Title: Spiritism and mental health : practices from spiritist centers and spiritist psychiatric hospitals in Brazil /
Authors: Bragdon, Emma.
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers,
Year: 2012
Subjects: Mental Health Services; Mental Disorders therapy; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Spirituality; Spiritual Therapies methods; Mental health Brazil Religious aspects.; Spirituality Brazil.; Brazil; Brazil
Abstract: "Practiced in community centers and psychiatric hospitals throughout Brazil, Spiritist therapies are gaining increasing recognition internationally for their ability to complement conventional medicine. This pioneering text is the first comprehensive account of the philosophy, theory, practical applications and wider relevance of Spiritist therapies to be published in the English language. Leading practitioners and researchers in the field describe the history, principles and diagnostic processes of the Spiritist approach to mental health, and provide an extensive summary of the various methodologies used, including spiritual mediumship, energy work, prayer, homeopathy, past life regression and the practice of integrating spirituality into counselling and psychotherapy. Considering the ways in which Spiritism aligns with contemporary science, they show that the Spiritist model has the potential to bring about a positive transformation in the ways in which mental health care is conceptualized and delivered around the globe. The final part of the book explores how Spiritist centers and psychiatric hospitals are established and financed, with specific examples from Brazil and the USA. Providing important new insights into the rich tradition of Brazilian Spiritism, this authoritative text will be of interest to mental health professionals, counselors, therapists and alternative and complementary health practitioners."--Publisher's website.
Contents: Introduction / Emma Bragdon. -- Part I: The Spiritist Understanding of Mental Health. A Brief History of Spiritism / Emma Bragdon ; A Brief Overview of the Philosophy and Development of Spiritism's Methodologies / Alexander Moreira-Almeida ; The Spiritist View of Mental Disorders / Alexander Moreira-Almeida ; The Relationship of Mediumship to Mental Disorder / Marlene Nobre ; Case Studies of Those with Serious Diagnoses / Emma Bragdon. --^