Therapists' Perspectives on Integrating Religion and Spirituality in Therapy
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Authors
Basha, Peter
Issue Date
2024-12-03
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
spirituality , religion , integration , spiritual struggles , religious coping , spiritual interventions
Alternative Title
Abstract
This capstone examines peer-reviewed research exploring therapists' perspectives on integrating religion and spirituality (R/S) in therapy. Findings suggest that therapists view R/S as essential to their clients' identities, meaning making and sense of purpose. Therapists employ various spiritual interventions such as prayer, religious scripture, and addressing existential questions, aligning these interventions with clients’ spiritual values and needs. However, many therapists often reported feeling unprepared to navigate R/S topics due to minimal focus on spirituality in training programs, personal biases, fear of client reactions and ethical concerns. The integration of R/S interventions was influenced by therapists' personal beliefs, clients' initial levels of spiritual distress, and their openness to engaging in spiritual discussions. Therapists who allowed clients to guide the conversations about R/S were more successful in building positive therapeutic relationships. Additionally, culturally competent therapists demonstrated greater comfort in addressing R/S topics and skillfully integrated these concepts into therapy, creating a supportive space for clients to explore their spiritual beliefs. The integration of R/S can enhance the therapeutic process, help clients cope with their spiritual struggles, and improve psychological and spiritual well-being. This paper underscores the importance of a client-centered approach, where therapists assess clients' interest in R/S elements before incorporating them into therapy. It also highlights barriers and enablers to effective R/S integration. The author also considered research and professional ethics and made recommendations for future research.