Integrating Spirituality in Counseling: A Manual for Using the Experiential Focusing Method

Rating:
Summary: Breakthrough in exploring any spiritual approach!
Review: Integrating Spirituality in Counseling - A Manual for Using the Experential Focusing Method, is a clear and creative set of guidelines for helping anyone access and expand their spirituality, regardless of their religious orientation or lack of same. Dr, Hinterkopf accomplishes this challenging task by focusing on the transcendant process, or the "more" in human experience. In attending to the process, she demonstrates how people can deepen their spirituality and how counselors can facilitate this regardless of religious orientation, or content. In her book, she repeats the process-content distinction with numerous clear examples, so the reader begins to develop a foundational understanding of the difference. Dr. Hinterkopf conveys the Experiential Focusing attitudes of respect, acceptance, patience, and friendliness in her examples, as well. This book represents the fruits of her 25 plus years of living these values and developing her own transcendance of life's limitations.

For those who do not know about the Experiential Focusing method, the manual provides an excellent introduction. For those who do know about it, the manual is written in thoughtful and insightful manner which deepens their understanding. Topics which I found particularly helpful, from both a personal and professional standpoint (I am a certified Focusing trainer and a psychologist) included Dr. Hinterkopf's discussion of integrating the Critic voice in stages. Additionally, she provided specific and practical guidance as to the best listening responses to the Critic voice.

Dr. Hinterkopf was also specific in describing when a Listening response is best and when a Guiding response is best, when the counselor is using Experiential Focusing. I liked her case example where a client's next practical step was learning better cognitive thinking skills. This was a clear depiction of the value of using the "head brain" and the "body brain" together, in a complementary way.

Finally, I would recommend this book to any person who is interested in learning more about effective listening and about their own spirituality. The Focusing approach is for all humans, not just therapists!