Spiritual Resources in Familiesand Family Therapy

Samaritan Institute Annual ConferenceAugust 6, 2011

Part 2

Froma Walsh, PhDMose & Sylvia Firestone Professor Emerita,

School of Social Service Administration, The University of Chicagofwalsh@uchicago.edu www.ccfhchicago.org

Spiritual Resources

In Suffering, Healing, and Resilience

Resilience:Overcoming Adversity

Ability to rebound from life crises and disruptive life challenges,

strengthened and more resourceful

RuggedIndividual

InvulnerableSelf-Reliant

RelationalResilience

Lifelinesof Connection

Human – Animal Bonds

Guardian Angel

Perhaps they are not stars in the skyBut rather openings

Where our loved ones shine downTo let us know they are happy

And to light our way

…..Native American

Strengthening Family Resilience:

Relational Lifelines~~~~~~~

Facilitate coping, adaptation,

healing, and positive growth

Through family, community, cultural, and spiritual connections

Facilitating Resilience

Identify, build resources that help clients to:

– Recover from Crisis, Trauma, Loss

– Cope with Multiple, Persistent Stresses• e.g. chronic illness, poverty conditions

– Navigate Disruptive Life Transitions• e.g. job loss, separation, divorce, migration

– Overcome Barriers to Thrive• e.g. At-risk, vulnerable youth

KEYS TO FAMILY RESILIENCEBelief Systems

1. Making Meaning of Crisis & Challenge2. Positive Outlook: Hope3. Transcendence & Spirituality

Organizational Resources

4. Flexibility / Stability5. Connectedness; Leadership6. Kin, Social, & Economic Resources

Communication Processes

7. Clear, consistent messages8. Emotional Sharing; Humor / respite9. Collaborative Problem-solving / Proaction

Belief Systems

The Heart and Soul of ResilienceRooted in family history, culture, religion

Influence our world view, response to adversity

1. Meaning Making

2. Positive Outlook: Hope; Mastery

3. Transcendence -- Transformation

Seeing is believingWestern Scientific perspective

We must believe in somethingTo be able to see it

Native American perspective

We do not see things as they are --We see them as we are.

The Talmud

1. Meaning Making• Relational View of Resilience

• Connection, "Lifelines" vs. “rugged individual”

• Contextualize, Humanize, Depathologize Distress

• Gain Sense of Coherence:– View challenges as:

• Meaningful, Comprehensible, Manageable

• Facilitative Appraisal of Situation; Options– Explanatory, causal; Why me / Us? – Future expectations / catastrophic fears/ Agency

2. Positive Outlook

• Instill Hope – “Oxygen for the Spirit”• Encouragement; Build Confidence:

"Can Do" Spirit

• Focus on Strengths, Abilities; Potential• Active Initiative & Perseverance

• Master the Art of the Possible -- Accept what can't be changed

Tolerate uncertainty

Master the Art of the Possible:

Do all you can With what you have

In the time you have In the place you are

Serenity Prayerin Addictions Recovery

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot changeThe courage to change what I can

And the wisdom to know the difference

Reinhold Niebuhr

3. Transcendence• Larger Values, Purpose

• Spirituality: Faith, Practices, Rituals, Community

• Inspiration / aspirations: – Envision new possibilities; Life dreams

– Creative expression

• Transformation: Learning, Change, & Growth– Appreciate life, loved ones; deepen / repair bonds– Reassess, redirect life priorities – Service, Social activism to benefit others / all

One by one, day by day,

Move on from setbacks;

Refuse to give up;

Go confidently towards your dreams.

Buddhist saying

Let Nothing Dim the Light

that Shines from Within

--Maya Angelou

Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers

'Grow, grow'

-- The Talmud

Do all the good you canBy all the means you can

In all ways you canIn all places you can

To all the people you canAs long as ever you can.

-- John Wesley, founder of Methodists

Our country demonstrated that there are ways other than violence

to deal with difference and conflict: the way of forgiveness,

the way of reconciliation.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Prize Winner

Resilience of the human spirit:

The capacity to bring out the best

In the worst of times

In strengthening resilience, We strive to integrate the experience

of crisis and adversity-- and our resilient response –

Into the fabric of our individual and collective identity, Influencing how

we go on to live our lives.

www.wttw.com/shop/justice Jay Shefsky Producer

Part 3. Traumatic Loss, Recovery, & Resilience

Family Resilience Meta-Framework for Practice

• Shift Focus from Family Deficits, Limitations

to Strengths, Resources, Potential

• Developmental, Systemic Perspective•Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Influences•Family Challenged by Adversity -- timeline: events•Family Response: Facilitates Adaptation

of all Members, Relationships

• Relational View of Human Resilience• Use genogram: identify kin, social, community, &

spiritual resources• Recruit models, mentors for at-risk youth• Build life-lines, teams, networks

Family Resilience Meta-Framework for Practice (2)

• Stresses impact family; Family coping influences adaptation of all members, relationships, and family unit

• Contextual View of Distress, Wellbeing, & Adaptation: Larger systems: workplace, healthcare, schools; social structures, access to resources all important

• Varied Challenges and Pathways in Resilience: • No single model fits all families, resources & challenges

• Prevention: By strengthening resilience, families and children become more resourceful to meet future challenges.

Facilitating Family Resilience: Practice Guidelines

• Core Conviction in Strengths, Potential of all Youth & Families, alongside Vulnerabilities, Limitations

• Language, Framing to Depathologize, Humanize

• Contextualize Distress; Decrease Shame, Blame

• Compassion for Suffering, Struggle, Disappointments, Losses • Focus on Strengths, Interests, Abilities, Gifts• View Crisis as Opportunity for Learning & Positive Change

• Shift Focus from Problems to Possibilities forMastery, Healing, & GrowthSteps toward Future Hopes and Dreams

• Integrate Challenges and Resilience into the Fabric of Personal & Relational Lives.

Guidelines to Facilitate Healing, Resiliencefrom Complicated or Traumatic Loss

• Start by grounding in their family, community,

cultural, & spiritual connections. • Invite them to share their loss experience. • Offer compassionate witnessing of recent (&

ongoing) losses, hardships, or injustices suffered.• Draw out, affirm strengths in coping efforts; • Link with kin, community, spiritual resources• Re-member persons & relationships lost;

• Continuing Bonds: Spiritual connection, Stories, Deeds

• Future orientation: renew / revise hopes, dreams

Walsh, F. (2006). Strengthening Family Resilience. 2nd ed. Guilford Press.Walsh, F. (2007). Traumatic loss and major disaster: Strengthening family

and community resilience. Family Process, 406, 207-227.

Walsh, F. (Ed.). (2009) Spiritual Resources in Family Therapy. 2nd ed. Guilford. Walsh, F. (2009). Human-animal bonds: I & II. Family Process, 48(4) 462-99Walsh, F. (2010) Spiritual diversity: Multifaith perspectives in family therapy.

Family Process, 49, 330-348.Walsh, F. (Fall 2011). The spiritual dimension of family life. In F. Walsh (Ed. )

Normal family processes: Growing diversity & complexity. 4th ed. Guilford.

Walsh, F. (In press). Religion and spirituality: A family systems perspective. In K. Pargament, A. Mahoney, & E. Shafranske, (Eds.). APA Handbook of Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality, Vol. II. Washington, DC:

American Psychological Association Walsh, F. & McGoldrick, M. (Eds.) (2004). Living beyond loss: Death in the

family. 2nd ed. Norton.

References