Wrestling with Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness

Praise for Wrestling with Our Inner Angels "Nancy Kehoe has done something truly remarkable both in this book and in her practice as a Harvard psychologist–she has broken the taboo on talking about religious beliefs in the treatment of mental illness. Her decision to hold group therapy sessions centered around religion not only allowed her patients to better wrestle with their inner angels but also took her on a journey of spiritual self–discovery that led to acceptance of her own angels within. Anyone who has ever dealt with mental illness or thought seriously about religion should read this book." Cokie Roberts , news analyst for ABC and NPR; author, We Are Our Mothers′ Daughters, Founding Mothers , and Ladies of Liberty "To continue the progress we have made in mental health policy in this country, we need to continue to work toward changing the perceptions of mental illness. An important means of achieving this is through the sharing of personal experiences. In her book, Dr. Kehoe offers a selection of personal stories that give readers a better understanding of what it means to suffer from a mental illness in America." Congressman Patrick Kennedy , Rhode Island "In this candid and courageously revealing personal exploration, Dr. Kehoe shines a bright, warm light into a dark area of current mental health practice and demonstrates how spirituality and faith can represent sources of strength for the mentally ill, rather than symptoms of illness. A truly inspiring work." Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D. , professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Foreword. Acknowledgments. Prologue. 1 Exploring New Terrain. 2 Beverly’s Quest. 3 Creative Spirits. 4 Buddy, an Unlikely Prophet. 5 The Role of Ritual. 6 The Dilemma of Voices. 7 Wrestling with God. Epilogue. Appendix Religious History Questionnaire. Notes. The Author. Index.

Nancy Kehoe is a nun in the Society of the Sacred Heart and a distinguished clinician well known for her pioneering work with the mentally ill. She is a clinical instructor in psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. She can be contacted through her website www.expandingconnections.com.

The shadow of Freud and his view of religion as illusion still looms over psychotherapy, making it problematic for therapists to engage their clients about a subject that can be of great importance and potential benefit. Because she is both a nun and a clinician, author Kehoe can draw on both her psychological and religious training to approach with insight and sensitivity the role of belief and motivation in the lives of people troubled by mental illness. Neither illusion nor panacea, religious belief helps people organize their lives and make decisions. Kehoe has listened for years to people with illness, and she shares their compelling stories. She also discloses her own wrestling with inner religious promptings and their influence in her own choices. This book will be most helpful to other professionals in the field, but its honesty and humility also make it useful for anyone interested in faith and mental illness, particularly anyone with an emotional stake in the difficulties of mental illness. (June) ( Publishers Weekly , May 11, 2009)   " Wrestling With Our Inner Angels is an important book...All concerned with faith, mental health and the journey to wholeness –– whether from a spiritual–religious or a psychological perspective –– will not only enjoy reading this book but be encouraged to reflect more deeply on the author′s thesis." ( America magazine October 26, 2009)