Spirituality in Clinical Practice Patients' Experience of Spirituality and Change in Individual Psychotherapy at a Christian Counseling Clinic: A Grounded Theory Analysis (original) (raw)
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Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 2018
Christian psychotherapy is in high demand but in the few existing studies, outcomes from spiritually accommodated treatments typically do not outperform secular treatments on mental health outcomes. Likewise, it is unclear whether spiritual patient factors account for variance in satisfaction with treatment or patient well-being beyond what is explained by other patient factors. We conducted two studies on adults who attended Christian psychotherapy within the last six months to understand the relative contributions of patient factors to satisfaction with Christian psychotherapy and current well-being. We drew on hope theory as a primary general patient factor but considered personality traits given prior research. Second, we drew upon attachment theory framed as attachment to God (AG) as the primary patient spiritual factor but considered spiritual practices. In study 1 (two Christian universities; N = 75). hope accounted for most variance but extraversion was also predictive. Spiritual factors, primarily AG, added incremental value. In Study 2, we sampled adults (Amazon mTurk) who saw different providers (clergy, 46; mental health 57). Dispositional hope accounted for most of the variance in satisfaction with, and a willingness to return, to treatment as well as general and spiritual well-being. Spiritual factors (AG, practices) predicted additional variance for all criteria in the mental health sample but were only related to general well-being in the clergy sample. We concluded that when patients’ perspectives are considered, most of the variance in treatment satisfaction can be accounted for by hope but spiritual factors, primarily attachment to God, add nuanced incremental value. Key words: Psychology of Religion, Hope theory, Attachment theory, Attachment to God, Spirituality and wellbeing,
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Religious/spiritual beliefs and practices constitute an important part of culture and principles clients use to shape judgments and process information. Psychotherapists may use knowledge of these belief systems and appreciation of their potential to leverage client adherence and achieve better outcomes. However, many approaches have yet to do so and the variety of concepts of religiosity/spirituality may place obstacles to this important interface. This article raises certain concepts that we see as consistent, accessible, and capable of facilitating professional dialogue in the therapeutic sphere. We discuss the impact of subjectivity, states of consciousness and perceptions influenced by reli- giosity/spirituality, on mental health as well as the importance of psychotherapists actually focusing clients and their belief systems, developing models to mobilize hope, and boosting coping abilities. Despite the current distance between controlled studies and clinical practice, we discu...
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Many in the caring professions consider spirituality to be a fundamental dimension of human experience and identity. Consequently, some claim that this dimension cannot be ignored in disciplines such as psychotherapy that deals with the human being and with human experience. Moreover, the increase in secularisation and the emphasis on the subjective and the personal in people's experience of spirituality and religion, have led to an increased interest in psychotherapy, counselling and other forms of activities and professions that deal more closely with the personal and subjective. Other themes that connect spirituality and psychotherapy include: spirituality is related to a person's mental health; people make meaning which assumes that they are spiritual beings; and spirituality and psychotherapy both involve enlightenment and meaning-making. For some, spirituality is manifest in psychotherapy either because of spiritual concerns that are raised by clients in the psychother...