Namaste Theory: A Quantitative Grounded Theory on Religion and Spirituality in Mental Health Treatment

Abstract

A growing body of research is beginning to identify characteristics that influence or are related to helping professionals' integration of clients' religion and spirituality (RS) in mental health treatment. This article presents Namaste Theory, a new theory for understanding the role of mental health practitioners' RS in clinical practice. Using Glaser's (2008) formal quantitative grounded theory approach, this article describes an emerging theme in the author's line of work-particularly that practitioners' intrinsic religiosity is significantly related to their consideration of clients' RS-and explores the findings of related, interdisciplinary studies. The Hindu term, Namaste, meaning, "the sacred in me recognizes the sacred in you", provided a framework to explain the emerging theme. Specifically, Namaste Theory introduces the concept that as helping professionals infuse their own RS beliefs/practices into their daily lives, deepening their intrinsic religiosity and awareness of what they deem sacred, they tend to consider and integrate clients' RS beliefs/practices, and what clients consider sacred as well. In order words, as the helping professional recognizes the sacred within him or herself, s/he appears to be more open to recognizing the sacred within his/her client. Future directions for research, as well as practice and education implications, are discussed.

Spiritual Perspectives, Spiritual Care, and Knowledge of Recovery Among Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses

“…Chan (2010) found that having religious beliefs related to providing more spiritual care, although adherence to specific religions was not identified. These results align with findings that physicians and mental health practitioners with higher self-perceived spirituality and more frequent religious activity were more likely to discuss spiritual issues with patients and integrate spirituality into care (Oxhandler, 2017; Voltmer, Büssing, Koenig, & Zaben, 2014).…”

The Religious and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices among Practitioners across Five Helping Professions

“…Given that helping professionals' intrinsic religiosity is a primary predictor of integrating clients' RS in practice (Oxhandler 2017), it is critical their RS beliefs and practices be assessed and considered, particularly when it comes to training practitioners to be mindful of their own RS beliefs and practices-and how they may differ from other professions and the clients they serve-as they ethically and effectively integrate clients' RS. Further, several interesting findings emerged from the current study.…”

“…In response to an emerging pattern between the practitioners' RS (particularly their intrinsic religiosity) and their integration of clients' RS, Namaste Theory was recently developed (Oxhandler 2017). Namaste is a Hindi term that means, "the sacred in me honors the sacred in you" (p. 1).…”

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., ). Though the practitioners’ RS beliefs may assist in having empathy for the role RS has in clients’ lives, without proper training to maintain professional boundaries in this sensitive area of practice there is a risk of proselytization or inaccurately assuming an understanding of what a clients’ particular RS beliefs mean to him/her.…”