Insights from Pastors on Christian Mindfulness: What Social Workers Can Learn about Spiritual Integration in Mindfulness
Main Article Content
Keywords
Christian Mindfulness, Burnout, Spiritually Integrated Interventions, Pastoral Burnout, Social Work Practice
Abstract
Social workers often work alongside community leaders, including pastors, especially in mezzo and macro practice (Garland & Yancey, 2014). Pastors, like social workers, also face high rates of burnout due to role stress (Adams & Hough, 2017). While mindfulness has been relatively well-researched in social work to address stress and burnout (Crowder & Sears, 2017; Leake et al., 2017; Trammel et al., 2021), it has not been investigated among the pastorate. Pastors may benefit from learning more about how mindfulness can improve well-being, while social workers may benefit from learning more about the spiritual practices that pastors use toward a religious integration of mindfulness. Social workers who incorporate religious and spiritual practices that pastors use might increase fluency toward a more robust and effective mindfulness intervention in practice. Evidence of the efficacy of spiritually integrated interventions are necessary and needed in our profession (Canda et al., 2020). Results of this descriptive qualitative study of a majority-BIPOC sample of pastors can inform social workers who use Christian mindfulness in practice.
References
Adams, C. J., & Hough, H. (2017). Clergy Burnout: A Comparison Study with Other Helping
Professions. Pastoral Psychology, 66(2), 147–175,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-016-0722-4
Birnbaum, L. (2008). The Use of Mindfulness Training to Create an “Accompanying Place” for Social Work Students. Social Work Education, 27(8), 837–852. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470701538330
Birnbaum, L., & Birnbaum, A. (2008). Mindful social work: From theory to practice. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 27(1), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426430802113913
Booker, V. A., Balmer, R., & Blum, E. (2021). Mothers of the Movement: Evangelicalism and Religious Experience in Black Women’s Activism. Religions, 12(141), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12020141
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Canda, E., Furman, L. D., & Canda, H. J. (2020). Spiritual diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Captari, L. E., Sandage, S. J., & Vandiver, R. A. (2021). Spiritually integrated psychotherapies in real-world clinical practice: Synthesizing the literature to identify best practices and future research directions. Psychotherapy. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pst0000407
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Crowder, R., & Sears, A. (2017). Building Resilience in Social Workers: An Exploratory Study on the Impacts of a Mindfulness-based Intervention. Australian Social Work, 70(1), 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2016.1203965
Dunbar, S., Frederick, T., Thai, Y., & Gill, J. (2020). Calling, caring, and connecting: burnout in Christian ministry. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 23(2), 173–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2020.1744548
Evans, S., Ferrando, S., Findler, M., Stowell, C., Smart, C., & Haglin, D. (2007). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(4), 716–721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.07.005
Felder, J. N., Dimidjian, S., & Segal, Z. (2012). Collaboration in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(2), 179–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21832
Focus on the Family. (2019). Mindfulness: A Christian Approach. Focus on the Family. Retrieved July 13, 2021, from https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/mindfulness-a-christian-approach/
Garland, D. R., & Yancey, G. I. (2014). Congregational Social Work: Christian Perspectives. North American Association of Christians in Social Work.
Garland, E. L., Farb, N. A., Goldin, P. R., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2015). Mindfulness broadens awareness and builds eudaimonic meaning: A process model of mindful positive emotion regulation. Psychological Inquiry, 26(4), 293–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2015.1064294
Garland, E. L., Kiken, L. G., Faurot, K., Palsson, O., & Gaylord, S. A. (2017). Upward spirals of mindfulness and reappraisal: Testing the mindfulness-to-meaning theory with autoregressive latent trajectory modeling. Cognitive Therapy & Research, 41(3), 381–392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-016-9768-y
Garzon, F., Benitez-DeVilbiss, A., Turbessi, V., Offei Darko, Y. T., Berberena, N., Jens, A., Wray, K., Bourne, E., Keay, J., Jenks, J., Noble, C., & Artis, C. (2022). Christian Accommodative Mindfulness: Definition, Current Research, and Group Protocol. Religions, 13(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13010063
Giorgi, A. P., & Giorgi, B. M. (2003). The descriptive phenomenological psychological method. In P. M. Camic, J. E. Rhodes, & L. Yardley (Eds.), Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design (pp. 243–273). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10595-013
Hanley, A., Garland, E. L., & Black, D. S. (2014). Use of mindful reappraisal coping among meditation practitioners. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70(3), 294-301. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22023
Harned, M. S., Jackson, S. C., Comtois, K. A., & Linehan, M. M. (2010). Dialectical behavior therapy as a precursor to PTSD treatment for suicidal and/or self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 23(4), 421–429. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20553
Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., Foa, E. B., & Linehan, M. M. (2012). Treating PTSD in suicidal and self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder: Development and preliminary evaluation of a dialectical behavior therapy prolonged exposure protocol. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 50(6), 381–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2012.02.011
Hester, J. A. (2017). Stress and longevity in pastoral ministry: A phenomenological study. [Doctoral dissertation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary]. Boyce Digital Repository. https://repository.sbts.edu/bitstream/handle/10392/5469/Hester_sbts_0207D_10422.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Hick, S. F., & Chan, L. (2010). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: Effectiveness and limitations. Social Work in Mental Health, 8(3), 225–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332980903405330
Howard, E. B. (2012). Lectio divina in the evangelical tradition. Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care, 5(1), 56–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/193979091200500104
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
Leake, R., Rienkds, S. Obermann, A. (2017). A deeper look at burnout in the child welfare workforce. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 41(5), 492-502. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2017.1340385
Lynch, T. R., Chapman, A. L., Rosenthal, M. Z., Kuo, J. R., & Linehan, M. M. (2006). Mechanisms of change in dialectical behavior therapy: Theoretical and empirical observations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(4), 459–480. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20243
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224
McGarrigle, T. (2011). Mindfulness, self-care, and wellness in social work: Effects of contemplative training. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 30(3), 212-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2011.587384
McKinsey (2021). COVID-19’s impact on Asian American workers: Six key insights. Retrieved May 26, 2021, from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/covid-19s-impact-on-asian-american-workers-six-key-insights?fbclid=IwAR1BBmUXvcvwknA1ewkJaPCwmUEpcoJgTUqsbTBjzSJbb30YyaChrI-8A70
McWilliams, S. A. (2012). Mindfulness and extending constructivist psychotherapy integration. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 25(3), 230-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2012.679130
Moceri, J., & Cox, P. H. (2019). Mindfulness-based practice to reduce blood pressure and stress in priests. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15(6), e115–e117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.01.001
Moustakas, C. E. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage
Okuwobi, O. F. (2019). “Everything that I’ve Done Has Always Been Multiethnic”: Biographical Work among Leaders of Multiracial Churches. Sociology of Religion, 80(4), 478–495. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/sry058
Reeder, H. P. (2009). Theory and Practice of Husserl’s Phenomenology. Zeta Books. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apu/detail.action?docID=3421651
Rodwell, M. K. (1998). Social work constructivist research. Garland Publishing.
Smith, B. W., Ortiz, J. A., Steffen, L. E., Tooley, E. M., Wiggins, K. T., Yeater, E. A., Montoya, J. D., & Bernard, M. L. (2011). Mindfulness is associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems in urban firefighters. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 79(5), 613–617. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025189
Stetzer, E. (2020, February 11). How a Western megachurch pastor fell in love with Eastern meditation. Religion News Service. https://religionnews.com/2020/02/11/how-a-western-mega-church-pastor-fell-in-love-with-eastern-meditation/
Stone, C. (2019, March 15). Mindfulness and the Pastor. Pastor Resources. https://pastorresources.com/mindfulness-and-the-pastor/
Taylor, N. Z., & Millear, P. M. R. (2016). The contribution of mindfulness to predicting burnout in the workplace. Personality and Individual Differences, 89, 123-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.10.005
Terry, J. D., & Cunningham, C. J. L. (2020). The Sacred and Stressed: Testing a Model of Clergy Health. Journal of Religion & Health, 59(3), 1541–1566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00920-9
Tisby, J. (2021). Perspective: Raphael Warnock’s win in Georgia is a testament to the power of the Black church. Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/01/10/raphael-warnocks-win-georgia-is-testament-power-black-church/
Trammel, R. C., Park, G., & Karlsson, I. (2021). Religiously oriented mindfulness for social workers: Effects on mindfulness, heart rate variability, and personal burnout. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 40(1), 19–3
Trammel, R.C. (2018) Effectiveness of an MP3 Christian mindfulness intervention on
mindfulness and perceived stress. Journal of Mental Health, Culture, and Religion,
21(5), 500-514. doi:10.1080/13674676.2018.1505837
Trammel, R.C. (2017). Tracing the roots of mindfulness: Transcendence in Buddhism and
Christianity. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 36,
367-383.
Trungpa, C. (2013). The path of individual liberation. (J. Leif, Trans.) Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Tufford, L., & Newman, P. (2010). Bracketing in qualitative research. Qualitative Social Work,
11(1), 80–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325010368316
Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015). For mindful teaching of mindfulness. Psychologist, 28(7), 514–515.
Van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. SUNY Press.
Ware, T. (2015). The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity (3rd edition). Penguin Books.
Professions. Pastoral Psychology, 66(2), 147–175,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-016-0722-4
Birnbaum, L. (2008). The Use of Mindfulness Training to Create an “Accompanying Place” for Social Work Students. Social Work Education, 27(8), 837–852. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615470701538330
Birnbaum, L., & Birnbaum, A. (2008). Mindful social work: From theory to practice. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 27(1), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426430802113913
Booker, V. A., Balmer, R., & Blum, E. (2021). Mothers of the Movement: Evangelicalism and Religious Experience in Black Women’s Activism. Religions, 12(141), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12020141
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Canda, E., Furman, L. D., & Canda, H. J. (2020). Spiritual diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Captari, L. E., Sandage, S. J., & Vandiver, R. A. (2021). Spiritually integrated psychotherapies in real-world clinical practice: Synthesizing the literature to identify best practices and future research directions. Psychotherapy. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pst0000407
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Crowder, R., & Sears, A. (2017). Building Resilience in Social Workers: An Exploratory Study on the Impacts of a Mindfulness-based Intervention. Australian Social Work, 70(1), 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2016.1203965
Dunbar, S., Frederick, T., Thai, Y., & Gill, J. (2020). Calling, caring, and connecting: burnout in Christian ministry. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 23(2), 173–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2020.1744548
Evans, S., Ferrando, S., Findler, M., Stowell, C., Smart, C., & Haglin, D. (2007). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(4), 716–721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.07.005
Felder, J. N., Dimidjian, S., & Segal, Z. (2012). Collaboration in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(2), 179–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21832
Focus on the Family. (2019). Mindfulness: A Christian Approach. Focus on the Family. Retrieved July 13, 2021, from https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/mindfulness-a-christian-approach/
Garland, D. R., & Yancey, G. I. (2014). Congregational Social Work: Christian Perspectives. North American Association of Christians in Social Work.
Garland, E. L., Farb, N. A., Goldin, P. R., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2015). Mindfulness broadens awareness and builds eudaimonic meaning: A process model of mindful positive emotion regulation. Psychological Inquiry, 26(4), 293–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2015.1064294
Garland, E. L., Kiken, L. G., Faurot, K., Palsson, O., & Gaylord, S. A. (2017). Upward spirals of mindfulness and reappraisal: Testing the mindfulness-to-meaning theory with autoregressive latent trajectory modeling. Cognitive Therapy & Research, 41(3), 381–392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-016-9768-y
Garzon, F., Benitez-DeVilbiss, A., Turbessi, V., Offei Darko, Y. T., Berberena, N., Jens, A., Wray, K., Bourne, E., Keay, J., Jenks, J., Noble, C., & Artis, C. (2022). Christian Accommodative Mindfulness: Definition, Current Research, and Group Protocol. Religions, 13(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13010063
Giorgi, A. P., & Giorgi, B. M. (2003). The descriptive phenomenological psychological method. In P. M. Camic, J. E. Rhodes, & L. Yardley (Eds.), Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design (pp. 243–273). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10595-013
Hanley, A., Garland, E. L., & Black, D. S. (2014). Use of mindful reappraisal coping among meditation practitioners. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70(3), 294-301. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22023
Harned, M. S., Jackson, S. C., Comtois, K. A., & Linehan, M. M. (2010). Dialectical behavior therapy as a precursor to PTSD treatment for suicidal and/or self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 23(4), 421–429. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20553
Harned, M. S., Korslund, K. E., Foa, E. B., & Linehan, M. M. (2012). Treating PTSD in suicidal and self-injuring women with borderline personality disorder: Development and preliminary evaluation of a dialectical behavior therapy prolonged exposure protocol. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 50(6), 381–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2012.02.011
Hester, J. A. (2017). Stress and longevity in pastoral ministry: A phenomenological study. [Doctoral dissertation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary]. Boyce Digital Repository. https://repository.sbts.edu/bitstream/handle/10392/5469/Hester_sbts_0207D_10422.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Hick, S. F., & Chan, L. (2010). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: Effectiveness and limitations. Social Work in Mental Health, 8(3), 225–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332980903405330
Howard, E. B. (2012). Lectio divina in the evangelical tradition. Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care, 5(1), 56–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/193979091200500104
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
Leake, R., Rienkds, S. Obermann, A. (2017). A deeper look at burnout in the child welfare workforce. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 41(5), 492-502. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2017.1340385
Lynch, T. R., Chapman, A. L., Rosenthal, M. Z., Kuo, J. R., & Linehan, M. M. (2006). Mechanisms of change in dialectical behavior therapy: Theoretical and empirical observations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(4), 459–480. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20243
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224
McGarrigle, T. (2011). Mindfulness, self-care, and wellness in social work: Effects of contemplative training. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 30(3), 212-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2011.587384
McKinsey (2021). COVID-19’s impact on Asian American workers: Six key insights. Retrieved May 26, 2021, from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/covid-19s-impact-on-asian-american-workers-six-key-insights?fbclid=IwAR1BBmUXvcvwknA1ewkJaPCwmUEpcoJgTUqsbTBjzSJbb30YyaChrI-8A70
McWilliams, S. A. (2012). Mindfulness and extending constructivist psychotherapy integration. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 25(3), 230-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2012.679130
Moceri, J., & Cox, P. H. (2019). Mindfulness-based practice to reduce blood pressure and stress in priests. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15(6), e115–e117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.01.001
Moustakas, C. E. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage
Okuwobi, O. F. (2019). “Everything that I’ve Done Has Always Been Multiethnic”: Biographical Work among Leaders of Multiracial Churches. Sociology of Religion, 80(4), 478–495. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/sry058
Reeder, H. P. (2009). Theory and Practice of Husserl’s Phenomenology. Zeta Books. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apu/detail.action?docID=3421651
Rodwell, M. K. (1998). Social work constructivist research. Garland Publishing.
Smith, B. W., Ortiz, J. A., Steffen, L. E., Tooley, E. M., Wiggins, K. T., Yeater, E. A., Montoya, J. D., & Bernard, M. L. (2011). Mindfulness is associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and alcohol problems in urban firefighters. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 79(5), 613–617. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025189
Stetzer, E. (2020, February 11). How a Western megachurch pastor fell in love with Eastern meditation. Religion News Service. https://religionnews.com/2020/02/11/how-a-western-mega-church-pastor-fell-in-love-with-eastern-meditation/
Stone, C. (2019, March 15). Mindfulness and the Pastor. Pastor Resources. https://pastorresources.com/mindfulness-and-the-pastor/
Taylor, N. Z., & Millear, P. M. R. (2016). The contribution of mindfulness to predicting burnout in the workplace. Personality and Individual Differences, 89, 123-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.10.005
Terry, J. D., & Cunningham, C. J. L. (2020). The Sacred and Stressed: Testing a Model of Clergy Health. Journal of Religion & Health, 59(3), 1541–1566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00920-9
Tisby, J. (2021). Perspective: Raphael Warnock’s win in Georgia is a testament to the power of the Black church. Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/01/10/raphael-warnocks-win-georgia-is-testament-power-black-church/
Trammel, R. C., Park, G., & Karlsson, I. (2021). Religiously oriented mindfulness for social workers: Effects on mindfulness, heart rate variability, and personal burnout. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 40(1), 19–3
Trammel, R.C. (2018) Effectiveness of an MP3 Christian mindfulness intervention on
mindfulness and perceived stress. Journal of Mental Health, Culture, and Religion,
21(5), 500-514. doi:10.1080/13674676.2018.1505837
Trammel, R.C. (2017). Tracing the roots of mindfulness: Transcendence in Buddhism and
Christianity. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 36,
367-383.
Trungpa, C. (2013). The path of individual liberation. (J. Leif, Trans.) Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Tufford, L., & Newman, P. (2010). Bracketing in qualitative research. Qualitative Social Work,
11(1), 80–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325010368316
Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015). For mindful teaching of mindfulness. Psychologist, 28(7), 514–515.
Van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. SUNY Press.
Ware, T. (2015). The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity (3rd edition). Penguin Books.