SUMMARY:

As more and more clients present with issues, it is becoming increasingly important that counsellors take into account the Spiritual and/or Religious needs of the client.  This can be achieved by undertaking to do a ‘Spiritual Needs Assessment’ Profile, listening to what a client may be saying though maybe in a veiled fashion, or by exploring with the client about their needs and their future hopes.  The use of open-ended questions is a good way to begin this exploration.

To assist counsellors with this, the following paper looks at some definitions concerning the term, ‘Spirituality,’ and seeks to address the issue of Spirituality in as far as it pertains to the counseling process.  In researching this issue, the author has drawn on a number of texts, both professional texts accepted by the Profession itself, and allied texts akin to same.  Other texts consulted, though not standard texts, help to highlight the relevant arguments made herein.

This paper addresses the need for counsellor awareness of a client’s spiritual outlook, the need for counsellors to respect the right of clients to follow a spiritual path, and to increase our skills as counsellors to incorporate the three core skills of genuineness, acceptance and empathy when dealing with clients – as found in the Person-Centred approach.  A number of questions are put forward merely to assist in facilitating our own awareness as counsellors.

The author trusts that after a counsellor has read the paper that they will have a deeper appreciation for the need to include an assessment of client spirituality.  Apart from looking at some possible real-life situations and a true client case, and suggestions for appropriate use of interventions,  there is attached a lengthy reference list for those desiring to research the issue more comprehensively.

Two examples of Spiritual Needs Assessment Profiles can be found in be found in Topper (2003). There you will find both a Spiritual Well-Being Scale and another, Developing Your Own Survey Questions.   These have not been reproduced in the following Paper due to copyright.

SPIRITUALITY AND ITS PLACE IN COUNSELLING 

To begin this paper, given its broad scope, it may prove beneficial if we attempt to define what we mean when we use the term “Spirituality.”   There are a number of definitions that all have their place and yet, collectively, when read together,  add to each other  and disclose a far deeper layer than if simply taken in isolation.  A literature review reveals the following: “Spirituality…is not simply the opposite of materialism. Far from it. Spirituality is an active process that is inherently purposeful. Its objectives are growth, development, and transcendence. Through our spirituality, we seek to achieve the highest and noblest in ourselves and to create a united and ever-advancing civilization…It follows that a spiritual lifestyle calls for a major review of our thinking about our life experiences and perspectives”  (Danesh, 1994) Thus we can see that an individual’s concept of spirituality in relation to oneself is a matter of deeply going within and “finding” their place in the world. It is an active process of discovery, not a passive or neutral act of simply “accepting” that which is put on us by outside influences. Often we listen to what others are telling us and thus we can incur problems as we bury our own authenticity so as to be accepted by these others.   See the CASE HISTORY on pages 11-12.  Another definition is that put forward by the White House Conference on Aging as developed in 1971:“We shall consider ‘the spiritual’ as pertaining to man’s [woman’s] inner resources, especially his [her] ultimate concern, the basic values around which all other values are focused, the central philosophy of life…which guides a person’s conduct, the supernatural and non-material dimensions of human nature. We shall assume, therefore, that all men [women] are ‘spiritual’ even if they…practice no personal pieties.” (Moberg 1971 cited in Topper, 2003) Here again we have a broader definition that assumes a reality of being called ‘spiritual’ yet not necessarily limited to any one particular faith, -osophy or –ism. Rather, it tries to be broad in its perspective and embraces the concept of values as a guiding principle of how we each conduct ourselves. One publication puts it like this: “We all want our life to have some meaning, some direction, some self-evolved authority for guidance. Values give us all this, so it would be foolish to close our eyes to them.” (Vedanta Kesari, 1996).   Corey (2001) points out for us as counsellors that whilst some clients embrace a spirituality in the context of a formal religion, others may embrace same yet without recourse to formal religion. It shows the importance that we need to be alert, as counsellors, to the difference between Spirituality and Religion, and the nuances contained within each.  It has been advocated (Hepworth, Rooney and Larsen 2002)  that people fall into one of four categories: 1.                  Spiritual and nonreligious

2.                  Religious and dispirited

3.                  Dispirited and nonreligious

4.                  Spiritual and religious 

Finally, an even more broader definition can be seen in the following as addressed by the Summit on Spirituality:  “Spirituality may be defined as a capacity and tendency that is innate and unique to all persons. This spiritual tendency moves the individual toward knowledge, love, meaning, hope, transcendence, connectedness, and compassion.  Spirituality includes one’s capacity for creativity, growth, and the development of a values system.  Spirituality encompasses the religious, spiritual, and transpersonal” (as quoted in Corey, Corey and Callanan, 1998)  From the foregoing, we have a fairly wide scope in which to work by.  Within the fields of counseling it is becoming increasingly acknowledged that by addressing our clients’ spiritual and religious needs, we will assist them to be able to move towards growth and healing. By exploring such issues with our clients in relation to their presenting problems, clients may be helped to find solutions to their struggles (Corey, Corey and Callanan, 1998). Evidence for the interest that spirituality and religion plays in our clients lives can be found in the increased number of articles in this area in professional journals and in presentations at professional conferences. (Corey, 2001). The American Psychiatric Association added the term religious or spiritual problem to its diagnostic manual (4th Ed. Code V62.89) in 1994 to describe: “examples include[ing] distressing experiences that involve loss or questioning of faith, problems associated with conversion to a new faith, or questioning of spiritual values that may not be related to an organized church or religious institution.” (cited in Topper, 2003) Why is it important to understand the role of religion and spirituality in a clients life? One author, Ratliff (1996) in discussing health care settings, informs us that: “Religious beliefs may dictate food choices, clothing styles, customs of birthing and dying, etiquette in the sick room, use of modern conveniences, invasive procedures, organ donation, reception, use of blood products, certain diagnostic tests, gynecological procedures, spiritual influences on or control of sickness and healing, the wearing of protective devices or tattoos, and the need for prayers and rituals performed by various religious specialists” (cited in Hepworth, Rooney and Larsen, 2002) As counsellors we need to develop awareness of, and respect for, our client’s view of their spirituality (or lack thereof) and their adherence to religion and what this means to them.  It is important that we never assume what a client believes simply based on our own understanding of what spiritual or religious path they may identify with.   For example, if a Christian man is struggling with issues surrounding his sexuality (for example, homosexuality), he may present with feelings of confusion, guilt and/or shame.  These may be due to how he perceives the teachings of his Church, the Bible, and his own concept of spirituality.   He may say that if he acted on his feelings of attraction to other man, that he will be barred from the Kingdom of God or, even more frightening, shall burn for an eternity in hell (yes, there are groups who still push this line). Indeed, I feel some of the so-called “Christian” attitudes regarding “healing” gay people to do more harm than good (for example, Dalbey 2003) whereas others are at least addressing it in a more positive way yet remaining true as to how they see the word of God (Attridge, 2000). Again, as a counsellor, it is important that I be present and listen – and hear – what the client is exposing to me in a spirit of “trust,” and not to be “condemned.”   An awareness of body language is useful here, though the counsellor still needs to check with the client before jumping to conclusions. Given that counsellors have an ethical responsibility to become aware of their own beliefs and how these affect their work with their clients (Corey, 2001, Geldard, 2003), this Christian man’s story should be heard without any judgment. By being able to go with the client’s “frame of reference,” and empathically listening to what is behind his words, he will be placed in a better position to be  therapeutically helped.  As a counselor, I believe a Person-centered approach is required here. To downplay his beliefs and associated fears as somehow being “too out there” or “too abstract” in no way validates his worldview – with the possibility that he may abandon therapy, thus remaining “stuck” in his conflict. I would imagine that this would create further turmoil for him or even worse.  Often people who identify as being Spiritual or Religious are told, “Have Faith.”  But what is faith?  For the Christian man, its explanation is found in Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Which begs the question: What if this man sees NO HOPE?  We need to then listen to him as he explains how his lack of hope is at variance with his faith.  One book  (Faiver, Ingersoll, O’Brien and McNally (2001) explains that “hope is expressed by the client as faith that there is some reality to life that allows her to endure experiences of suffering.  This reality may be a god who intervenes in history to end suffering, a faith in counseling or the counselor, a faith in science, a faith in the goodness of human nature, or any combination of theses.”  In the same book is cited Sasonkin (1995) who has suggested that for the spiritual or religious person, a loss of hope is actually a loss of faith in God.   So we need to hear where the client is in terms of his (or her) relationship to hope or a lack thereof. As we take on the task of counseling and recognize the place of spirituality in our clients lives, our own beliefs and values will be challenged as we listen to them and the stories that they share with us – we need to guard against being too directive with our clients (Corey, 2001) To overcome such hurdles, we as counsellors are consistently taught to adhere to the three Rogerian core concepts of genuineness, acceptance and empathy (Sharf, 2000) as taught in Person-Centred Therapy.  Again, we are taught that: “The key is for counselors to be sensitive to the needs of their clients, to listen to them and let them lead the way, and to talk about areas they indicate they want or need to explore.” (Corey, Corey, and Callanan, 2001).    In the case of our Christian man above, we should simply let him talk and tell us about what it means for him to be kept from the Kingdom of God,  to allow him to talk as he sees his problems not as we may see them (that is, how we may perceive homosexuality in a Christian or spiritual context). We may be liberal in our own beliefs yet the client’s more orthodox views are what need to be dealt with here.   The counsellor may believe that it is perfectly acceptable to be a gay Christian. However, if the client does not see this as appropriate to their belief system, they may walk away thinking that no one really appreciates where they are at.  As we explore with a client about how they view life in a Spiritual and/or Religious context, such will assist the counseling process tremendously.  We should keep in mind that: “Religious beliefs strongly influence when, how and why persons seek help for emotional dysfunction, and how others [ie. Counsellors] perceive their [clients] symptoms of emotional distress’ (Wilson and Kneisl, 1983) By way of another example, a young Jewish man may be perceived as paranoid if he frequently were to open a female counsellor’s door yet, upon investigation we learn that his religion admonishes against his being alone behind closed doors with a woman who is not a family member (Hankoff, Blumenthal and Borowick, 1977).  This could work the opposite way where a similar though less orthodox client may feel too exposed to disclose certain issues to the counsellor if she were to leave her door ajar on the assumption that this same Jewish admonition is applicable to all Jewish male clients; that all Jewish male clients would accept it. Again we need to be on guard against making any assumptions as to a client’s relation to their faith.  On way to obtain a lucid understanding of our clients spiritual needs is to perform a “Spiritual Assessment of Needs” profile when initially meeting with our clients.  Such will assist the counsellor to gain a deeper awareness of the client’s needs, and the client may feel at ease in talking about their respective spiritual beliefs.  Two such profiles are to found in Topper (2003)     My preference is for the ‘Developing Your Own Survey Questions,” as it allows for greater scope and includes those whose ‘faith’ may otherwise be overlooked.   Another factor to consider is that counsellors do not see a client’s needs only arising from out of a psychological basis – such as low self-esteem, anger, loss or frustration.  As people, we have the four aspects of Physical, Psychological, Emotional and Spiritual – each with its own independent, yet interdependent needs. Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ fits in well here (Diamond, 1994).

Maslow (1954)  presents this set of needs as a hierarchy, consisting of:

1) PHYSIOLOGICAL: hunger, thirst, bodily comforts, warmth

2) SAFETY/SECURITY: out of danger, order, law, stability

3) BELONGINESS AND LOVE: affiliate with others, be accepted; and

4) ESTEEM: to achieve, be competent, gain approval and recognition

5. SELF-ACTUALISATION  - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.   

If a client feels that their needs are not being met, then they could become ‘stuck’ on a given rung. For example, if a client is not eating well – due to anxiety – then they most likely will not feel ‘Safe’.   If they can talk through their problems, this may help to lesson their anxiety and allow them to regain an appetite.  Then we can move up to safety needs etc.  Maslow’s model shows that we need to have the first four needs met before we can be self-actualized.  We must learn that clients also have spiritual needs such as for meaning, for hope, and for deeper connections in life and beyond.  Indeed, one’s spiritual needs are a deeper perspective of and/or completion of psychological needs.  (Topper, 2003).  Likewise, the spiritual contains a psychological need and neither should exclude the other. One author describes such a limited view leading to what he calls Counterfeit Recovery (Means, 2002) where a person is treated only as a spiritual being, not one who possesses other aspects such as physical, psychological and emotional needs.  He explains that “one dimensional recovery only drives the pain underground where it will later break out in some other form.”   Telling a client who may present with a problem such as guilt, to simply remember, and rely upon, a set of Scriptural injunctions, will not magically solve their problem.  It may certainly offer some form of comfort or respite but other interventions need to be concurrently in place, as too an exploration of the clients cognition and affect surrounding the issue of guilt. He further adds that: “Many secular psychologists have their own version of one-dimensional recovery, because they leave God entirely out of the healing equation.” Let us imagine that a client has a need for connecting to a group of like-minded individuals. The psychological need might consist of the fulfillment of issues pertaining to self-esteem or a feeling of ‘belonging.’  The spiritual need: To find purpose in one’s life via connecting with others who share the same outlook, the same hopes and dreams.  I follow an eclectic spiritual path, taking from a blend of Paganism, Hinduism, Christianity and Theosophy – such a path assists me – as an individual – to make sense of the world; it adds meaning to my life and to the life around me.  Without this ‘meaning,’ I would question the purpose of life and yet to no avail – without finding a ‘meaning;’ a purpose, I feel life would lack that something for which I get up for each day. Finding the Spiritual meaning supplies my psychological and emotional needs for peace, inner strength and understanding of the ‘purpose’ of life per se. If a counsellor seeks to specialize in a given ‘Spiritual’ or ‘Religious’ path, such as Christian Counselling, then they need to be aware of how they deal with their clients.  One example would be the appropriate use and timing when employing scripture to assist in healing (Cloud and Townsend, 2003). If a client were to present with distress concerning a pending divorce from an estranged partner – so as to remarry – yet concurrently feels “condemned” by the Bible, it would be remiss of the Christian Counsellor to say to her: “Well the Bible clearly teaches that divorce is wrong – let us turn to the book of Romans 7:2-3…”   To do so validates her feelings and simply add to her original distress.  Here inappropriate use of scripture could lead to her experiencing deeper guilt, grief and loss issues, and anger at God for creating this scenario in her life. She might turn from her faith yet hanker for this loss of her faith, of her ‘meaning’ in life. A more appropriate and timely response to her might be, “It sounds like it’s really difficult for you to reconcile your wanting to remarry with what the Bible is saying to you.  Remember the words of Jesus from Matthew 11: 28 when he says to you: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”    Such a response would certainly allow a different view for our client and offer her an avenue of hope as opposed to predetermined despair.  It allows the client to be able to open another “window of opportunity” that might otherwise have remained shut (if not hidden).  Here the appropriate use of scripture can be validating and, given that it is uplifting – for we have passed no judgment on our client – it should add to the healing process or grant the client permission to vent her concerns without hesitation or embarrassment.  For men, in particular, it is important for the Christian counsellor to allow him the opportunity to explore his wounds, and not simply to seek for more strength via exhortation and admonition. (Koepcke and James Wilder, 1994)     By an appropriate and timely  employment  of scripture the counsellor may bring to awareness that which was previously hidden. This is a bit akin to the Johari Awareness Model/Johari Window which, though used to represent the total person in relation to other people (Wilson and Kneisl, 1983), can be made to include an individual’s awareness of hidden thoughts – Quadrant 4: The Unknown.     As seen above, using alternative Scriptures to instill hope can instill hope in people and thus, healing.  Allowing men to speak up is very validating and can generate a whole new emotional awareness which, often hidden, will free men from their pain. (Means, 2002;  Diamond, 1994) For others of different spiritual persuasions, a more eclectic ‘Spiritual and/or Religious’ outlook needs to be employed.  For instance, often men who are starting out on the Pagan path tend to have difficulties relating to the God of Paganism and WICCA (Conway; 1997, Drew, 1998) for they may equate the word ‘God’ with the concept of a ‘Patriarchal Judgmental God’ as often taught in various religions.  These men may feel alone as they have lost the ‘God’ of their family-of-origin, yet find it difficult to get over the hurdle – they find it hard to embrace such a God as a Creator of Life – yet the Pagan God is many things: a creator, a protector of animals, a joker, a god of judgment (Drew, 1998).  And without the embrace, these men can feel lonely, dejected, and that there is no Male Deity with which they can turn to and model Him in love.  As such, male pagans often turn to the Goddess as a Mother figure – but we men need a Father figure too.  As

Conway succinctly puts it, “In spiritual terms, we create a spiritual path through the combination of our personal masculine and feminine energies.”  (

Conway, 1997). Often the ‘Pagan’ God is lost (and the attendant masculinities) and the Goddess turned to in embrace.     Conversely, the Pagan God may be denied by women who find it difficult to relate to Male Deity.Personally, it was difficult for me to embrace the God of the Pagan ways (and to study other faiths) as I have been brought up in a predominantly ‘Christian’ society and family – with all the attendant teachings about what I would incur if I were to deny the God of the Bible.   Yet for me, as I have journeyed through the Pagan path, I have definitely become far more accepting of myself as a ‘Male’ – by learning more about the myths surrounding the Pagan God (Conway, 1997, Drew, 1998,  Farrar, 1984)    I have been able to slowly identify with His ways. His tales have taught me about issues relating to strength, courage, compassion, healing, acceptance, discernment, to walk in peace, to respect All Life as gifts from the gods.    If a professional counsellor could respect my right as a client to both choose and then follow my own Path – not view it as “out there” or “that’s far too abstract” – then naturally this quality would  lead me to disclose deeper than what may have been my original intent.  When the professional counsellor truly listens, then can deep healing begin to occur. To listen, the counsellor must needs practice to be silent.   Being Silent if a really useful method to help a client open up. Counsellors need to be as respectful to a Pagan’s (and others) concerns as too when dealing with any client’s concerns. Sadly, there is often confusion here.  I was told personally by a psychologist that “People who follow your path always end up suffering problems, I know, I see them everyday!”   I felt sad for this man’s limited worldview. But that was what he said – and believe me, if I were not as strong in my own beliefs as I am I would have faltered.  As a counsellor I hope to be able to simply be there with my clients and “not to make decisions for clients but to let clients choose how their own values will guide their behaviors.” (Corey, 2001)  One way that I propose to do this is by reading more about different spiritualities and religions, yet taking on board the notion of not compartmenting these into small boxes. It is crucial that we recognize that the spiritual domain offers solace, comfort, hope and that it can likewise often generate great sustaining power to a client in crisis.  The guilt, anger and sadness that clients may experience often results from a misinterpretation of the spiritual and religious realm, which can lead to depression and a sense of worthlessness. (Corey, 2001).  A fair example here is the issue of sexuality – If you are gay, not many religions will “truly” accept you; rather, they might tolerate you but rarely truly embrace you. Even some people who follow WICCA tend to “shun”  gay people under the guise of it being a “fertility cult” whereby male-female is the rule.  No wonder there is guilt, anger and sadness. Invariably, these views will lead some to feelings of low self-esteem, loneliness and, if not healthily resolved, depression – possibly suicide.   This is a result from ‘a misrepresentation of the spiritual and religious realm’ as being heaped on the client by another’s understanding, be it from an individual, a cultural injunction or simply society. For a lot of clients who have experienced disaster or trauma, exploring issues with them surrounding grief and loss, anger, guilt, the concepts of good and evil, and forgiveness, can be a central part of the healing process (Hepworth, Rooney and Larsen, 2002).  Exploring such issues, though possibly anathema to some clients (i.e. a committing of blasphemy), may assist the client in coming to terms with whatever issue is affecting their life.     But to do so, I believe that counsellors need to have undertaken some deep soul-searching themselves on these various issues.   How can we deal with issues relating to a client’s anger at God if the client were to voice that “I hate and detest God with all my heart and wish him no longer in my life,” all the while tears streaming down their face.   What if I felt their anger to be most blasphemous – surely my body language (if nothing else) would convey my discomfit at my client’s need to express their anger. Yet by dealing with these issues beforehand, I feel counsellors are in a far better position to remain person-centred and to allow such expression as a natural outpouring of my client’s grief.  Simply being there with a client and exploring with them how they perceive the Wrath of God (or other Deity) may assist them to recognize that God is forgiving.  If a person experiencing pain, anger, grief etc., is not allowed to express (and thus experience) these emotions, how can they move on.   

CASE HISTORY:  A client that I saw for a while had been sexually abused as a child, then as a teenager, and later as a young adult.  Her path was that of the New Age.  Unfortunately, she was told several things that she could not really prove.  For example, that she was a man in a past life and the sexual abuse was a natural outpouring of karma – to balance her past wrongs.  This led to her allowing people to treat her as they wanted – “I deserved it,” was how she put it.   At the same time, she was taught that to express anger was wrong – “Just accept things for how they are.” As we explored her numerous issues, together, a number of beliefs were at variance with others.  Together, we worked at challenging these beliefs so as to bring them into clearer unity.   How does she know that her abuse was linked to a past life event?   She was accepting what was told her on faith.  If true, then are all who are abused as children, teens etc., simply reaping karma?  She responded that, “Yes, they too are being abused due to negative karma.”  And if this is so, then why was she sitting here in front of me trying to gain healing from her past abuse?   What right did she have to expect any less than karma was now presenting to her as recompense?   We looked at the life of people who were poor, those who were martyrs for their faith. I lent her a book, ‘Whom Shall I Fear?’ (by Burkholder), the story of a woman who died for her Faith in the Reformation, not because of some belief that it was so due to karma.  This book seemed to help her a lot. We look at various scriptures together (taken from the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita) to try to gain a spiritual understanding.  But the thing that helped her move on the most was in being able to – and allowed to – express her emotions for possibly the first time.  She cried, she felt pain but then, having worked through these, she reached ANGER.  Together we worked through the anger that had so been cruelly denied expression all these years.    She still holds a lot of her original beliefs but now she questions if these are her own true beliefs or simply the introjections of others.  She told me she feels free at last and that if she enters into another relationship, that now she can take mutual control of the relationship (as an equal), instead of being controlled by her partner. For me, I felt this is a good example of how a person can be caught in an unhealthy belief system, work through past issues by bringing them into the Now,  and then being able to reconstruct their belief system to one that is healthy and encourages growth of their own true self. Corey (2001) points out the following for us: “In some ways a spiritual/religious perspective and a counseling perspective have similar goals. Both perspectives emphasize learning to accept oneself, forgiving others and oneself, admitting one’s shortcomings, accepting personal responsibility, letting go of hurts and resentments, dealing with guilt, and learning to let go of self-destructive patterns of thinking, feeling and acting….Because spiritual and therapeutic paths converge in some ways, integration is possible, and dealing with a client’s spirituality will often actually enhance the therapy process [italics mine]. Following is a brief outline of some of the attributes that a Spiritual Care Giver / Counsellor should try to emulate in their counseling of clients who identify spiritual or religious needs. It needs to be stated that where the term ‘God’ is employed, this is simply indicative of the authors (McBride and Armstrong) own spiritual heritage yet does not detract from that which is meant to be conveyed. 

·        Counselors need to allow clients to tell their stories. It is imperative that counselors communicate a sense of being loved by God and that clients are not responsible for what happened to them as a child.

   ·        Counselors give permission to clients to be angry, especially with God. Be nonjudgmental in allowing clients to explore spiritual issues. Counselors expressing unconditional acceptance may be survivors’ only experience that demonstrates the possibility of God being able to love them in the same way.

·        Counselors help clients recognize that forgiveness is not simply an act but a process that can be begun and completed only after working through the issues concerned and their accompanying feelings. Do not try to rush this process by questioning their pace or suggesting forgiveness as the first step.

·        It is recommended that counselors use every avenue to give clients reassurance of their accountability before God and their place in God’s plan.

·        When appropriate, counselors celebrate, bless, and praise survivors’ rediscovery of a God of hope, a God of great comfort, and a God of great respect for them             (McBride and Armstrong, cited in Topper, 2003 – slightly paraphrased) 

This paper has attempted to highlight the need for counsellors to be open to a client’s spirituality, religion and faith. To deny that such is important for the client, is tantamount to ignoring the client as an individual.  Even if we ourselves do not follow a spiritual path we must allow for our clients to have choice when it comes to the path they choose. If we cannot respect our clients right to this end, then I propose that we seriously must question our motivation for entering the profession in the first instance.  Counsellors have an ethical obligation to continually undertake professional development so as to keep up-to-date and to better understand both future trends and their clients.  This paper highlights too, I trust, a number of questions for possible reflection: 

·        What is the counsellor’s own faith and spiritual prejudices?

·        Can a strong Christian-oriented counsellor work with clients of other faiths and more sofaiths they believe their own negates – Paganism, for one example?

·        How do counsellors grow in awareness of other faiths, spiritualities etc., and thus develop empathy with clients whose persuasion is of these faiths, spiritualities etc?

·        Can an atheist work with a client holding deeply-held beliefs which may be seen, by the counsellor, to rule the clients life?    How does the atheist develop their empathy for such clients?

·        When we challenge clients, are we doing so to change their beliefs to our own? Or to one that is more acceptable? 

·         Is our own faith so deeply challenged that we fear the loss of our own beliefs? If so, then are we fit to remain in therapy with the client?

·        How can we explore a religious belief system that clearly is detrimental to the client and yet the client does not see as being detrimental? 

These are just some questions that I feel we, as professional counsellors, may need to ponder over in anticipation of our meeting with such clients.    By thinking about issues such as these now, we shall certainly both grow in ourselves and, I would hope, be at an advantaged when meeting with clients who may fall into the category of holding to a Spiritual outlook on life.    I wish to conclude this paper on linking spirituality with counselling with the following quote that, for me, sums up best that which I have attempted to say. “Indeed, as one comes to learn the true meaning of life, both in general terms and in relation to individual purpose, every thought, every action is recognized for the full responsibility it implies as a representative of its author. The realization, not only that everything has a purpose, but more significantly, that that purpose is the acceptance of a very special responsibility, [that it] is a measure of true initiation into the secrets of the inner [spiritual] self” (Phillips, 1988)

REFERENCE LIST

  1. Attridge, C  (2000)   The Fruit of The Spirit,   The Dawn Book Supply   UK   2nd  Ed..
  2. Cloud, H & Townsend, J (2003)  Making Small Groups Work,   Zondervan  USA
  3. Conway, D.J  (1997)  Lord of Light & Shadow:  The Many Faces of The God,  Llewellyn  USA
  4. Corey, G (2001)  Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy,  Brooks/Cole  USA  6th Ed.
  5. Corey, G., Corey M.S, & Callanan (1998)   Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions, Brooks/Cole   USA     5th Ed
  6. Dalbey, G (2003)   Healing The Masculine Soul,  W Publishing Group  USA   2nd Ed.
  7. Danesh, H.B. (1994)  The Psychology of Spirituality.     Nine Pines Publ. Canada
  8. Diamond, J (1994)  The Warrior’s Journey Home: Healing Men, Healing The Planet,  New Harbinger Publications   USA
  9. Drew, A. J  (1998)   Wicca For Men,   Citadel Press  USA
  10. Faiver, C., Elliot Ingersoll, R., O’Brien and McNally, C. (2001) Explorations in Counseling and Spirituality   Brooks/Cole  USA
  11. Farrar, J & Farrar, S (1984)  The Witches Bible Compleat,   Magickal Childe   USA
  12. Geldard, D & Geldard, K (2003)  Basic Personal Counselling: A Training Manual for Counsellors, Prentice-Hall    Aust.   4th Ed
  13. Hankoff, I.D., Blumenthal, M & Borowick, A.E. (1977)  Jewish Ethno-Psychiatry,  Federation of Jewish Philanthropies  USA
  14. Hepworth, D.H., Rooney, R.H & Larsen, J.A. (2002) Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills,   Brooks/Cole  USA   6th Ed.
  15. Koepcke, R & James Wilder, E  (1994)  ‘The Men’s Movement’,  Faith & Renewal, May/June 1994
  16. Maslow, A. (1954)  Motivation and Personality   Harper USA
  17. Means, P. A. (2002)  Men’s Secret Wars,   Fleming H. Revell Publ. USA
  18. Moberg, D. (1971) Spiritual Well-Being: Background and Issues. Whitehouse Conference on Aging
  19. Phillips, D.A. (1988)   New Dimensions in Health,  Angus & Robertson   Aust.  4th Ed.
  20. Ratliff, S.S. (1996) The Multi-Cultural Challenge to Health Care. In M.C. Julia, (1996) Multicultural Awareness in the Health Care Profession
  21. Sasonkin, M. (1995) Unpl. Interview with R. Elliot Ingersoll – See 10 above.
  22. Sharf, R.S (2000)  Theories of Psychotherapy & Counseling,  Brooks/Cole USA 2nd Ed.
  23. Topper, C. (2003)  Spirituality in Pastoral Counseling and the  Community Helping Professions,  Haworth Pastoral Press  

    USA
  24. Vedanta Kesari (1996)  Values: The Key To a Meaningful Life,  Sri Ramakrishna Math  India
  25. Wilson, H.S. & Kneisl, C.R. (1983)  Psychiatric Nursing,  

    Addison-Wesley  USA  2nd Ed.


[*] Even then, it is up to the client as to whether or not they embrace forgiveness.  Forgiveness may come along years later and therefore I believe a counsellor does not place this on the client as a given expectation.

This article represents the views of the author which may not necessarily be those of the Theosophical Society Pasadena.

Bookmark this page to: