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Putting Suffering Into Perspective

Implications of the Patient's World View

Received October 18, 2000; revised January 31, 2001; accepted February 1, 2001. From the Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115. Address correspondence to Dr. Peteet. E-mail: jpeteet{at}partners.org

The need for suffering patients to reexamine their assumptions about life presents therapists with unique challenges and opportunities. Patients with a religious world view often struggle with whether God cares about, or has sent, their pain. Atheistic patients also search for the meaning in their lives but reject the answers offered by traditional authorities. Patients who are uncertain or ambivalent about their world view may challenge a therapist to provide an audience, insight, or direction. Using case examples, the author explores the therapist's role in helping patients with differing world views to integrate their suffering.

Key Words: World View • Psychotherapy and Religion • Suffering