Relational Spirituality, Intercultural Competence, and Social Justice in Systemic Therapies

Abstract

The Relational Spirituality Model (RSM) builds on relational psychodynamic and systemic approaches and serves as an orienting framework for clinical services and training. In this article, we provide an overview of the RSM, a pluralistic contextual approach to spirituality in clinical practice that (a) considers developmental dialectics of spiritual dwelling and seeking and (b) explores diverse ways that religious and spiritual dynamics can range from salutary to harmful. In light of growing attention to racism in U.S. society, we review salient research on justice-seeking spirituality and consider the roles of humility, differentiation, and hope in developing intercultural competence. Throughout, we consider implications for clinical practice and training.