Developing Spiritual Competencies in Counseling: A Guide for Supervisors

Abstract

The recently established competencies for addressing spiritual and religious issues in counseling (Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling, 2009) provide guidelines for counselors to implement in conjunction with evidence-based counseling practices. These spiritual competencies complement the ethics code established by the American Counseling Association (2014) in promoting increased cross-cultural sensitivity and proficiency in counseling. Supervisory tools that promote the ethical and spiritual development of counseling trainees are identified and described.

“Out on the edge of my comfort”: Trainee counsellor/psychotherapists' experiences of spirituality in therapy—A qualitative exploration

“…However, there is a dearth of research in this area and further exploration is required. Spiritual competencies for supervisors to support ethical practice have been proposed (Hull, Suarez, & Hartman, ). Therefore, there is a challenge for supervisors to be aware of, and be willing to explore, spirituality with trainees within supervision to increase the confidence of trainees in identifying and engaging with spiritual issues.…”

The Uncomfortably Important Place of Spirituality in Systemic Therapy

“…Interestingly, research indicates that many individuals seeking counselling services also want their spiritual or religious worldview to be part of their mental health treatment (Hull et al., ). So if we as therapists are theoretically open to discussing spirituality, and clients appear to want to discuss it also, what is it that gets in the way?…”

“…Hull et al. () similarly suggest that counsellor educators, clinical supervisors, and mental health counsellors often lack guidance and training to aid them in adequately exploring spiritual and religious issues with their students, supervisees, and clients.…”

“…With the shift from more mainstream religions to personal expressions of spirituality, spirituality may be perceived as a uniquely private issue, and spiritual issues may be avoided for fear of intruding on the client's privacy. While research indicates that many clients do want to integrate ideas about their beliefs and worldview with their presenting concerns (Hull et al., ), spirituality and religion can be a difficult issue for some people, especially those who have been traumatised or alienated by its abuses. This unwillingness must obviously be respected.…”

“… This article presents some of the author's reflections and observations of the challenges and opportunities that arise when including matters of spirituality in the therapeutic process. Research indicates that many individuals want to incorporate their spiritual or religious ideas with therapy (Hull, Suarez, & Hartman, ), yet doing so can often raise discomfort in the client, therapist and the therapeutic process, and so frequently the topic is avoided. This article considers the presence and importance of spirituality for many clients in understanding the dilemmas they bring to the therapy room, and reflects on some of the personal and institutional challenges of integrating spirituality into the therapeutic process.…”