Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

SPIRITUALITY, PSYCHOTHERAPY,  AND HEALING FROM TRAUMA Trauma stories continually make headlines. African Americans were shot to death at a midweek service in Charleston, SC . An ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) terrorist murdered and maimed Britons on Holiday in Tunisia . Boko Haram slaughtered 150 Nigerian Muslims whilst praying during Ramadan. Two days ago, July 7, Londoners mourned the deaths of 52 bomb victims. Representatives from Christian , Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and other faith groups joined to show their support . The memorial service was held in a Christian church. The victims and their families were linked to many faith traditions. Many trauma survivors and their families draw on their religious or spiritual faith for support. People pray, consult clergy, and seek help from psychotherapists. In addition to basic survival needs following a tragic event, many survivors are plunged into a spiritual struggle as they wonder why God did no...

DOES YOUR SPIRITUALITY MAKE SENSE? Religion & Spirituality | Meaning | Why? |  Psychology of Palm Sunday Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus of Nazareth went public as a king. It was the first Palm Sunday. The crowd of supporters cheered as he rode into Jerusalem.  They honored him as a king ought to be honored with palm fronds and clothes before him and sang part of an old psalm (118). And the Jewish people welcomed him with expectations of salvation from Roman oppression. But what they got a week later didn't match their expectations. It didn't make sense. Jesus never does. New religious movements pose threats to established religions. People identified as kings or leaders pose threats to national leaders. Then as now; people in power use their power to quash minority movements by attacking their leaders. Then as now; religious leaders join with political leaders in a combined effort to maintain their way of life. The words of Jesus were taken as a threat ...