California psychologists' religiosity and psychotherapy

Forty-seven randomly selected California clinical psychologists were surveyed to examine the effect religious or spiritual orientation has on the practice of psychotherapy. This included an assessment of ideology, attitudes toward religiosity, affiliation with organized religion, dimensions of religiousness, and use of clinical interventions of a religious nature. The majority of these psychologists were found to address religious and spiritual issues in their personal lives, to respect the function religion serves in peoples' lives, and to address religious and spiritual issues in professional practice. The majority of these psychologists use interventions of a religious nature. Very limited training occurs respective of religious and spiritual concerns; 81% reported that religious or spiritual issues were rarely or never discussed in the course of their graduate education and training.This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Los Angeles in August 1985.