Each person has two ideas of Godthe God concept and the God image. The God concept is intellectual in nature, while the God image is the subjective emotional experience of God that is shaped by a person's family history. Those who struggle with mental health issues often have a God image that is distant, critical, and judgmental because they had parents who behaved that way. God Image Handbook for Spiritual Counseling and Psychotherapy: Research, Theory, and Practice provides therapists with the tools to effectively treat clients who harbor God image issues. This unique manual builds upon strong philosophical and research foundations to offer seven practical clinical approaches to working with the God image in psychotherapy. Leading clinicians and researchers from various disciplines offer expert insight and analysis to provide therapists with in-depth understanding of the God image.

Rizzuto, Foreword. Acknowledgments. About the Contributors. Part I: Foundations. Moriarty & Hoffman, Introduction and Overview. Grimes, God Image Research: A Literature Review. Jones, Psychodynamic Theories of the Evolution of the God Image. Part II: Clinical Theory and Applications. Noffke & Hall, Attachment Psychotherapy and God Image. Moriarty, Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy and God Image. Hoffman, Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy and God Image. Garzon, A Neuroscientific Approach and the God Image. Johnson, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and the God Image. O'Grady & Richards, Theistic Psychotherapy and the God Image. Doehring, A Liberal Protestant Pastoral Theological Approach and the God Image: The Role of God Images in Recovery from Sexual and Physical Abuse. Part III: Future Directions. Gibson, Measurement Issues in God Image Research and Practice. Moriarty, Thomas, & Allmond, God Image Psychotherapy: Comparing Approaches. Hoffman et al., Diversity Issues and the God Image. Epilogue. Schmidt, Postscript. Index.