Spirituality and Community in Times of Crisis: Encountering Spirituality in Indigenous Trauma Therapy
Spirituality in China
This article presents some of the differences between how spirituality is conceived of in the East and the West. It explores how, in the context of China, different spiritualities are without doubt deeply rooted in social and community experience, and these societies and communities are permeated with the influence of a centuries-old culture. This highlights the importance of setting aside our own perception of the world if we are to work with culturally diverse populations.
Spiritual beliefs and practice
This article provides a wide range of empirical examples of how spiritual beliefs and practices in China following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake impacted survivors’ ability cope for good and for bad.
Spiritual anguish
One of the case studies in this article focuses on the sense of spiritual anguish many survivors of the earthquake experienced as the disaster led them to question fundamental beliefs and worldviews.
Comment:
This article provides important empirical evidence, through five case studies, about the ways spiritualities intersected with mental health and psychosocial well-being following the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. It is a welcome case study of the role of spirituality beyond Christianity, Islam and Judaism and provides a thoughtful analysis of the differences between what spirituality means in a Chinese context, or in the East, in comparison to the West.
