Without Your Therapist: Contemplative Prayer During Treatment as a Religious Exposure Intervention to Reduce Religious Struggle and Anxious God Representation
Clinical Case Studies March 25, 2022 H. Seesink, Pieter Klokkenburg, H. Schaap-Jonker et al. 4 citations
A 44-year-old Dutch man with an anxious God representation and religious struggles, who had previously been treated for panic disorder and alcohol use disorder, received a 60-day intervention using the Jesus Prayer. This is the first reported case using the Jesus Prayer in treatment. The intervention positively affected his religious and spiritual problems, stress levels, and surrender to God. Reliable change index analyses showed symptom reduction from baseline to post-assessment for all measured symptoms, with a semi-gradual decrease over treatment. Improvements continued at a 3-month follow-up, suggesting the Jesus Prayer may be an effective method for religious and spiritual problems.