Creating a groundswell for change: Integrating religion, spirituality and Indigenous responses in psychotherapy

Abstract

Since the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, declared religion to be an illusion, deciding what belongs, and therefore what does not belong, in psychotherapy is highly determined by the dominant school of thought in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy and the training institutions. These foundations pose a barrier in the therapeutic encounter when considering the importance of religion and spirituality in the lives of people and the development of pathways to healing for Indigenous Māori. There has been no enquiry into how psychotherapists are working with religion and/or spirituality (RS) within psychotherapy in the bicultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand, which presents as both a knowledge gap and the rationale for further exploration. The relationship between religion, spirituality, psychotherapy and biculturalism has been an uneasy one. This article, from grounded theory research conducted by the first author in Aotearoa New Zealand, delineates the process that psychotherapists engage in when they encounter a therapeutic challenge relating to RS considered beyond the scope of practice. It also discusses indigenous Māori spiritual perspectives and professional responsibilities.