Clinical intuition and the non-material: an argument for Dual Aspect Monism

Abstract

ABSTRACTA small set of studies have investigated the use of intuition among therapists, including clinical social workers. These studies identify intuition as an important adjunct to clinical skills. The studies’ participants understand and describe their experience of intuition in terms of energy and related terms. This explanation is not consistent with the dominant ontology in academic social work today, which blinkers non-material aspects of reality. Dual Aspect Monism offers an ontology that renders intuition and related spiritually sensitive means of practice legitimate. The profession of social work, and the clients social workers serve, may benefit from adopting a paradigm that values the non-material to the same degree as the material. This new paradigm would allow for greater understanding and the adoption of many spiritually-sensitive practices. This, in turn, would require mastery of specific practice capacities.