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When Religion Enters the Dialogue: A Guide for Practitioners

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Abstract

Several factors, including Freud's debunking of religion and social work's discomfort with its religious roots, have resulted in a trend of avoiding religious issues in social work education. The result is compromised care. In this paper, clinical vignettes are utilized to illustrate some of the difficulties which may occur. A series of guidelines is offered, with the aim of increasing therapists' comfort level in negotiating religious issues in practice. Areas of discussion include assessment, resistances, object relations, and countertransference. Case examples demonstrate application of guidelines.

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Sahlein, J. When Religion Enters the Dialogue: A Guide for Practitioners. Clinical Social Work Journal 30, 381–401 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020716027058

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