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Working with God: An exploration of working with people's religious belief systems. Yolanda Duncan, Intern Psychologist, Waitemata CMHC North 2emailYolanda.Duncan@waitematadhb.govt.nz. Acknowledgements go to Sarah Calvert, Patte Randal and Hugh O' Reilly for their input in this presentation. The
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Humans are amphibians - half spirit and half animal.
C. S. Lewis
2. Working with God: An exploration of working with peoples religious belief systems Yolanda Duncan, Intern Psychologist, Waitemata CMHC North 2
email
Yolanda.Duncan@waitematadhb.govt.nz
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Acknowledgements go to Sarah Calvert, Patte Randal and Hugh O Reilly for their input in this presentation
4. The questions I was invited to address Why is it important to consider the issues around conducting psychotherapy with Christian clients?
Is it important to match Christian therapists with Christian clients?
What can we do to foster a better therapeutic relationship when the therapist does not share the clients Christian beliefs?
5. The varieties of Christian experience
Are all Christians alike?
Denominational differences
Religious commitment differences
Differences in terms of relationship with God
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Taking clients spirituality into account and attending to spiritual issues is an ethical mandate
Ethical principles outlined by the APA dictate that psychologists must be aware of, respect, and effectively assess clients spiritual and religious dimensions (Eck, 2002).
Attending to clients religious and spiritual issues and values is now recognized as an essential component of effective counseling (Richards & Bergin, 1997; Shafranske & Malony, 1996).
Why is it important to consider the issues around conducting psychotherapy with Christian clients?
7. Why is it important to consider the issues around conducting psychotherapy with Christian clients? Majority of people around the world believe in God or a higher power
80% of New Zealanders expressed at least some belief in God or a Higher Power (Gendall, Assendelft, Burra, & Hosie, 1999).
61% of New Zealand people identified as Christian in the 2001 census, (New Zealand Statistics, 2001).
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