AWAKENING TO THE TRANSPERSONAL PARADIGM: DISCERNING TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCES FROM PATHOLOGY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/43-4-265Abstract
Historically social work has shared a tenuous relationship with religion and spirituality. In aneffort to hold onto its scientific roots, which began with the quest for professionalisation, itbecame suspicious of knowledge and experience that could not be fully quantified or rationallyderived. It began to “distrust the language of higher transcendence, mystical connection, intuitivegrasp” (Besthorn, 2001:38). More recently, however, the profession has become more acceptingof spirituality, in the light of evidence that spiritual growth and experiences foster physical andpsychological well-being (Pargament, 1997). Parallel to the acceptance of the spiritual paradigmis the growing interest in transpersonal social work, which focuses on empowering the client aswell as on spiritual experiences, personal transformation and health (Canda & Furman, 1999;Cowley, 2001; Cowley & Derezotes, 1994).Downloads
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