Lisa Miller
The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality
Oxford University Press (2012)
Postmaterial spiritual psychology posits that consciousness can influence the progress of material events and that the human brain can detect broad, non-material communications. This emerging field presents a marked contrast to psychology's traditional quantum measurements and tenets.
In The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality, Lisa Miller codifies the leading empirical evidence supporting and applying postmaterial psychological science. Sections in this volume include personality and social psychology factors and implications; spiritual development and culture; spiritual dialogue, prayer, and intention in Western mental health; Eastern traditions and psychology; physical health and spirituality; positive psychology; and scientific advances and applications related to spiritual psychology.
With articles by leading scholars in psychology, medicine, physics, and biology, this text is an interdisciplinary reference for a rapidly emerging approach to contemporary science.
Book Chapter about Spirituality and Psychotherapy
Honoring Religious Diversity and Universal Spirituality in Psychotherapy
P. Scott Richards
The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality
Spirituality is a universal human capacity, and a personal concern to large numbers of individuals. But there is great diversity in how it is understood and practiced. Within this diversity of contexts, psychotherapists face a variety of challenges in learning to ethically and effectively work with spiritual issues as they facilitate their clients—journeys of healing and growth.
This chapter describes some principles and practices that may assist psychotherapists in these efforts, such as seeking understanding and competency in religious and spiritual aspects of diversity, selecting a spiritually-oriented framework and approach for treatment, finding common spiritual ground with clients, and creating a spiritual space that helps clients access the resources of their faith and spirituality during their healing experiences.
The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of current needs and future directions in this domain. To obtain a copy of this book chapter send your request to scott_richards@byu.edu