Annotated Bibliography
Barker, A., & Galliher, R. V. (2017). A mediation model of sexual assault among Latter-Day Saints. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 26(3), 316–333.
The purpose of the study was to examine if religious fundamentalism and belief in traditional gender roles increased the frequency of episodes of sexualized violence in a conservative religious community. The authors determined socialization in such a context predicts belief in “rape mythology” as well as “benevolent sexism,” which in turn predicts increased likelihood of sexual assault perpetration by men. Two forms of literature were cited primarily; the first was a diverse collection of rigorous, peer-reviewed studies in social psychology that examine the relationship between religious beliefs and attitudes and sexual assault. The second substantial body of literature cited consisted of public statements, publications, etc. of the LDS church. This literature was included in order to examine the beliefs of the LDS church as they relate to gender and sexuality. The sample for the study included 77 men and 131 women, all university students who identified as current or former members of the LDS church. Participants were given a battery of psychological assessments designed to test respondents’ beliefs about religion, women, and sexual assault. Interestingly, the study found that women were much more like to report being a victim of sexual assault than men were to report being a victim or perpetuator of sexual assault. No direct correlation between fundamentalist religious beliefs and rape myth acceptance was found, but fundamentalist religious beliefs were found to correlate with belief in traditional gender roles; belief in traditional gender roles was found to predict acceptance of rape mythology. The authors also noted that, despite the small number of men willing to acknowledge perpetration of sexual assault in the sample study, they could show an indirect relationship between religious fundamentalism and sexual assault. They theorized that this is because men with fundamentalist religious beliefs are more likely to believe that sexual aggression can be justified. For the purposes of working with LDS clients in counseling, this suggests that rationalization may serve as a robust ego defense mechanism for LDS clients. This study is limited in so far as it uses a relatively skewed sample — not all LDS members are university students. Moreover, there is an obvious concern in drawing such a strong conclusion from a limited sample size. This study could be strengthened by employing a larger, more diverse sample and by expanding assessment measures to include more than self-reported instruments (e.g. title IX complaints).
Crisp, B. R., Epstein, S., Afrouz, R., & Taket, A. (2018). Religious literacy for responding to violence and abuse involves the capacity to go beyond stereotypes. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 11(2), 100–108.
The purpose of this article was to present some findings of two on-going studies of the importance of religious literacy when working to prevent sexual abuse of children in religious communities. The article specifically examines a Jewish community and a Muslim community in Australia, but more generally concerned with providing guidance to clinicians working with unfamiliar religious/cultural communities. The article cites an enormous and diverse body of contemporary literature, drawing insights from religious studies, anthropology, psychology, psychoanalysis, social work, public health, and medicine. The paper suggests that the study involves interviewing research subjects, but the amount of detail provided about the structure of the actual study is dissatisfying to say the least. The primary claim of the authors is that it is necessary for clinicians to develop religious literacy of the communities that they serve, particularly literacy of the ways in which beliefs and practices of the group may not correspond with societal norms, in order to effectively serve those communities. They make this claim for two reasons. The first is that developing religious literacy means that providers are less likely to rely on harmful or untrue stereotypes of their patients. The second reason is that developing religious literacy enables providers to work with religious leaders to design more effective policies and procedures for preventing, reporting, and addressing abuse in religious communities, including conservative or isolated communities. As the researchers themselves state, this conclusion does not apply only to Jewish or Muslim religious communities, but in fact, to all religious communities, and thus implies that a person who seeks to provide effective, ethical counseling to LDS clients would be well-served by developing literacy of LDS cultural and religious norms. The paper could be improved by going into significantly more detail about the methods applied and the sample studied.
Embry, J. L. (2014). Mormons. In T. Riggs (Ed.), Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America (3rd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 231-244). Gale.
The article is an encyclopedia entry meant to provide a reasonably-comprehensive introduction to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) as a cultural group. The article employs a number of academic publications describing the culture of the Mormons, however, many of them are quite dated and likely do not adequately capture the contemporary state of the LDS community in the United States. Nevertheless, the article is useful as a primer for those who may be less familiar with LDS culture and history. The article does a good job of citing primary sources to provide evidence for claims made about the beliefs and practices of the LDS church. The article also offers many useful recommendations for further reading, including both primary literature and secondary critical scholarship. This article would be useful to any counselor seeking to further their literacy of LDS beliefs, practices, and customs.
Lyon, S. J. (2013). Psychotherapy and the Mormon faith. Journal of Religion and Health, 52(2), 622–630.
The purpose of this article is to offer a primer on the beliefs of the LDS church with particular consideration for how these beliefs may influence the psychotherapeutic needs of Mormon clients. The author first offers an outline of the basic beliefs of the LDS church with primary and secondary source citations, followed by an analysis of how these beliefs may influence the therapeutic needs of Mormon clients. There is a particularly edifying discussion of the challenges presented in the treatment of LDS clients. The author then offers recommendations for how to most effectively overcome these challenges, primarily drawing on her own experience as well as the existing body of psychotherapeutic literature. Finally, the article concludes with a critique of the existing literature, noting that it is of relatively-small size and primarily apologetic in nature. The author offers extremely useful suggestions for working with LDS clients. The author begins by noting that most LDS therapists identify as primarily cognitive-behavioral in orientation, and acknowledges that such an approach resonates with many of the spiritual beliefs of Mormons. The author then goes on to suggest that psychodynamic approaches, while more difficult at the outset, are likely to produce better long-term outcomes, as Mormon clients are more likely to change their behavior by deriving insight from self-examination than by changing or challenging their beliefs (especially if working with a non-LDS counselor). This article is difficult to critique, but would benefit from a more robust, granular discussion of how specific therapeutic techniques might be applied, perhaps through the examination of case studies.
Nielsen, D. L., Judd, D. K., & Nielsen, S. L. (2006). Psychological Models Inherent in Doctrine and Practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In E. T. Dowd & S. L. Nielsen (Eds.), The psychologies in religion: Working with the religious client. (pp. 165–184). Springer Publishing Co.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a relatively-thorough, if not generalized, profile of the beliefs of the LDS church, particularly how those beliefs inform the psychological development of LDS church members. This profile was created for the purposes of helping clinicians better understand the religious and cultural context of their clients, how their clients beliefs may inform their psychology, and some of the common psychological concerns that present in the community. The authors achieve this by thoroughly citing primary sources and secondary scholarship. When examining beliefs, the authors near-exclusively cite primary sources and sympathetic literature, allowing the reader to better understand and sympathize with the viewpoint of their client. The chapter then turns to employ more critical sources, especially when it comes to documenting common concerns and providing recommendations for treatment. Perhaps the most important conclusion or claim of the chapter is the centrality of Mormon beliefs about human development and perfectionism in the LDS faith, and how these beliefs can easily become productive of maladaptive behaviors and mental anguish. While the article’s discussion of beliefs is extremely compelling, the recommendations made for treatment are comparatively lacking. This article would be improved by a longer discussion of how to actually treat LDS patients in light of their beliefs.
Scott, B. E., & Sacco, K. K. (2020). Aaron: Exploring the intersection of religion and identity with an LDS client. In B. C. King & T. A. Stewart (Eds.), Cases on cross-cultural counseling strategies. (pp. 151–171). Medical Information Science Reference/IGI Global.
The purpose of this study was “to examine the integration of the existentialist counseling approach and MSJCC as it relates to the case of Aaron,” a young LDS man who presented with symptoms of anxiety and depression. The authors draw on a significant amount of contemporary counseling literature, with particular attention to cross-cultural counseling, as well as counseling ethics. While the article is naturally focused on the specifics of a particular case, the authors do an excellent job of using this case study to model both the ethical practice of counseling and to critique the current state of counseling. In particular, the authors conclude that LDS people continue to face stigmatization in our society and face significant internal and external barriers to accessing appropriate mental healthcare. The authors call upon counselors to continue their development as culturally-sensitive practitioners, and underscore the importance of bracketing one’s own beliefs in order to serve as an effective, ethical counselor for a diversity of populations, including Mormons. The most salient critique of this article I have to offer is how brief of a counseling relationship the author had with the client at the time of writing (8 sessions). It seems to me that this is not an adequate amount of time to have developed the kind of relationship and familiarity necessary to write a case study. I would be curious to see some sort of follow-up at a later point in time, should the counseling relationship continue.
Ulrich, W. L., Richards, P. S., & Bergin, A. E. (2000). Psychotherapy with Latter-Day Saints. In P. S. Richards & A. E. Bergin (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy and religious diversity. (pp. 185–209). American Psychological Association.
The purpose of this chapter is to serve as a clinical resource to psychotherapists working with LDS clients, particularly psychotherapists who may not be familiar with LDS beliefs, practices, and culture. This chapter distinguishes itself from other resources cited here in that it provides the most extensive discussion of clinical issues, including interpretations of how clinical issues relate to LDS religion, as well as the best strategies for treating these concerns in LDS clients. The authors cite a robust collection of clinical studies and church sources, as well as their own clinical experience. The authors provide extremely specific recommendations on what therapies and modalities are or are not appropriate for LDS clients, complete with thoughtful, culturally-informed explanations as to why. The authors also provide a discussion of the psychotherapeutically-useful aspects of the LDS church and how these can be employed by therapists and LDS clients for the benefit of the client. The authors conclude with a reflection on religious demography — the LDS church is among the fastest growing religious movements in the world, and is the fastest by some counts. Accordingly, it behooves clinicians to develop their ability to work with LDS clients as it is increasingly likely that they will someday be called upon to do so. This chapter included a case study, however, it was lamentably brief. It is clear that there is a need in the archive for an expanded consideration of LDS cases.
Systemic Challenges
(“Haun’s Mill” by C.C.A. Christensen, late 19th century, oil on canvas. Image is in the public domain.)
Persecution of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as “Mormons,” reached its zenith in the 19th century, culminating in the forced dislocation of Mormons to Utah following Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs’ 1838 “Mormon Extermination Order.” It would not be until the Church’s 1890 Manifesto that banned the practice of polygamy that members of the LDS church were able to freely and openly practice their faith without legal harassment, persecution, and threats of violence state-sanctioned violence. While the treatment of LDS people has improved considerably since the 1800s, prejudice and bias against LDS people persists. A 2015 Gallup poll found that 18% of Americans would not vote for a well-qualified presidential candidate if that candidate were Mormon — more than twice as many that said they would not vote for a Jew, a Catholic Person, a woman, or a Black person. Liberal, secular Americans and Evangelical Christians find themselves in unusual agreement with each other when it comes to their beliefs about the authenticity of the LDS Church, which is often described by figures on both the left and the right as ‘a cult.’ Because of the remote, isolated conditions that LDS community and culture developed in, LDS members continue face some degree of alienation from contemporary American society. Many LDS people suffer from mental illness but lack adequate mental healthcare. This is, in some significant part, due to unavailability of psychotherapists with enough cultural competence to work with LDS clients. There were no LDS people trained as psychotherapists until 1958; an attitude of suspicion towards non-LDS psychotherapists continues to pervade LDS communities today (Lyon, 2013).
Reference
Lyon, S. J. (2013). Psychotherapy and the Mormon faith. Journal of Religion and Health, 52(2), 622–630.
Strengths-Focused Needs
(Replica of Christus (1838) by Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844); this replica is located in the Temple Square North Visitors Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Image is in the public domain.)
Central to Latter-day Saint theology is the “Plan of Salvation.” According to this teaching, faithful members of the Church who dutifully uphold its practices will eventually become gods themselves (“exaltation”). Members of the Church find extensive guidance into the general and particular moral conduct they should engage in. A relatively well-known example would be the Word of Wisdom’s guidance against the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and “hot drinks” (interpreted as coffee and tea). While there is a good deal of comfort and certainty to be found in LDS teachings, academic research and anecdotal accounts from interviews both suggest that the beliefs, attitudes, and comportments instilled by the Church can sometimes become maladaptive. Clinical research suggests that Latter-day Saints’ beliefs about human beings’ spiritual potential have potential to develop into unrealistic expectations of one’s self and others, resulting in difficulties with self-esteem, mood, and relationships with other people (Ulrich et. al, 2000). At the same time, LDS teachings seem to instill in Church members a drive to continuously improve themselves and become better people. Professional Counselors have the opportunity to help Latter-day Saints live more meaningful, fulfilling lives by using their facility for empathetic understanding to help Saints work through unresolved emotional and developmental conflicts. This work is something that is readily couched in LDS theology that endorses humanity’s eternal spiritual progression.
Reference
Ulrich, W. L., Richards, P. S., & Bergin, A. E. (2000). Psychotherapy with Latter-Day Saints. In P. S. Richards & A. E. Bergin (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy and religious diversity. (pp. 185–209). American Psychological Association.
Servant Leadership
(Statue of Moroni, Bern Switzerland Temple, 2008. Image is in the public domain.)
When it came time to interview members of the LDS Church, I contacted two friends of mine who are both members of the Church with somewhat unorthodox views (one advocates for the ordination of women, the other is an openly-gay man). I explained my motivations and purpose to them, and asked each if they knew of folks who may be willing to speak more to a “person who is trying to make counseling more accessible to and inclusive of LDS people.” They both agreed. We were all subsequently overwhelmed by the response — dozens of people agreed to be interviewed and also offered to connect me to further respondents. Obviously, I couldn’t interview that many people. But I was struck by how enthusiastic the response was— I wanted to know: why do so many strangers want to talk to me about this? What’s going on? What nerve has been struck?
As an alternative to interviewing everybody who expressed interest, I am proposing a servant leadership project that is inspired by participatory action research. Participatory action research is a methodology employed in public health and urban planning that is premised on including the people and communities impacted by those processes in the creation and execution of those processes in order to reduce inequity driven by public institutions and policy interventions (Baum & Smith, 2006). In other words, PAR is about letting the people who need help tell us what help they need. Accordingly, I am proposing to create a questionnaire to be distributed to all who expressed interest in being interviewed to learn more about why it is that there was so much engagement in this process. What is on people’s minds? How are they feeling? What do they need? What can I (and we, professional counselors), do for them?
Reference
Baum, F., MacDougall, C., & Smith, D. (2006). Participatory action research. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 60(10), 854–857. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2004.028662
Advocacy
(Salt Lake City Temple, 2004. Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.)
For my advocacy project, I propose to lobby the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to create an endorsement for non-LDS therapists who work with LDS clients. One of the reoccurring themes of my conversations with the population is that many LDS people, for whatever reason, want to work with a non-LDS therapist, but encounter difficulty finding a therapist who is suitably familiar with LDS culture and theology. Many people also expressed that they felt judged, shamed, or humiliated by therapists because of their LDS faith. This proposed endorsement would signify that the therapist is not only culturally-competent, but also capable of working with LDS people in a non-judgemental, productive manner. By working in collaboration with LDS leadership to develop the endorsement program, all parties involved can be confident that the therapists involved are working for the benefit of LDS people and the LDS church.