Religious CBT with Harold Koenig, M.D.
The Use of Religious CBT for People with Chronic Health P
roblems
October 15, 2012
People struggling with physical illnesses are more prone to depression; and depression exacerbates health problems by altering people’s perception of symptoms, their ability to cope, and their physiological vulnerability (including immune and endocrine changes). In this workshop, Harold Koenig will address the complex interrelationships between chronic illness and depression, and the role spirituality can play in therapeutic treatment, given its widespread use as a coping strategy in times of adversity. Drawing from his research on the integration of religious resources and therapeutic practice, Dr. Koenig will describe cognitive-behavioral therapy that incorporates Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist approaches to treat depression that co-occurs with chronic illness.
Bio: Harold G. Koenig, MD is a practicing psychiatrist, Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. He is also Distinguished Adjunct Professor at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Koenig is considered one of the world’s top experts on religion and health, with nearly 400 scientific peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on mental health, geriatrics, and religion, and 40 books in print or in preparation. He has given invited testimony to both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on the role of religion in public health. His work has received many accolades, the most recent being the 2012 Oskar Pfister Award from the American Psychiatric Association.