Spirituality and Religion: Implications for Counselors

In recent years, the topics of spirituality and religion have become more evident in the counseling literature. It seems logical that these areas could be of great interest to those in the counseling profession. This article summarizes W. R. Miller and C. E. Thoresen's (2003) overview of the field of research dealing with spirituality, religion, and health. Possible roles for spirituality and religion in counselor education and school counseling are highlighted.     

Spirituality and Homelessness: Implications for Pastoral Counseling

This article presents a limited number of findings from a larger research project that explores spiritual themes related to the experience of homelessness as reported by 16 research participants following their residence in a 90-day emergency shelter program in Los Angeles County, California. By utilizing interpretive phenomenological analysis, the study focuses solely on three spiritual themes present in the experience of homelessness. Participants noted experiencing the presence of hope and motivation while homeless, the challenges of coping with the homeless stigma, and times in which they felt (and did not feel) “human.” Implications for pastoral counselors and others offering spiritually-integrated counsel in the context of homelessness are discussed.     

Spirituality: Implications for Professional School Counselors' Ethical Practice

The separation between church and state (e.g., public education) is contentious. Furthermore, schools and many professional school counselors (PSCs) may choose to disregard and/or discount spirituality. This article (a) presents the importance of spirituality in counseling, (b) explores legal statutes and ethical standards relating to spirituality as a component of multiculturalism and professional school counseling, and (c) offers steps and strategies to support the ethical practice of PSCs. A case example and implications are discussed.     

Religion, Spirituality and Therapy: Implications for Training

Religion and spirituality are recognized coping resources but are neglected in psychological training and practice. However, religion and spirituality can be successfully used to cope with psychological disorders, prevent unhealthy behaviors and promote resilience. This study explored and described two questions regarding the concepts of the terminology religion and spirituality, and the perceptions of the use of religion and spirituality in therapy. Purposive sampling was utilized in a qualitative study of 15 registered psychologists, and data were analyzed using Tesch’s model of qualitative content analysis. The concepts religion and spirituality appear difficult to define but the importance of their use as coping mechanisms in their own and their clients’ lives was recognized. These findings have implications for professional training.     

Women's Spirituality Across the Life Span: Implications for Counseling

Women's spirituality has unique characteristics that are often ignored within the spirituality literature. The authors review the literature on women's spirituality to reveal the major themes women have identified as relevant to their spiritual journeys across the life span. Implications for counseling and ideas for practice are included after major themes are examined.     

Influence of Familial Spirituality: Implications for School Counseling Professionals

This article (a) addresses the importance of familial spirituality on students' holistic development; (b) explores professional ethical codes, standards, and counseling competencies relating to students' familial spirituality; (c) introduces educational activities to assist school counselors in increasing their understanding and appreciation of the influence of familial spirituality on students' behavior; (d) reviews a case study of a counselor integrating the suggested strategies in support of students and families; and (e) provides implications for professional school counseling.     

Postmodern Implications for Theoretical Integration of Counseling Approaches

Theoretical integration refers to the conceptual unification of diverse counseling approaches. Past attempts at theoretical integration have not yielded a broad conceptual framework that seamlessly integrates counseling approaches with varied foundational assumptions. The author contends that the failure of these integrative attempts is a by‐product of the modernistic epistemic context in which the systems were considered and proposes an examination of common narrative features of counseling approaches in a postmodern epistemic context to achieve integration. These features are specified, elaborated, and conclusions are drawn.     

Typologies of Religiousness/Spirituality: Implications for Health and Well-Being

The purpose of this study was to develop empirically based typologies of religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and to determine whether the typologies were related to health and well-being. The study used a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 1,431). Using latent profile analysis, typologies were derived based on religious service attendance, prayer, positive religious coping, and daily spiritual experiences. Multivariate statistical tests were used to examine cluster differences in health and well-being. A four-class model was identified: highly religious, moderately religious, somewhat religious, and minimally religious or non-religious. The four classes were distinctively different in psychological well-being, in that the highly religious class was most likely to be happy and satisfied with finances and least likely to be psychologically distressed.     

Spirituality and Self in Preadolescents: Implications for a connected curriculum

Drawing on recent studies of Canadian preadolescent girls and boys, this article considers how preadolescents' narratives can further our understanding of their spirituality and sense of self. This article reflects on how these often unheard voices might inform future research and education issues such as the role of teacher, pedagogy and curriculum. To bridge the divide between theory and practice, holistic educational activities based on promoting the connection among self (mind/body, emotion/cognition, rational/intuitive), community, and earth are outlined. The focus is on dialogue, connection, and the mutual co-creation of meaning.     

Spirituality in Education: Promoting Children's Spiritual Development through Values

This paper reports on research in the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick regarding an educational programme, which is based on what are perceived to be universal values. The programme aims to contribute to the spiritual development of children in schools, which is one of the statutory requirements of mainstream school provision in England and Wales. The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) offers material which seeks to promote ‘human values’. The paper explores what these values are and why they are perceived to be of a universal nature. The focus on values introduces spiritual dimensions which are examined with reference to the educational contexts in which they are conveyed. The contents of the programme and the development from its inception are described. The paper is based on ethnographic data collected in classrooms and other educational environments where the programme has found application.     

Spirituality in African-American Breast Cancer Patients: Implications for Clinical and Psychosocial Care

Journal of Religion and Health - Spirituality has been shown to be important to many individuals dealing with a cancer diagnosis. While African-American breast cancer survivors have been reported...     

Exploring the Meaning of Spirituality and Its Implications for Counselors

This article is one counselor's personal exploration of the nature of spirituality and its relevance to counseling practice. The personal and immediate experience of the spirit is emphasized as the foundation of any counselor's effective engagement of this issue with clients. Those clients whose encounter with the spirit is sudden and nonconsensual have a particular need for counselors who are knowledgeable of the processes of spiritual emergence and emergency.     

Understanding Gender and Culture Within the Context of Spirituality: Implications for Counselors

This article examines roles that gender, culture, and spirituality play in elements of therapeutic process. It presents an initial literature review of gender, culture, and spirituality as these factors relate to shaping identities and defining one's behavior. Discussions on how these 3 dimensions influence the level of understanding and effective responsiveness that competent counseling professionals should consider in a culturally and spiritually diverse society are presented. Three case studies provide a framework to illuminate the complexity that professionals face when counseling issues are viewed through unique gender, cultural, and spiritual worldviews. Implications for counselors and the counseling profession are provided.     

Motivation for Change: Implications forSubstance Abuse Treatment

Psychological science has made significant progress exploring the role of motivation in recovery from substance abuse and dependence over the past 20 years. Although recovery is complicated by physiological and psychological dependence, the intentions and motivation of the abuser are a critical part of this process. Motivation for change plays an important part in the process of recognizing the need for change, seeking treatment, and achieving successful sustained change. This article reviews how motivational readiness to change, as conceptualized within the transtheoretical model, contributes to the process of recovery. Important distinctions between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, imposed and intentional change, and readiness for change versus readiness for treatment are highlighted.     

Contemporary Psychotherapy: Promoting Personal Responsibility for Therapeutic Change

An assortment of factors in modern society can be involved in the etiology and treatment of mental illness. Theories about etiology usually underlie, and therefore guide, most strategies for treatment. Although a comprehensive bio-psycho-social approach to mental illness can help to foster the collaboration of an interdisciplinary treatment team, a heavy emphasis on biological factors or cultural deprivation may reduce the client's feelings of personal responsibility for change. Contemporary psychotherapy can help clients reduce their tendency to attribute blame to biological predispositions or external societal factors. Instead, it is more helpful to cultivate attributions for personal responsibility for change, growth, and maturation.     

The ABLe Change Framework: A Conceptual and Methodological Tool for Promoting Systems Change

This paper presents a new approach to the design and implementation of community change efforts like a System of Care. Called the ABLe Change Framework, the model provides simultaneous attention to the content and process of the work, ensuring effective implementation and the pursuit of systems change. Three key strategies are employed in this model to ensure the integration of content and process efforts and effective mobilization of broad scale systems change: Systemic Action Learning Teams, Simple Rules, and Small Wins. In this paper we describe the ABLe Change Framework and present a case study in which we successfully applied this approach to one system of care effort in Michigan.