Expanding Intake Assessment to Incorporate Spirituality Using Five Functional Tasks

Abstract

Conducting an intake assessment that investigates a client's spiritual and religious domain is essential when integrating spirituality into counseling. However, there is a paucity of scholarly literature surrounding how to effectively incorporate spirituality and religion into the intake process. This article explores the nature of spiritual assessment through a synthesis of the relevant literature. The authors introduce 5 functional tasks that serve as a guide for the effective integration of spirituality and religion into the intake process.

Spirituality and relational health among Black Americans

“…Assessing spirituality and religiosity is essential to understanding client needs (Butts & Gutierrez, 2018;Hodge, 2013;Koenig & Topper, 2012). Indeed, O' Grady et al (2013) admonished that failure to assess spirituality and religiosity may constitute poor practice for counselors who work with Black American clients.…”

“…Indeed, O' Grady et al (2013) admonished that failure to assess spirituality and religiosity may constitute poor practice for counselors who work with Black American clients. Rich cultural assets may be discovered when counselors approach formal assessment with sensitivity to sociocultural context (Butts & Gutierrez, 2018).…”

“…Spirituality and religiosity are distinct, yet overlapping, constructs (Butts & Gutierrez, 2018; Hodge & Williams, 2002; Rosmarin & Koenig, 2020). Rosmarin and Koenig defined spirituality as “any aspect of life that is perceived to have a divine or metaphysical quality” (p. xix).…”

“…Positive styles of religious coping can serve to alleviate mental distress. On the other hand, negative styles of religious coping may be associated with elements of guilt and shame attached to rigid religious doctrine, resulting in added stress (Butts & Gutierrez, 2018; Park et al., 2018).…”

Cultural Dimensions of Early Pregnancy Loss: Spiritual and Religious Issues

“…Given the potential impact of R/S dimensions on both the client's experience of early pregnancy loss and their reproductive story, it may also be important to assess R/S factors explicitly. When assessing the client's R/S beliefs and their potential impact on coping, counselors may find it helpful to adapt models such as the five functional tasks proposed by Butts and Gutierrez (2018). Applying a model like this helps the counselor to better understand the client's experiences as well as to inform goals “that are consistent with the client's spiritual and/or religious perspectives” (ASERVIC, 2009, p. 3) and preferences.…”