrent) is the "permission" for the therapist to speak of Spirituality in the counseling session. Both issues are timely and the author's speak with authority and clarity within their respective articles. The larger gift of this is the more subtle one, encouraging clinicians to address the Spiritual lives and resources of those with whom they sit.When I began practicing as a mental health specialist, the idea that the clinician was to be a "blank slate," offering no judgment, values or personal morality in the clinical space. The impossibility of an individual being "a blank slate" has been recognized and the training concept is now for the clinician to appropriately use her/himself in the counseling hour, availing themselves of the life/training/values/morals they possess as an asset in helping those who come for help. However one issue that continues to be one of near taboo in the counseling arena is that of Spirituality. The reason behind seems to be the idea that the discussion of such matters would unduly influence, or would be seen as a crutch for, clients.This work speaks well of the powerful tool Spirituality can be in the process of clinical work. The Spirituality of which the author's speak is to be found within the clients lives, not introduced by the clinician and is already present, as resource, when the individuals walk into the clinical process. The author's suggest ways to: bring those resources to the help of the clients, recognize the Spiritual language of clients and reflect upon one's clinical practice toward it becoming more welcoming of Spiritual issues. There is far too much in this book to be discussed well in such a limited forum as is this, but the information given, and the manner in which it is offered, is very "user friendly."The contributors are from widely varied Spiritual disciplines, from Humanistic Judaism, to Hinduism, to Theists, to Christianity. This is part of the treasure offered within its pages, the reader is able to, at least, be exposed to several different faith world views and become more conscious of the potentially widely varied views of those who come to them for help. The book is written as a professional resource. It contains no violence, sexual moments or inappropriate language. Not all articles will speak to all readers with like power, there is at least one article that will be helpful to 90% of those who read this book. It is a resource this reader foresees returning to repeatedly.