Slide 1:“Caring for the Spiritual Lives of Seniors”

Spirituality and Aging Seminar Sponsored by The RBJ Schlegel-UW Spirituality and Aging Program Conrad Grebel University University of Waterloo   Rev. James W. Ellor, Ph.D., D. Min., LCSW, ACSW, BCD, DCSW, CGP, CSW-G Professor: School of Social Work Baylor University, Waco, Texas Parish Associate: First Presbyterian Church of Waco, Texas Editor: Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging

Slide 2:A Tale of 3 casesJohn R, Harold Dunn, Marie

Slide 3:Tasks for our discussion today

Theology Psychology Sorting our your role with the client Sorting theology vs. psychology

Slide 4:Let’s define our terms

Slide 5:Aging

Slide 6:Freud and Ellis Reduce Religion to Emotion

Freud: “religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires. (Totem and Taboo (1913) and Moses and Monotheism (1938), ) Ellis saw religion as a form of oppression “Religiosity, to a large degree, essentially masochism; a form of mental sickness.” “Obviously, the sane and effective psychotherapist should not—as many contemporary psychoanalytic Jungian, client-centered, and existentialist therapists have contended he should—go along with the patients’ religious orientation and try to help these patients live successfully with their religions, for this is equivalent to trying to help them live successfully with their emotional illness. ”(The Case Against Religion, Albert Ellis)

Slide 7:What do you think?

Some Options Religion/spirituality is pathology See DSM IV V62.89 Religious or Spiritual Problem Religion/spirituality is ignored as either irrelevant or the domain of some other professional Religion/spirituality is integrated into a whole person view of the client and human nature in general Religion/spirituality are the widow through which the client is seen and all things understood

Slide 8:Jung & Frankl

Only two paradigms offer philosophical openings for spiritual care Carl Jung – Soul Viktor Frankl – Noëtic aspect of the person

Slide 9:DSM IV

V62.89 Religious or Spiritual Problem This category can be used when the focus of clinical attention is a religious or spiritual problem. Examples include distressing experiences that involve loss or questioning of faith, problems associated with conversion to a new faith, or questioning of spiritual values that may not necessarily be related to an organized church or religious institution.

Slide 10:Wholism includes the SPIRITUAL

Wholism is both the parts..and the process! Spiritual elements can be: behaviors feelings beliefs Where does the Soul Fit?

Slide 11:Definitions

Religiosity: An approach to the measurement of religious variables that reflects adherence to institutional (orthodox)beliefs and practices. (Payne, Religiosity in Mangen & Peterson Social roles and Social Participation, University of Minnesota Press. 1982.) Spiritual Well-Being “The affirmation of life in a relationship with God, self, community and environment that nurture and celebrates wholeness.” National Interfaith Coalition on Aging, (informal brochure) 1975. As cited in James A. Thorson and Thomas C. Cook, Jr., Spiritual Well-Being of the Elderly, Springfield: Charles C. Thomas 1980, xiii.

Slide 12:Koenig Definition of Religion

Religion: Religion is an organized system of beliefs, practices, rituals, and symbols designed (a) to facilitate closeness to the sacred or transcendent (God, higher power, or ultimate truth/reality) and (b) to foster an understanding of one’s relationship and responsibility to others in living together in a community Koenig, Harold G., Michael E. McCullough, and David B. Larson. Handbook of Religion and Health. London: Oxford University Press, 2001. 18.

Slide 13:Koenig Definition of Spirituality

Spirituality: Spirituality is the personal quest for understanding answers to ultimate questions about life, about meaning, and about relationship to the sacred or transcendent, which may (or may not)lead to or arise from the development of religious rituals and the formation of community. Koenig, Harold G., Michael E. McCullough, and David B. Larson. Handbook of Religion and Health. London: Oxford University Press, 2001. 18.

Slide 14:Faith

Pannenberg believes that “faith has an ‘absurd’ character, lacking any foundations or support in our common human outlook whatever.” Fowler believes that faith grows as people integrate the story of their particular faith into their “evolving ways of experiencing self, others, and the world.” More meaningful among the sons and daughters of Abraham. Less useful for other world traditions.

Slide 15:Relationship with the divine

How do I know God? Through scripture Through the people in my world Through God’s voice, however I understand that. Mystical traditions vs. intellectual traditions Knowledge of the spiritual is the road out of the suffering of life in Hinduism.

Slide 16:Lets think together about the locations of our work

Slide 17:Home and Congregation

Needs Seniors want to grow in their faith Maintain Self Continue to participate in their own way Interventions Religious Education Groups References during general preaching Pastoral Care

Slide 18:Spiritual Crisis

Needs Connections with others To be walked with Interventions Pastoral visitation Support groups, possibly by using preexisting groups in the congregation Ministry of presence

Slide 19:Entrance into Long Term Care

Needs 3 groups Persons with Dementia Persons physically frail Persons who choose to move to LTC Family Support Emotional support for the transition Interventions Oral Histories Roles in pastoral leadership

Slide 20:Long Term Care

Needs Counseling Worship Connections with community Interdisciplinary team work Staff support Interventions Worship Counseling A ministry of presence

Slide 21:One Example of an approach

The work of Viktor Frankl, Logotherapy and the work of Carl Jung both offer philosophical basis for combining psychology and religion Wholistic psychology, while less well defined also offers a path for our discussion.

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Slide 23:Putting it together

Slide 25:Existential Assumptions

Slide 26:Wholistic [Westburg] Not Holistic, (Adler)

Wholism

Slide 27:Human Freedom

Viktor Frankl once said, “when I stood at the door of the box car and the sign read “Auschwitz,” I knew that the world could take anything away from me except for my right to choose how I will perceive the world.

Slide 28:Freedom must be in tension with Responsibility

Slide 30:Transcendent Symbols

Slide 31:Transcendence is the basis for meaning

M.A.D.D. Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Slide 33:Religion or Theology

Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning

Slide 35:Logotherapy: End Stage

From Memory to Meaning To the story teller, it is only a memory Until it is told, then it is a story Stories can be shared Stories are the energy offered to individuals and groups to become symbols Symbols offer meaning to both individuals and to groups A story never ends as long as it is still told! Survivor responsibility is to tell their story – V. Frankl

Slide 36:Frankl’s grandchildren Katharina and Alexander Vesely continue his work

Katharina, Mel, and Alexander, 1993 World Congress of Logotherapy in Toronto

Slide 37:Real Cases

Slide 38:Techniques

Paradoxical Intention: the social worker encourages the patient to intend or wish for, even if only for a second, precisely what they fear. Forces client to confront their own fears. Dereflection: The therapist diverts the patients away from their problems toward something else meaningful in the world. It is not use telling some patients to stop thinking about something, better to substitute something.

Slide 39:A Tale of 3 casesJohn R, Harold Dunn, Marie