Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon Recent documents in Fernando L. Garzon en-us Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:46:21 PDT 3600 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/14 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/14 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:42:55 PDT As lay approaches to Christian counseling have multiplied and become increasingly sophisticated, we hypothesize that these might affect expectations of conservative Christian clients for professional integrative psychotherapy. Accordingly, we review several models of lay counseling, broadly categorizing them into active listening, cognitive & solution-focused approaches, inner healing, and mixed models. We consider how client expectations for psychotherapy may be altered through their experiences with these approaches. Subsequently, we make recommendations for clinicians who deal with lay-counseling-experienced clients. These include doing a more detailed assessment of client lay counseling experiences and considering ethical aspects of treatment (informed consent and competency to treat). Fernando L. Garzon http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/13 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/13 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:42:54 PDT Paraprofessional counseling has received empirical evidence of its effectiveness, yet the status of lay Christian counseling models remains unknown. The authors review the current research on such approaches. A few models evidence practitioner surveys, client satisfaction research, quasi-experimental studies, or outcomes- based case studies. One eclectic approach had a randomized waiting list control group study. Preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of Freedom in Christ (the Neil Anderson approach) and Theophostic Prayer Ministry was noted. In all studies reviewed, the authors identified methodological limitations; therefore, the broad need for well-designed efficacy and effectiveness research on every model is clear. With current data, we cannot say definitively that lay Christian counseling works. Consequently, the authors make recommendations on potential improved research designs and encourage further investigations. Fernando L. Garzon http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/12 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/12 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:56 PDT Fernando L. Garzon http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/11 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/11 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:55 PDT At times, when spiritual interventions are adapted to the clinical context, the overtly spiritual dimensions of the intervention are omitted to permit research and to expand the client base available for the intervention. For example, forgiveness protocols have been developed for the clinical context (Enright, 2001; Worthington, 2001); however, these protocols are secular in that they do not intentionally use the client's spirituality in their implementation or in the research supporting them (Garzon et al., 2002). Now is the time to examine in the clinical and research context overtly spiritual interventions in a form that intentionally uses a client's religiously congruent resources.Many Eastern and Western religious traditions use contemplative prayer forms in the spiritual and emotional healing process. For instance, Mindfulness Therapy (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002) demonstrates the value of resources found in an Eastern religious tradition. More exploration of diverse religious faiths is needed however.This sample clinical demonstration continues the exploration through describing the specific use of resources found in a Western faith tradition. Contemplative inner healing prayer in a form that specifically uses this client's spiritual resources in the cognitive restructuring process will be seen. Fernando L. Garzon http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/10 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/10 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:54 PDT Student perspectives on the transmission of integration in integrative programs were examined through a qualitative study. Participants in the study were 595 graduate and undergraduate students (305 women and 247 men) drawn from four Evangelical Christian institutions of higher education. Participants provided written data in response to three open-ended questions, inquiring about the exemplary and helpful aspects of their educational experiences with respect to integration. Post-hoc content analyses informed by grounded theory analytic processes were used to analyze the data, resulting in two overarching themes: Facilitating Integration, and Concepts of Integration, which respectively address how students learn integration, and how students conceptualize integration. The implications for the conceptualization of integration and for the pedagogy of facilitating integration are explored. Elizabeth Lewis Hall http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/9 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/9 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:54 PDT Fernando L. Garzon http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/8 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/8 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:53 PDT Graduate students' perspectives on integration of faith and profession were investigated using item response to identify underlying constructs. Students (N = 595) from various professions and four universities were sampled. Three factors were supported as separate and important constructs for students. The first two factors were drawn from Sorenson's research on attachment theory, faculty as bulwark of the faith versus fellow sojourner and faculty as emotionally transparent versus emotionally distant. A new domain of integration, environmental factors such as class Scripture reading, was supported as a unique factor. An examination of diversity variables gave preliminary evidence that females and students of color may see emotional transparency and environmental factors as more important in Christian integration than other students. Jennifer S. Ripley http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/7 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/7 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:52 PDT This phenomenological investigation examined how eight student-nominated faculty who teach at an evangelical Christian liberal arts university describe their understanding and practice of the Integration of Faith and Learning (IFL). Collected data via informal, conversational, taped interviews led to the emergence of two primary themes: the Inseparability of Faith from Practice and the Outworking of Faith in Practice. The findings of the study highlight the need to create a more conducive context in which students can learn IFL and call for a re-examination of the already murky discourse surrounding definitional aspects of IFL. The study proposes to move the discourse forward by offering a new, yet to be discussed construct that emanated from the participants of this study, ontological foundation. A conceptual model describing its relationship with IFL is proposed. Elizabeth C. Sites http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/6 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/6 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:51 PDT Fernando L. Garzon http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/5 http://works.bepress.com/fernando_garzon/5 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:33:51 PDT Christian therapists are sometimes challenged in their work with appropriately religious clients to develop treatment components that incorporate the Bible. Utilizing a case study format, this article describes various intervention strategies available for the clinician to consider. Psychodynamic, psychoeducational, theoeducational, cognitive, behavioral, and affective experiential therapeutic examples are presented. As long as sound ethical and religio-cultural assessment guidelines are followed, Scripture remains a rich resource for clinicians in their work. Fernando L. Garzon