Resilience and the discipline of introspection
Psychologists can help clients build resilience by teaching them to monitor their perceptions and reactions to events, and change them when necessary, the American Psychological Association reports in its online Monitor on Psychology."Helping the individual with personality disorder to develop cognitive, behavioral, social and emotional competencies will assist them to manage day-to-day stressors and events effectively," Mark Reinecke, PhD, reports in the current issue. [He's an associate psychology professor and chief of the division of psychology at Northwestern University.]
Other researchers says practitioners should "imbue those with personality disorders with the habit of trying new approaches when old ones are not working. For example, a therapist might work with a client to brainstorm new ways to meet friends if previous attempts have been rebuffed."
What these researchers are describing sounds an awful lot like the 2nd and 3rd century Christian practice of introspection and the Buddhist practice of mindfulness. Both approaches teach individuals to be aware of--and relate differently to--the thoughts and passions that stir them up.
For an introduction to introspection as a spiritual discipline, see my book Short-Term Spiritual Guidance and Roberta Bondi's To Love as God Loves.
.: Posted by Duane Bidwell on Thursday, March 25, 2004
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