Psychotherapy: Sacred or Secular?

The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Counselor Education: A National Survey

“…Furthermore, the percentage of programs in religious institutions that give curricular attention to religious and spiritual issues is significantly greater than for state-affiliated programs. In the light of other research (Lehman, 1993;Quackenbos et al, 1985) showing that many persons regard religion and spirituality as potentially relevant issues for counseling in secular as well as in religiously affiliated counseling settings. it is not unreasonable to expect that counselors-in-training be prepared to deal with spiritual-religious issues in counseling.…”

“…religion and spirituality are considered legitimate aspects of counseling (Lehman. 1993;Quackenbos, Privette. & KIentz, 1985).…”

Assertiveness Training and Christian Values

“…Over half of the respondents preferred to seek therapy at a pastoral counseling center (Quackenbos, Privette, & KIentz, 1985). A recent survey study showed that 79% of respondents believed religious values were important to discuss in therapy.…”

Clinical Judgment Faith Bias: The Impact of Faith and Multicultural Competence on Clinical Judgment

“…Since clergy have been trained specifically to address people"s religious concerns, many psychologists simply believe religion is not in their job description (Frame, 2003). For this reason, only 29% of psychologists believe they should bring up the topic of religion in counseling (Bergin, 1991), in spite of the fact perhaps more than 80% of clients feel religion is relevant and important to address in counseling (Frame, 2003;Quackenbos, Privette, & Kleinz, 1985), and in spite of the willingness of most psychologists to discuss religious or spiritual matters should their clients initiate these discussions.…”