Suffering, resilience and spirituality: a practical theological guide for the clinical psychologist

Abstract

During overwhelming experiences, for example, the death of a loved one, a traumatic experience, and so many other difficult situations, religious/spiritual individuals may develop a different perception of God – different to the one they had before the event. The loving and compassionate God can become a distant and punitive God. Questions such as “Where God is in suffering?” and “Why God allows suffering?” can be brought up more often than could be imagined. On the other hand, believers can use their religion/spirituality as a resilient factor to help them to overcome those overwhelming experiences. This study brings an important contribution of the interplay between practical theology and psychology to both Christian and non-Christian clinical psychologists’ understanding in order to address the suffering, resilience and spirituality concerns of clients in an efficacious way in the therapeutic session.