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EXPLORING A FOURTH DIMENSION: SPIRITUALITY AS A RESOURCE FOR THE COUPLE THERAPIST
Author(s) -
Anderson Douglas A.,
Worthen Dan
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.1997.tb00227.x
Subject(s) - spirituality , dimension (graph theory) , psychotherapist , psychology , resource (disambiguation) , affect (linguistics) , connection (principal bundle) , social psychology , medicine , computer science , alternative medicine , communication , computer network , mathematics , structural engineering , pathology , pure mathematics , engineering
This article explores ways in which the therapist's own spirituality can serve as a resource in couple therapy. Spirituality is defined as subjective engagement with a fourth, transcendent dimension of human experience. This engagement enhances human life and evokes corresponding behavior. Spiritually based therapy may be influenced by three assumptions: that God or a Divine Being exists, that human‐kind yearns innately for connection with this Being, and that this Being is interested in humans and acts upon and within their relationships to promote beneficial change. In therapy these assumptions affect how the therapist listens and responds throughout sessions. The authors incorporate a case example illustrating the application of this fourth dimension in couple therapy.