Spirituality and Mental Health and Infant and Toddler Development

Part 1: (1 page) What are some of the possible obstacles a counselor might encounter when assessing across culture & religion? Identify barriers, biases, and effective ways to deal with them. Begin by questioning your own response to images of Kali Durga, a revered Hindu Deity. (Consider the images in other religious traditions, for example, some of the images in the Book of Revelations as part of your self-analysis).

Wikipedia has a good page on Kali. The url is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali

In your posted response consider the process of having a religious orientation that conflicts with our client’s own faith and beliefs OR if the client’s orientation conflicts with your own?

When should you refer? Or not? And how might you deal with such a situation?

Part 2: (1 page) PROMPT: View this week’s video clip about yoga.

(1) How and why would you prescribe yoga as an ongoing homework assignment for a client (obviously one who would not be offended by this model of healing)? What are some of your ideas about a more holistic format for psychotherapy (including emotions, mind, body and spirit)? Quote a supportive point from the Yoga Chapter (in MPAW text) citing page, etc.

(2) Take this further by considering the therapist-client vignette below. Describe some of your own treatment ideas for the last two sessions (using a psychospiritual approach). Also, point out and discuss any red flags.

(3) Next watch this week’s video for healing benefits of yoga with traumatized war veteran’s. Describe your overall learning from Chapter 7, the vignette and this video. How would you use this information with a vet or someone suffering with similar trauma?
#1 to pick one point from the chapter and elaborate on your response. #2 The most important learning from the video #3 Response to the vignette in terms of

Vignette: The female psychotherapist interviews a new client who is 33 years old. The client found this therapist through a list given by her insurance company and she has been allotted five appointments. The client is Hispanic and reports she is the third generation of her family living in the U.S. Her reported problem is that she has been experiencing anxiety and some sleeplessness since a recent divorce from her husband (who is second generation) who had left her for another woman. They did not have any children.

Her religious background is Catholic, but she no longer cares to go to religious services (saying this is primarily because of all the news of child-abusing Catholic priests). She reports some confusion regarding spiritual direction in her life.

During the second session, the therapist teaches her a simple breathing practice for reducing stress. She also facilitates a creative imagery process blended with a cognitive and behavioral approach to help promote a stronger, healthier self-image and to transform any self-blame for the marriage failing.

After the third session, the therapist invites her to attend her yoga class (the therapist is also a yoga teacher) for an additional fee to be billed to the client’s insurance program.

Describe some of your own treatment ideas for the last two sessions (using a psychospiritual approach).

Use this video for part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLPsigrVkZY

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Course Work for Infant and Toddler Development:

Part 3: (1 page) Licensing and standards: Friend or foe? In this post you will have an opportunity to reflect on your relationship to program, licensing or curriculum standards. Have you ever had an experience like the teacher in the video? (If you have not worked as a teacher, think of a non-teaching work situation.) Have you worked at a site in which you felt a conflict between your values and ideals and the rules or standards in place? Or where you didn’t feel that your colleagues did not share your work ethic? How did you handle it? Did you eventually find a resolution? Did you remain in conflict or leave? How could you have handled the situation differently? How will you handle similar situations in the future?

Use this video for Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED-NeeNBx18