Spirituality can be at the heart of the counseling relationships. Compassion means being
willing to walk through dark valleys with people, to listen to pain without shutting people out
to protect ourselves. Such experiences can take a toll in the spiritual, emotional and physical
life of the social worker. It is thus important to be aware of the danger of compassion fatigue
and secondary trauma that can make people built up barriers to empathy and caring. It is
important for social workers to fi nd ways to nourish their own souls, their own emotional,
physical, and spiritual lives in order to remain truly there for our clients and their heartaches.
Th is book is well organized, thorough, and scholarly in its coverage, it will be a well-respected
contribution to the literature on the subject.
Professor Mark Fusco Ph.D., LCSW Chicago
Th e concept of healing is an important context for understanding spirituality in terms of resiliency.
Healing is described as the core of a resiliency based practice. Healing is the process
of becoming whole. It recognizes that while people can experience physical healing without
emotional healing, it is also possible to experience emotional healing even though the past
cannot be undone (the abuse did occur) and the physical pain cannot be eliminated (cancer is
a present reality). Spirituality can contribute to healing in several ways. It can aid in meaning
making, perseverance, connection to others. It can give one a sense that a there is a purpose
in what is happening, and can help people fi nd solace and comfort. [...] I recommend this
text without reservation. I fi nd it very well written and organized, and believe it will enter the
pantheon of well-used social work textbooks, of which there are still too few.
Professor Lisa Doering, Ph.D., LCSW, New York
Th ere has been an increase of interest among social workers concerning spiritual matters.
Th is book will guide you in your eff orts to meet the needs of your families and clients while
still remaining educated and respectful of the many religious and nonreligious views diff erent
people have. In Spirituality in Social Work, you’ll get an update on the current state of
spirituality, social work scholarship, and education. From there, you’ll move on to current
appraisals of the many specialized ways social work educators are teaching spirituality in
MSW programs, and you’ll ultimately come full circle to a fuller understanding of the many
ways social work and spirituality complement and inform each other in the classroom as
well as in the fi eld of practice. In many ways, Spirituality in Social Work is a spiritual awakening
in its own right – for social workers, for individuals, and for communities at large. Th e
demand for social work practitioners, educators, and community offi cials to be cross-trained
in spirituality and social work is on the rise. So, if you’re struggling to fi nd new ways to deal
with the ever-increasing and ever-diversifying demand for spiritual training in your particular
social work setting, pick up this insightful edition and fi nd new hope and direction in the
many diff erent ways that social work and spirituality can work together for you. Th e three
authors have drawn together and integrated information that currently has to be accessed
from several sources.
Professor Cathy Murphy, Ph.D., LCSW, New York