INSPIRE international research network
Our vision and aims
Our vision in the INSPIRE international research network is to contribute to enhancing spiritual and existential perspectives in systemic and dialogical practices
Our aims are to:
- Become an internationally acknowledged research network
- Build networks internationally with similar research environments
- Strengthen the learning processes in education and clinical practice
- Provide a safe place for dialogue among the network members about spiritual and existential issues. Respect different experiences and perceptions of the topic, to learn from each other.
- Engage in the debate, nationally and internationally, on spirituality and existential issues concerning systemic therapy and dialogical practice.
- Facilitating the exchange of ideas on a wide range of topics about spirituality and existential perspectives, both religious and spirituality independent of religion.
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PhD projects
Spiritual experiences and resources in mental health care
The PhD-project consists of three sub studies:
- Experiences of spirituality of in- and out-patients in mental health facilities: A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies
- “Longing for wholeness” – Inpatients descriptions of spiritual experiences in specialized mental health care: A phenomenological study:
Abstract:
Mental health care has seen an increasing recognition that professionals should support patients’ spiritual needs. This implies working towards greater acceptance of spiritual concerns and emphasizing spirituality as essential elements in every human being, while no longer dismissing the spiritual content of psychotic communication as merely ‘illness’. In mental health care, research reveals a need to develop new, respectful, and less stigmatizing ways of collaborating with clients. This study aimed to describe inpatients’ spiritual experiences in specialized mental health care. The study has a qualitative design with a phenomenological approach. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted in two psychiatric hospitals in Norway. Giorgi’s phenomenological method guided the analysis. ‘Longing for wholeness’ appeared as an overall structure of the participants’ descriptions. This structure was dependent on four constituents, ‘feeling alienated and isolated’, ‘connection to divine powers’, ‘the need to experience love in relationships’ and finally, ‘activities to enhance coping’. This study calls for mental health professionals to facilitate open spaces to explore spiritual aspects of the whole person in care as resources for recovery.
- Ongoing study;
Aim: To explore metaphors of inpatients spiritual experiences as aspects of meaning-making.
Research question: In what ways can metaphors of inpatients spiritual experiences be interpreted as aspects of meaning-making?
Method: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
Implications for practice: By acknowledging metaphorical expressions as important sources to knowledge, this study reflect son how mental health care professionals can use metaphors to gain insight to the spiritual universe of inpatients to facilitate relationships of resonance as sources to Relational Recovery.
Camilla Christine Holm
assistant professor/PhD-student
Centre for Diaconia and Professional Practice
camilla.holm@vid.no
Mental health work with youth in third sector services: Relational and existential perspectives on marginalisation and health promotion
A qualitative empirical study.
Liv Hilde Myrset Briså
PhD-student
Centre for Diaconia and Professional Practice
liv.brisa@vid.no
Spiritual Reflexivity as exemplified in the Šhaykẖ - murīd relationship and its convergence with systemic psychotherapy theory and practice
This study seeks to gain rich descriptive and experiential accounts regarding the relational nature of spiritual states through interviewing Spiritual Guides.
This exploration aims to gain insight into how these relational states are conceptualised, applied and experienced by these spiritual mentors as well as in my practice as a Muslim systemic psychotherapist as a form of ‘Spiritual Reflexivity’.
Exploring the Intersection of Spirituality, Therapy, and Men’s Existential Struggles: Uncovering Pathways to Meaning, Wellbeing, and Resilience
This research aims to understand how spiritual group practices help men navigate existential struggles, improve well-being, and reshape perceptions of masculinity. It focuses on addressing the gaps in understanding men's existential health, particularly in a time characterized by existential insecurity and a mental health crisis. Fieldwork will be conducted in diverse religious or spiritual men’s groups across different traditions—Christian, Sufi, Buddhist, Vaishnava Bhakti, and Hindu contemplative—in order to provide a cross-cultural exploration of how spirituality can foster resilience and meaning. By bridging the intersection of spirituality, therapy, and masculinity, the findings aim to enhance family therapy practices and contribute valuable insights into men's mental health.
Primary Research Question:
- What experiences do men have of participating in spiritual group practices? How might these group practices play a role in addressing existential meaning-making and existential struggles in the lives of men?
Subsidiary Questions:
- How do men describe and interpret their personal experiences of participating in spiritual group practices in relation to their existential struggles?
- What specific spiritual group practices contribute to men's sense of well-being and resilience in times of existential struggles, and how do these practices achieve that?
- How do men's participation in spiritual group practices influence their perceptions of masculinity?
Stephen Rodriguez-Elizalde
doctoral research fellow
Centre for Diaconia and Professional Practice
stephen.rodriguez-elizalde@vid.no
Members
| NAME | POSITION |
|---|---|
| UNITED KINGDOM | |
| Ellen Twist | Family & Systemic Psychotherapist in a child and adolescent inpatient unit + private practice |
| Dr Philippa Donald | Systemic and transpersonal psychotherapist |
| Catherine Rodger | Family therapist, a Tutor on the MSC Course at IFT + private practice |
| Davis Humphreys | Family therapist in a primary care practice in Hertfordshire, and teaching on a Family Intervention in Psychosis & Bipolar experiences training at the University of Exeter |
| Dr Lizette Nolte | Clinical psychologist and systemic/family therapist, lecturer, and researcher at the University of Hertfordshire + private practice |
| Nadir Khan | Family Systemic Psychotherapist, Doctoral fellow |
| Dr Reenee Singh | Consultant Family Systemic Psychotherapist and psychologist, Director, London Intercultural Couples Centre |
| Dr Jaqui Scott | Senior Lecturer (Research) & Clinical Psychologist & Supervisor, Doctorate Programme in Clinical Psychology, University of Hertfordshire |
| NETHERLANDS | |
| Petra Deij | Systemic family therapist, supervisor, trainer and doctoral fellow at the University of Bedfordshire |
| Robin Glerum | Psycho-dynamic psychotherapist and systemic therapist in Lorentzhuis, Haarlem |
| John Robbemond | Psychotherapist and systemic therapist, licensed trainer and supervisor at Euthopia. Euthopia is a practice for systemic therapy and a training institute for family therapists and dialogic and systemic thinking in the Netherlands. www.euthopia.nl |
| Wilco Kroon | Narrative and systemic therapist, licensed trainer and supervisor at Euthopia. Euthopia is a practice for systemic therapy and a training institute for family therapists and dialogic and systemic thinking in the Netherlands. www.euthopia.nl |
| NORWAY | |
| Dr Åse Holmberg (leader) | Associate professor in family therapy and systemic practice, VID Specialized University, Oslo + private practice |
| Dr Bengt Carlsson | Professor in mental health care, University of Southeast- Norway, Drammen |
| Camilla Christine Holm (co-leader) | Doctoral fellow: Spirituality in mental health, VID Specialized University Oslo |
| Sigurd Riste Andersen | Assistant professor in family therapy and systemic practice, VID Specialized University, Oslo |
| Liv Hilde Briså | Doctoral fellow: Spiritual perspectives working with youths in non-profit sector, VID Specialized University, Oslo |
| Dr Per Jensen | Professor emeritus in family therapy, VID Specialized University, Oslo |
| Dr Farhan Shah | Associate professor at Faculty of Theology (UIO): Systemic and spiritual perspective on suicide, modern Islamic philosophy, and theology, Oslo |
| April Holten | Systemic couple and family therapy therapist, private practice |
| Lene Bjølverud Rødningsby | Deacon and master´s student in systemic family therapy |
| Stephen Rodriguez- Elizade | PhD-fellow: Men and existential struggles, VID Specialized University, Oslo |
| SWEDEN | |
| Ulrika Ernvik | Family Therapist, Sweden |
| Gustav Ledstam | Family therapist, Sweden, and assistant professor in family therapy and systemic practice, VID Specialized University, Oslo |
| Nadia Sarblad | Authorized family therapist, Sweden |
| US | |
| Angela Lamson | Professor of Medical Family Therapy and Marriage and Family Therapy, East Carolina University. Research: Relationally-Centered Integrated Behavioral Health |