Objectivity and Pragmatism in Addictions Counseling: Towards the Resolution of a Dilemma
Studies have indicated that religious faith is a key protective factor in both preventing and recovering from addiction and mental illness (Wright and Pemberton, 2004; Van Der Meer Sanchez and De Oliveira, 2008). [1] That is, despite its questionable status with respect to objective truth and rational belief, religious faith seems to help people. In particular, it seems to help in preventing and recovering from addiction and mental illness. That’s good, isn’t it? Not so fast. I believe there is a deep and pervasive problem at the heart of the counseling profession. It is a problem that is vividly exemplified in the case of religious faith [2] , and forces us to make some hard decisions about some of our most fundamental commitments. At its most general level, it is a problem that requires that we adjudicate between two competing values: objectivity and pragmatism. As I argue throughout this paper, this ove...