title: The idol beneath the altar.
abstract: Drawing on the imagery of a Mayan idol hidden beneath the altar of a Catholic mission church imposed on a Mayan city by Spanish conquerors, the author discusses the role of deeply rooted core beliefs that are not always evident on the surface-and the observation that, in clinical practice, things are not always as they seem. Psychotherapists may unconsciously be seen as invading cultural enemies.
authors.affiliation: Norman A. Clemens, MD, is Emeritus Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Cleveland Psychoanalytic Center.
authors.forename: Norman A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Clemens
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000592:standards*; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*