Counseling and Psychotherapy of Religious Clients

Book excerpt: This is a resource for helping professional caregivers respond sensitively and competently to individuals who present religious concerns in counseling and psychotherapy. The need for a guide to psychological treatment is underscored by evidence that the majority of Americans hold strong religious convictions. Genia shows how, regardless of particular religious allegiances, a person's faith normally progresses through five distinct stages over the course of a lifetime. Psychological conflicts may cause developmental aberrations that lead to unhealthy and destructive forms of faith. The book provides psychological profiles of adults who typify each stage and shows how spiritual and psychological problems are inextricably intertwined.