Spiritual Cognitive Therapy:

Modifying Core Belief Systems

Sherry Bene' Stevens MFT, California State University, Fullerton

Tom G. Stevens PhD, California State University, Long Beach

Presentation to California Marriage and Family Therapy Association (CAMFT)

Overhead Slides-Outline which accompanies AUDIO .mp3 format files of the presentation that may be downloaded (free) at

Download_SCT_AUDIO.htm

 (For detailed notes, go to CAMFT-Spiritual Cognitive Therapy NOTES; Also see more detailed ACA presentation notes.)

Sample Core Issues

For Spiritual Cognitive Therapy (SCT)

and relationship to chapters in Dr. Stevens' book, You Can Choose To Be Happy (available free on his website).    

1. Ultimate Concern(s) and highest subparts/values(chapters 1-3) 

2. Our natural Higher Self (chapter 3)

3. World view issues (chapter 4)

4. Self view issues (chapter 5)

5. External versus Internal Control  (chapter 6)

6. Harmonious Functioning (chapters 7,8)   

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Ultimate Concern(s)

and highest subparts/values:

1.1 What do great religious leaders and philosophers say about UC?

  1. Hinduism, unity with God, nirvana

  2. Guatama the Buddha, happiness

  3. Aristotle, happiness

  4. Jesus, God, the great commandment(s)

  5. Judaism, God, obey 10 commandments

  6. Islam, God

  7. Kant, happiness for all

  8. Bertrand Russell, happiness

  9. Kohlberg, justice

  10. Psychological Humanism (Maslow),

                                Self-Actualization/Metavalues

1.2 Spiritual, mental values versus

           externally-tied values

   => Use higher values to rise above difficult situations

1.3 Desirable qualities of

         Ultimate Concern(s):

  1. Unconditional

  2. Comprehensive

  3. Simple and elegant

  4. Unifying

  5. Truthful/valid

  6. Unconditionally value self and all others

   7. Unconditionally value environment and universe

  8. Universality

  9. Adaptable

 10. Grow more elaborate and integrated

 11. Source of Security

 12. Clear, Prescriptive                                         

1.4 Some ultimate concern problems:                                                                  (chapters 1, 3, 4)

   1. Poorly developed 

  2. Fragmented/conflicting 

  3. Common dysfunctional UC choices: 

    * Self-pleasure, now: “Gimme”

* Another person or family as god 

* Achievement/success 

   * Power, status, recognition 

   * Lower subpart, eg. over-identify with role

    * Nation, church, ethnic, institution, group 

    * Blind obedience to autocratic God

  4. Source of greatest anxieties/fears 

    * Worst fears as flip-side of Ultimate Concern 

    * Explore and resolve worst fears 

  5. Repression of doubt   

    * Deny invalidating evidence 

    * Cause of fanaticism, “paranoia,” etc.

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SPIRITUAL COGNITIVE THERAPY (SCT) PROCESS

Dealing with sensitive value issues:

                                             (See chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) 

1. Explore the presenting problem

2. Find underlying highest level issues

3. Clarify inner conflicts

4. Reframe with Higher Self and higher values

5. Clarify deep issue choices

      (Eg. Choose Higher Self advice?)

6. Align with benefit to client & higher values

7. Avoid role of preacher/priest

8. Help client see how they can apply higher values to daily thoughts and actions

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Types of presenting problems--value and religious issues:

1. Non-value-related presenting problem (PP)

    PP APPEARS NON-VALUE-RELATED, but is.

2. Non-religious, value-related

    PP value-related,

      but NOT related  to any RELIGION

3. Implicitly religion-related

    PP value-related,

     but IMPLICITLY related to RELIGION

4. Explicitly religion-related

    PP EXPLICITLY related to RELIGION

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Sample World View Issues Affecting Psychological Functioning:

Issues for Cognitive Therapy and Personal Growth 

           WHO or WHAT IS IN CONTROL (God, Nature, Chaos, Other People, Me, etc)?

     ==> You can often substitute World, God, Others, Nature below--depending upon this belief.

WORLD VIEW ISSUES: PERSONAL ISSUES