Fwd: psychiatry

[Connie Miller]

-----Original Message-----
From: Connie Miller [mailto:connie at souldrama.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 4, 2007 10:01 AM
To: 'Adam Blatner'
Subject: Re: psychiatry

Hey Adam, Thanks for your reply. I do not know many psychiatrists but the ones I do know are really great. I can also speak about knowing you..you are one of the most spiritual MDs I have met and also the very first one to ever acknowledge me and say hello at my first asgpp conference in Philadelphia-(10 years ago?)You also have continued to encourage me with my writings about spirituality. On the other hand,...I have met my share of ego based doctors and psychologists.

Perhaps the answers lie also in the MDs training. Intuition has an important role in medical diagnosis. Think back in your medical training. If you had a hunch about a patient's diagnosis or treatment did your teachers encourage this? Was your experience validated? 
In medicine we are used to finding answers or at least searching for solutions to problems. Spiritual Intelligence is about questions more than answers. It lives in stories, poetry and metaphor, uncertainty and paradox. 
One of the qualities of Spiritual Intelligence is wisdom. This includes knowing the limits of your knowledge. Other ingredients are values such as courage, integrity, intuition, and compassion. With SQ, more is less; as you learn, the process may involve unlearning what other people have taught you. Most medics will therefore have a lot of work to do. Spirituality is an essential component of a holistic approach to life and work. It finds expression in creativity and all forms of the arts. 
Much of school and medical education is based on the model of cognitive intelligence. In our society we have developed the intellect while neglecting our emotions and our spiritual life. If our medical education was more holistic, as students we would learn to balance our intellect with our emotional and spiritual growth. Then doctors and health care professionals would take responsibility for their personal as well as their professional growth. 
AB: I tend towards this somewhat. Also, there was increasing attention given to transpersonal psychiatry and spiritual issues in psychiatry---although it was a far from dominant theme--- in the 1990s and beyond. 

 6. Is the individual coming in for exclusively spiritual counseling? AB: rarely to psychiatrists. 
I tend to think as #6, not 5, as more of the transpersonal when people are coming in to find meaning value and purpose in their life and ask themselves..."Is this all there is?" This is how come I construced the model of Souldrama to provide a structure to access our Spiritual Intelligence.
Blessings, Connie

-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Blatner [mailto:adam at blatner.com]
Sent: Monday, September 3, 2007 11:21 PM
To: connie at souldrama.com
Cc: list at grouptalkweb.org
Subject: Re: psychiatry

 Connie Miller asks some good questions! 
Okay, I'll take a stab at them. 1. With all the diffferent alternative therapies along with the many spiritual exercises and forms of meditation today, are psychiatrists are more limited in their approaches to the client as opposed to other health care professionals.? 
 ab: are they more limited? Actually, if they desire, they have the right to avail themselves of the broadest repertoire of treatment approaches. Are they limited by their sense of what is considered "appropriate" by colleagues or from fear of malpractice suits? Maybe somewhat. Are they limited within their own minds and education? Undoubtedly, most psychiatrists don't learn about a whole lot of stuff. I'm not sure, though, if any professional group isn't limited to an equal degree, only about all sorts of other things. Non-medical professionals don't get much continuing training (and even less in their primary training) about all sorts of stuff, so the argument may involve which things are really important or effective?

 2. Does the psychiatrist traditionally take a more receptive role with the client? The techniques of free association, psychodrama, dream work, hypnotic age regression, breathwork are all techniques that allow the unconscious to rise to the surface and help one to access their spontaniety and be able to "let go".
 ab: In the past, when psychiatry was dominated by psychoanalysis (1945 - 1970 or thereabouts), more were more analytic and receptive; Not since. However, some psychiatrists do use a range of psychotherapies. 

 3. What is the presenting issue that the client brings into the session? AB: session or intake? My motto is first, do a good diagnosis. That's not a matter of slapping a label on, but rather finding out what's going on? Working up a good formulation. 

 4. Is the client defining the presenting issue to be religious and/or spiritual? AB: Rarely, in my experience. 
 4a CM: For example, an individual may be seeking clarity regarding his/her relationship with a priest or rabbi? AB: Rarely in my experience. Others may have had more of this kind of experience. I don't know.

 5. Is the presenting issue not overtly spiritual in nature, but leads to source conflicts that are? For example, someone may be exploring a deep fear of abandonment and is searching for support in the living of his/her life,and wanting to become aware of a comforting spiritual presence. 
 AB: I tend towards this somewhat. Also, there was increasing attention given to transpersonal psychiatry and spiritual issues in psychiatry---although it was a far from dominant theme--- in the 1990s and beyond. 

 6. Is the individual coming in for exclusively spiritual counseling? AB: rarely to psychiatrists. 

 7. At the other end of the spectrum are religious counselors who have a specific dogma of belief and a mission to save or convert clients, as well as therapists who have deeply personal unresolved spiritual conflicts. Whether conscious or not, such a therapeutic stance toward clients will inhibit the client’s full exploration of their feelings, doubts, fears and longings.
 AB: Yes, and good schools of chaplaincy and pastoral counselors address this with great energy. I fear that there are less rigorous "schools" and programs that let zealots through, though. So we need to really interview candidates for programs and not assume that their degree means they're adequately or appropriately trained.

My thoughts, Blessings, Connie Ab: what did you think of my responses? Warmly, ADam



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