Watkins-ClarkMFT6103_Week 4
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Dec 6, 2023
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Week 4 Assignment: Validating and Embracing Spiritual Perspectives
Jacquelyn D Watkins-Clark
MFT-6103: Cultural Diversity, Gender, and Family Development
Dr. Smita Kapoor
August 28, 2022
The Yoruba religion is the spiritual practice of the Yoruba people who live primarily in Western Africa. It is a centuries old religion that is based on a variety of myths, beliefs, legends, and proverbs that originated from the social and cultural influences of the western part of Africa (Patti Wigington, 2019). The core of their belief system is based on the concept that all people experience Ayanmo
, which in western terms is considered fate or destiny. There is also the expectation that all people will eventually achieve a state of Olodumare
, which refers to becoming one with a divine source of energy. This spiritual state is also the name of the supreme being who is the creator of all things and is also known as Olorun. Communication with this being is achieved through orishas
who are intermediaries that often act on the people’s behalf but
can work against people as well and cause issues. There are a variety of different orishas which can appear in natural forms like rivers, or mountains and others are said to have originally been human and then transcended to a semi-divine state. They exist in a similar way as humans and are meant to be a reflection of mankind. Orishas are not the only deity or divine force within this religion. There are also negative
forces called Ajogun
which cause illness, accidents, and other problems. These forces are avoided, when possible, but when that is not possible people typically go to priests called Ifta to have divination performed in order to figure out how to remove the Ajogun. Negative situations or misfortunes are usually explained by either the work of this negative force or the lack of proper respect paid to an orisha (Patti Wigington, 2019).
Rituals and celebrations are a major element of the Yoruba religion and are meant to promote cultural values and preserve the western African heritage (Patti Wigington, 2019). These
celebrations serve the purpose of honoring Olorun or offering sacrifices to other gods that control
elements like rain, sunshine, or the harvest. These rituals and celebrations represent an important
time in this religion and in lives of families of those who practice the Yoruba tradition. It is not only a spiritual practice but a time when cultural elements like clothing, language, music, and dance are celebrated in tandem with spirituality. These celebrations also serve as a way to strengthen community and ensure that the needs of others are met. Yoruba spirituality offers hope after death through the concept of reincarnation. This religion emphasizes living a good life in order to earn the privilege of reincarnation whereas those who do not live a good life will not be reborn. The process of reincarnation is something that is meant to be looked forward to and a way to incentivize positive actions and positive life choices. I grew up in a Christian home and continue to practice that as my religion of choice. In recent years there has been an influx of interest in religions of the African diaspora within the United States. While I knew some elements about the Yoruba religion, this article provided much
more context and a better understanding of the differences and similarities with Christianity. The primary differences I noticed were that of the access to the primary deity through intermediaries and the belief of reincarnation after death. In Christianity it isn’t necessary to go through an intermediary to speak to God. Access is achieved through prayer through many avenues, either privately, publicly or in a place of worship. Essentially when there is a need for prayer, Christians believe they can reach God at any point and time. There is also no need to offer sacrifices or placate other deities to access God or earn favor. Christians also believe that there is only one way to get to heaven and that is through the acceptance and belief of Jesus Christ. Good
deeds and positive choices in life are encouraged and expected based on the guidelines outlined in the Bible, but these alone are not the way to gain access to heaven. Poor choices are also not
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punished by not getting into heaven, rather if a person repents and accepts Jesus into their life, they are guaranteed access regardless of their wrongdoings. While there are clear differences in Christianity and the Yoruba religion, there are also some similarities. The most prominent similarity is the impact that rituals and celebrations have on families and the community. Major events in Christianity like Easter and Christmas are not only meant to celebrate prominent events in the religion, but also serve as a time to gather with family and friends and practice other rituals that bring the community together. Many churches have special programs during these times in addition to the usual worship services that allow for more time spent with family and community building. These two religions may differ in many ways, but there are some related elements that bridge the gap as well. Spirituality is often a core principle in people’s lives and informs how they view the world as well as their morals and values. For this reason, it should be more fully incorporated in systemic therapy to ensure a more holist therapeutic approach (Williams‐Reade et al., 2018). In the past, spirituality or religion has been an element to note rather than a prominent concept that informs a client’s perspective and impacts their life choices and how they cope with adversity (Walsh, 2010). In my future work as a clinician, I plan to incorporate religion and spirituality into
work with clients through careful consideration of their beliefs and an understanding of how my own beliefs have an ability to affect the therapeutic process. I plan to achieve this by first applying cultural humility as it relates to a client’s religious practices. There are many religions and spiritual practices in the world, many of which I am not familiar. Keeping an open mind when working with clients whose religion or spirituality may differ from my own will be an integral part of gaining a better understanding of the client and how their spirituality informs who they are as a person and how it influences their life choices. Without an open mind and a
desire to learn from clients there is a lack of understanding, and it is likely that I could approach therapeutic measures from an assuming stance which would likely be detrimental to the process and not fair to the client. Because I have my own personal connection to a religion, I understand the impact is has from a personal standpoint. This personal connection can also lend itself as an avenue for further open mindedness in the therapeutic approach while incorporating religious beliefs. It will also be important for me to explore and acknowledge my own beliefs and be fully aware of how that impacts my perspective in the therapy room. This is specifically important when working with clients that may have a belief system that is in direct contrast with my own. Acknowledging these differences and my reaction to them is necessary to avoid possible bias that could negatively affect the therapeutic process. Overall, spirituality and religion can be a useful tool to connect with clients and provide more context into their perspective. Utilizing spirituality through open dialogue with clients and an open mind as it relates to differences can help to create a more holistic and systemic therapeutic approach.
References
Patti Wigington. (2019). Yoruba religion: History and beliefs
. Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/yoruba-religion-4777660
Walsh, F. (2010). Spiritual diversity: Multifaith perspectives in family therapy. Family Process
, 49
(3), 330–348. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2010.01326.x
Williams‐Reade, J. M., Lobo, E., & Gutierrez, G. (2018). Integrating spirituality into MFT training: A reflexive curriculum and qualitative evaluation. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
, 45
(2), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12314
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