Any guide to “small talk” will tell you that there are just some topics that you shouldn’t broach in most social situations. One of those topics is spirituality. But should spirituality be taboo in psychotherapy? Does the direct discussion of spirituality have a place inside evidence-based practice? In this episode, Andy, Kevin, and Jenna chat about some practical ways to answer these questions and offer ideas for “going there” when spirituality might be a useful domain to explore with your clients. Andrew Santanello, Psy.D s a licensed, clinical psychologist. Dr. Santanello worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs as a PTSD specialist for over a decade before moving to his current position as a Military Behavioral Health Psychologist, PTSD subject matter expert, and National Cognitive Processing Therapy trainer at the Center for Deployment Psychology.Although Dr. Santanello has extensive expertise with "second-wave" CBT interventions such as CBT-D, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy, his passion for "third-wave" behavioral interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is a common thread throughout his professional career. His professional interests include dissemination and practice of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy with an increasing focus on mechanisms of change and process-based psychotherapy, psychological resilience, and the intersection of behavioral science and mindfulness-based approaches to alleviating human suffering.In addition to his work with the CDP, Dr. Santanello is an active member in the Military Special Interest Group and Mid-Atlantic Chapter (MAC) of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) and maintains a small private practice in Baltimore, MD.Resources mentioned in this episode:

• (Didn’t mention this specifically in the episode, but I think that it is worth including. This is one of Steven Hayes’ first every pubs)
• Hayes, S. (1984). Making sense out of spirituality. Behaviorism, 12(2), 99-110.

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