Ethical challenges and opportunities at the edge: Incorporating spirituality and religion into psychotherapy.

Abstract

Incorporating spirituality and religion into psychotherapy has been controversial, but recent contributions have argued the importance and provided foundations for doing so. Discussions of ethical challenges in this process are emerging, and this contribution discusses several preliminary issues, relying on the Resolution on Religious, Religion-Based and/or Religion-Derived Prejudice adopted by the American Psychological Association in 2007, as guidance when used with the American Psychological Association's (2002) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Specifically, this discussion of preliminary challenges addresses competence, bias, maintaining traditions and standards of psychology, and integrity in labeling services for reimbursement. Commentators deepen the discussion, addressing what constitutes minimal competence in this area; effective and truly mutual collaboration with clergy; the high level of ethical complexity and "inherent messiness" of this domain of psychological practice; and the particular challenges of demarcating the boundaries of these domains for regulatory and billing purposes. This discussion offers decidedly preliminary ideas on managing the interface of these domains. Further development is needed before this nascent area approximates precise guidelines or standards.

Psychologists and Clergy Working Together: A Collaborative Treatment Approach for Religious Clients

“…A good question to ask might be: Would a third party payer be concerned if they knew the content of the intervention? (Gonsiorek, Richards, Pargament, & McMinn, 2009). …”

Religiosity, Spirituality, and Mental Health in Portugal: A call for a conceptualisation, relationship, and guidelines for integration (a theoretical review)

“…As a matter of fact, even though, professionals' personal religious and spiritual views can serve as important components for expertise (meaning these views can influence their assessment of their patient's spiritual and religious issues, as well as the decision as to whether the use of religious and spiritual interventions is relevant), these are not sufficient or even necessary conditions for the competence (Plante, 2007;Gonsiorek, Richards, Pargament & McMinn, 2009;Gockel, 2011).…”

Recontextualizing mindfulness: Theravada Buddhist perspectives on the ethical and spiritual dimensions of awareness.

“…For instance, studying meditators in London, Lomas et al (2013) found that many only initially took up mindfulness as a stressmanagement technique; some were then perturbed to find it presented as including spiritual ideas and practices, and a few consequently disengaged from it as a result. As such, in whatever forum mindfulness is taught -from clinical/therapeutic settings to community groups -the notion of spirituality must be handled sensitively, with respect given to the divergent personal and cultural views people may hold regarding this (Gonsiorek et al, 2009). …”