Children and Families Living with Illness: Psychological, Spiritual, and Cultural Perspectives

Over the course of a lifetime, most people are confronted with their own illness or the illness of a loved one. How do children and families cope with illness? How do they make meaning of their experiences? How do their spiritual and cultural beliefs impact their care and their views on healing? We will examine developmental, psychological, cultural and spiritual issues confronting children and families living with acute, chronic, and life-threatening illnesses. We will explore the psychological and spiritual interventions provided to children & families. Writings, artwork and videotaped interviews will be used to illustrate varied perspectives on illness and healing. This course counts as elective credit towards the Psychology major.