Psychologists and Religion: Professional Factors and Personal Belief

Marriage and Family Therapists and the Clergy: A Need for Clinical Collaboration, Training, and Research

“…Studies demonstrate that people practicing their religion are generally underrepresented in mental health professions compared to the population as a whole (Bergin, 1991). In an examination of the religious beliefs and practices of a random sample of 555 members of the American Psychological Association (APA), researchers discovered that 43% believed in God, 27% attended religious services twice a month or more often, and only 9% held leadership positions in their religious communities (Regan, Malony, & Beit-Hallahmi, 1980). These proportions are in marked contrast to the pattern of religious beliefs and practice reported by the general American public.…”

Working With the Sacred: Four Approaches to Religious and Spiritual Issues in Counseling

“…TOC selors regarding religion and religious values. Counselors are less involved in traditional religious practices than their clients (Bergin, 1991;Ragan, Malony, & Beit-Hallahmi, 1980;Worthington, 1986) and view the inclusion of religious material in counseling as less important than do clients (Bergin & Jensen, 1990;Quackenbos, Privette, & Klentz, 1985). These differences have led some to warn that counselors may knowingly or unknowingly convert their clients to a more secular value system (Tjelveit, 1986).…”

Towards Cultural Psychology of Religion

“…United by their opposition to methodological monism, which defends the idea of the unity of scientific method amidst the diversity of subjects under scientific investigation, divergent thinkers nevertheless introduced similar methodological dichotomies in order to claim scholarly-scientific status for the humanities. Embarrassment about the subject is also a major reason why psychologists have neglected religion as a research topic (Ragan et al 1980;Shafranske 1996b). We also need to grasp thoughts and motives, which must be discovered by trying to go through them ourselves.…”