Louis Hoffman

Toward a Sustainable Myth of Self: An Existential Response to the Postmodern Condition

The self has come under considerable attack in postmodern times. Amidst many deconstructions and reformulations of the self, various myths of self have lost their sustainability. This article reviews various theoretical perspectives on the self along with many postmodern challenges to the self. It is proposed that the self is a socially constructed entity which can be conceptualized from a variety of perspectives; however, not all myths of self are equal. In particular, premodern and modern myths of self are inadequate for postmodern times. Building from an existential—integrative perspective, we propose Schneiders paradoxical self as a promising myth of self for postmodern times.

Diversity and the God Image: Examining Ethnic Differences in the Experience of God for a College-Age Population

This study examined ethnic group differences in the emotional experience of God for a college-age population. The researchers collected in-depth demographic data and administered the God Image Scales (GIS) and a series of attachment inventories with a sample of 211 college students. Using three levels of factor analysis, the researchers uncovered significant differences between White and non-White cohorts in their experience of God and in the influence of various factors including religiosity, spirituality, age, and having received psychotherapy. Additional results have implications for the interrelationship of models for the God image, faith development, ethnic identity development, and clinical practice.

Understanding the God Image Through Attachment Theory: Theory, Research, and Practice

Abstract This paper uses attachment theory as an explanatory framework to better understand the God image. The first part explores theoretical foundations and contemporary perspectives on attachment theory. Next, empirical research on the God image and attachment is reviewed. The final part discusses how clinicians can use this framework to conceptualize and collaborate with clients who wish to address their relationship with God in the psychotherapy process.

Diversity Issues and the God Image

SUMMARY The research and theory on the God image has neglected considering important diversity issues. Despite this, it is evident that culture, gender, and sexual orientation significantly impact the way people experience God. The paper begins by building a basis for understanding the how various forms of diversity, including cultural diversity and religious diversity, impact the God image. Specific applications of women, LGBT, and black God images are explored. It is purported that while white males are able to base religious experience and a God image off of similarities to God, women, LGBT individuals, and people of color are placed in a position of relating to God based upon dissimilarity. Implications for future research and therapy developments are discussed.

Emotion, Relationship, and Meaning as Core Existential Practice: Evidence-Based Foundations

Existential therapy’s solid evidence-based foundation has not been adequately articulated to date. One challenge to this task is the lack of a singular or unified existential approach. Despite this, there remain shared themes that are common across the approaches to existential therapy. A second challenge is that many existential therapists resist Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology (EBPP), viewing it as excessively restrictive. However, EBPP is more inclusive than previous approaches to evaluating therapeutic effectiveness, such as the empirically supported treatment movement. We maintain that EBPP fits well with existential therapy and supports its practice. This paper identifies three pillars of existential psychology as its (1) relational focus, (2) emphasis on working with emotions and experience, and (3) meaning-centered approach. Each of these pillars have a strong foundation in empirical research, clinical competencies, and ability to be adapted to individual and cultural differences, which have been identified as the core of EBPP (American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology 2006). While few outcome studies specifically on existential psychotherapy exist, there is extensive research supporting the core practices that comprise existential therapy practice.

An Existential–Humanistic Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Contemporary Protest Movements

Contemporary protests movements, which are distinguished from historic movements by relying on decentralized leadership and utilizing social media and technology, have a central role in addressing social justice issues. Black Lives Matter represents one of the most influential and controversial of the contemporary protests movements. Much of the controversy is connected to misunderstanding, distorted portrayals, and attempts to discredit the movement. Through an examination of the history of Black Lives Matter, and consideration of issues such as privilege and polarization, it can be recognized that the Black Lives Matter movement is providing a healthy cultural critique and creative use of pain, anger, and suffering to advocate for human dignity and positive cultural change. Furthermore, the principles of existential–humanistic psychology can be used to deepen the understanding of Black Lives Matter and other protest movements, while also offering important guidance on how to avoid various potential risks to the movement’s success.

Existential Therapy and Emotions: Lessons from Cross-Cultural Exchange

Existential therapy affirms that emotions are a given of human existence, experienced by all people regardless of culture. However, the experience and expression of emotion is highly influenced by culture, including influencing whether an emotion is perceived as healthy or problematic. Unfortunately, many Western approaches to psychology are prone to pathologizing the way different cultures experience emotion. In this article, the cultural exchange between United States, Bahamian, and Chinese culture is used to illustrate different ways of perceiving, experiencing, and expressing emotion, all of which can be healthy within their own cultural context, but often be oppressive and problematic in others. Cultural exchanges such as this can be highly instructive in helping therapist develop the necessary skills to work with client emotions in a culturally sensitive manner inclusive of varied approaches to emotions.

A Critique of the “Theistic Psychology” Movement as Exemplified in Bartz's (2009) “Theistic Existential Psychotherapy”

From the perspectives of existential philosophy, existential psychotherapy, philosophy of science, and theology, we critique Bartzs (2009) “Theistic Existential Psychotherapy” as another example of the argumentation of the “theistic psychology” movement. Twenty-one points highlight troubling inadequacies. Introductory and concluding paragraphs provide the broader context of this movement and focus the chief concern: Amidst current epistemological and philosophy-of-science uncertainty, the concerted effort to validate other-worldly religious beliefs as scientific principles within the empirical field of psychology of religion.

Spirituality in Achieving Physical and Psychological Health and Well-Being: Theory, Research and Low Cost Interventions*

Increasingly, the public has come to view spirituality and spiritual practices as ways of improving physical and psychological health and well-being. While not all clinicians and researchers share this view, an entire subspecialty of spiritually oriented counseling and psychotherapy has emerged, as well as lines of research that support it (Richards & Bergin, 1997; Sperry, 2002; Sperry & Shafranske, 2005). Common to many of these approaches is the therapist’s use of traditional spiritual disciplines or practices as interventions within the context of formal counseling and psychotherapy. In fact, components or modules consisting of such spiritual practices are central to a few of these therapeutic approaches (D’Souza & Rodrigo, 2004; Cloninger, 2006). A basic premise of this book is that many therapeutic and similar interventions can be successfully applied or adapted to promote health and well-being outside the formal context of psychotherapy. It is our contention that, in given circumstances, a number of spiritual practices can be effectively employed outside the realm of psychotherapy to foster health and well-being as well as spiritual transformation. This chapter begins with a brief discussion about the complexity of defining and operationalizing spirituality in a clinical context before reviewing some basic theory and research involving the link between spirituality and physical and psychological health. It suggests that achieving a measure of physical and psychological health and well-being is an intermediate step in the process of spiritual transformation. It then describes specific spiritual interventions that can be utilized both inside and outside the psychotherapuetic context to effect well-being and transformation. Finally, it suggests the kind of circumstances wherein such interventions are most likely to be efficacious and cost-effective.

Humanistic Psychology and Self-Acceptance

Humanistic psychology, it could be maintained, was the first psychological theory that gave serious consideration to the value and implications of self-acceptance in psychology, at least in its more explicit and positive constructions. As will be discussed, humanistic psychology began by advocating for radical self-acceptance that embraced a view of oneself, and human nature, as essentially good. Over time, the understanding of self-acceptance became more nuanced, particularly with the introduction of existential psychology as a school of thought within the humanistic tradition. In this chapter, we provide an overview of important humanistic views on self-acceptance, emphasizing how these emerge from a particular understanding of human nature as well as the implications for psychotherapy.