Spiritual interventions in psychotherapy: Evaluations by highly religious clients

Abstract

Spiritual and religious interventions in psychotherapy have increasingly received research attention, particularly with highly religious clients. This study examined client opinions about and experiences with religious interventions in psychotherapy. A sample of 152 clients at a counseling center of a university sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) completed a survey with ratings of specific religious interventions concerning appropriateness, helpfulness, and prevalence. Out-of-session religious interventions were considered more appropriate by clients than in-session religious interventions, but in-session interventions were rated as more helpful. Specific interventions considered both appropriate and helpful by the LDS participants included referencing scriptural passages, teaching spiritual concepts, encouraging forgiveness, involving religious community resources, and conducting assessments of client spirituality. Some religious interventions were perceived as inappropriate or not helpful, and clients provided explanations for why religious interventions can be either effective or ineffective in psychotherapy.

La salud en el marco de la psicología de la religión y la espiritualidad

“…Los resultados además sugirieron que el RIME posibilita la resignificación del dolor espiritual en pacientes terminales. Martínez et al (2007) desarrollaron en Estados Unidos un estudio con el propósito de evaluar las opiniones que tienen las personas sobre las experiencias en la intervención religiosa en psicoterapia. Participaron en este estudio 152 personas de un Centro de Asesoramiento Religioso adscrito a una Universidad patrocinada por la iglesia Mormona.…”

20201218

“…Studies clearly demonstrate that religiously oriented therapies have a positive impact in the treatment of religiously observant clients when treatment goals are framed within their spiritual context (Anderson et al, 2015;Hook et al, 2010;Martinez, Smith, & Barlow, 2007;Worthington, Hook, Davis, & McDaniel, 2011).…”

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

“…Other studies indicate that, in psychological distress and suffering, religious clients tend to recover faster with better outcomes when mental health professionals seek the integration of their clients' religious beliefs and practices (Fallot, 1998;AukstMargetić & Margetić, 2005;Curlin et al, 2007;Baetz & Toews, 2009). This might be in response to clients' wishes that their religion or spirituality be included in psychological treatment (Miller, 1999;Knox, Catlin, Casper & Schlosser, 2005;Martinez, Smith & Barlow, 2007;.…”

“…Fundamentally, these worlds try to emphasise the importance of self-knowledge (resources, responsibilities and difficulties); promote the acquisition of strategies to deal with the guilt and shame; guide the search for solutions to personal conflicts; seek to answer the questions of purpose and meaning of life, among others (Corey, 2001;West, 2004). Nonetheless, getting these two worlds together appears to be a complex and ethically challenging process (Martinez et al, 2007;Smith, Bartz & Scott Richards, 2007), starting with the clarification and definition of the boundaries between a religious and spiritual sensitive psychotherapeutic intervention from a spiritual care or counselling (Miller & Thoresen, 1999).…”

“…Buddhist (Nauriyal, Drummond & Lal, 2006); Christian (Jones & Butman, 1991); Islamic (Dwairy, 2006); targeting specific religious or ethnic groups i.e. Jews (Rosmarin, Pargament, Pirutinsky & Mahoney, 2010); Mormons (Martinez et al, 2007;Lyon, 2013); Latinos (Cervantes, 2010); African-Americans (Frame & Williams, 1996;Constantine, Lewis, Conner & Sanchez, 2000); Asians (Hall, Hong, Zane & Meyer, 2011;Leong & Kalibatseva, 2011); targeting specific psychological disorders, i.e. depression (Agishtein et al, 2013;Pearce & Koenig, 2013); alcoholism and drug abuse (Hodge, 2011 b ;Lietz & Hodge, 2013); eating disorders (Kristeller & Hallett, 1999;Marsden, Karagianni & Morgan, 2007); founded on specific psychotherapeutic approaches, i.e.…”