Spirituality and Religion in Counseling and Psychotherapy

Book excerpt: The goal of this book is to help counselors move from a respectful but hesitant neutrality to a skilled, and action-oriented sensitivity toward their clients' spirituality. The primary audience is professional counselors and psychotherapists, social workers, counselor and therapist educators, and counselors-in-training in college programs. The book presents and discusses recent theory and research on spirituality and religion with regard to counseling and psychotherapy. It builds on the premise that spirituality and religion deserve counselors' sensitive regard, informed understanding, and, as ethically and therapeutically appropriate, skillful integration into effective counseling treatment. The first two chapters present information, concepts, and background knowledge that undergird counseling approaches, skills, and techniques. Chapter Three focuses on the relationship dimension of counseling and discusses principles and practices for relating the spiritual/religious dimension of the counseling relationship. Chapter Four looks at systematic approaches for evaluating the appropriateness of including spiritual and religious issues in counseling, and Chapter Five addresses a variety of treatment approaches and techniques for working with clients' spiritual and religious concerns. (Contains over 400 references and an index.) (RJM)