Addressing religious and spiritual diversity in graduate training and multicultural education for professional psychologists.

Abstract

A considerable body of literature over the past 3 decades consistently documents the relevance of client spirituality and religiousness to well-being and psychotherapy. However, research also documents that mental health professionals generally feel unprepared to address client spiritual and religious issues. In this study, 340 psychologists affiliated with the American Psychological Association completed a survey indicating their attitudes toward the inclusion of spirituality and religion in graduate training, specifically within multicultural education. Most respondents took the position that spiritual and religious issues should be included in graduate training (65%), could be considered multicultural issues (77%), and could be included within existing multicultural training sequences (68%). Themes from a qualitative analysis of participants' responses included (a) the significance of religion and spirituality in people's lives, (b) the importance of addressing religion and spirituality in therapy, (c) definitions of multiculturalism and opinions on which issues should be included in multiculturalism, and (d) methods for including religion and spirituality within multicultural training. Reasons given for not including spirituality and religious issues in multicultural training focused on philosophical and practical reservations, such as the risk of superficiality of content and possible neglect of more crucial topics within multiculturalism, such as race and racism.

ReligiositySpirituality (RS) in the Clinical Context: Professional Experiences of Psychotherapists

“…This posture is sustained and shown to be relevant since it allows getting to know the importance and view of the patients regarding religious/spiritual beliefs, which is being encouraged when considering R/S part of the subject's multicultural condition (Crook-Lyon et al, 2012). This does not mean that the professionals who do not ask about their patients' religion disregard this dimension.…”

“…In the face of the reality investigated, it is possible to perceive the importance of R/S in people's lives and how the theme ends up permeating the therapeutic relationship, sometimes presenting itself as a signifi cant source of resources and interventions, and sometimes preventing the development of many conditions in patients. R/S has been gaining ever more space in the scientifi c fi eld due to its positive relationship with physical and mental health (Koenig, 2012) and for integrating the concept of health proposed by the WHO (1998) as well as part of the multicultural condition of the subjects (Crook-Lyon et al, 2012).…”

Integrating clients’ religion/spirituality in clinical practice: A comparison among social workers, psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and nurses

“…It is noteworthy that practitioners across these professions reported the importance of being aware of one's own RS beliefs (Crook‐Lyon et al., ; Delaney, Miller, & Bisonó, ; McNeil, Pavkov, Hecker, & Killmer, ; Oxhandler & Giardina, ). Self‐reflection and awareness of one's own RS is especially critical in these helping professions because intrinsic religiosity has been identified as a predictor of whether and the degree to which clients’ RS is considered in treatment (Kvarordt & Sheridan, ; Larsen, ; Oxhandler ; Oxhandler et al., ).…”

Psychology doctoral students’ perspectives on addressing spirituality and religion with clients: Associations with personal preferences and training.

“…Another possible reason is lack of training. Crook-Lyon et al (2012) found that in a random selection of APA-affiliated psychologists, 76% of respondents believed that their graduate programs inadequately addressed training related to S-R issues of patients. Brawer, Handal, Fabricatore, Roberts, and Wajda-Johnston (2002) and Russell and Yarhouse (2006) both surveyed directors of APA-accredited clinical programs and APA-accredited internship programs, respectively.…”