Counseling Integrating Your Faith
Do you want to use your faith during your therapy process?
This is a common request we get from people. They ask if somehow they can integrate their spiritual or religious beliefs while receiving counseling.
Spiritual and religious beliefs are a rather natural fit, most of the time, while learning skills, seeking healing, and working toward improvements in your life.
How Is It Different From Traditional Therapy?
Similar assessments, treatment plans, and intervention skills are used, however, we incorporate your individual beliefs and religious traditions. Many times, this means the person seeking spiritual counseling would explain what their beliefs are and what they are not, so the therapist understands their perspective. The therapist would incorporate these beliefs into the skill-building, communication techniques, and therapy interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
This could mean we open or close a session with a prayer from your tradition. At times, a person will ask not to incorporate certain options in the treatment plan because it does not support their beliefs. Other times, people want counseling that does not judge or diminish their spiritual or religious values. Starting at the first session, a person is asked by the therapist if they have spiritual or religious beliefs; if yes, then the therapist may request details so that aspect of their life can be understood. That way, whether or not they participate in a spiritual or religious practice, their beliefs are known and respected during the counseling process.
Does it matter what the therapist’s spiritual or Religious beliefs are?
That is a yes and no answer. Some people just do not want a therapist who practices a different spiritual or religious tradition than their own. We can understand that, and in a situation like this, in that case, we would refer them to a therapist who practices more closely in line with their faith tradition.
A growing trend in the West is practicing more aspects of Eastern Religions, often including mindfulness and meditation. A research study printed by the Christian Science Monitor stated:
“There are lots of people who are Christians, who may be Protestant or may be Catholic and who may be quite committed to their practice, but who nevertheless have practiced … tenets of experience that tend to come [from] outside of Christianity.”
1 http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/0125/Why-some-Americans-mix-Christianity-Eastern-religions Why some Americans mix Christianity, Eastern religions. Sited October 2, 2016.
We have worked with several people who are Christian who have no problems integrating relaxation, deep-breathing, and meditation into their treatment plan to improve their mental health due to their Eastern Religion influence.
We have worked with people who have strict behavioral religious rituals, which we incorporate in the interventions and treatment.
Others have had a very traumatic experience with God and/or their childhood religion and want to keep God out of the counseling process altogether. This is honored the vast majority of the time, except, on occasion, when the person discovers their issues with God and childhood religion are part of their therapeutic issues, and they end up wanting to address those problems.
Even in the Christian tradition, there are a variety of beliefs and practices
“There were 217 denominations listed in the 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. But there may well be other groups that function as branch of the Christian church but do not regard themselves as such. The single largest religious group in the United States is the Roman Catholic Church, which had 67 million members in 2005.”
2 http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/fastfacts/fast_facts.html Hartford Institute for Religion Research
We find that it is often important to people to integrate their faith with therapy. This often leads to great results if they take the time to communicate their unique faith and practices to their therapist.
As a therapist, what helps when treating people who want their faith integrated is 1) gathering information about their beliefs, 2) the therapist educating themselves on the clients’ religion and/or culture, and 3) developing an individualized treatment plan.
What Renew Hope and Healing has to offer
- We have convenient hours for those who need appointments after school, work, or extracurricular activities.
- We accept most insurances. See here for more information about payment/insurance. We will work with people who have a financial hardship.
- We have offices in Victor, Henrietta, Pittsford, and Penfield, NY. We also provide telehealth.
- Our therapists have years of experience treating people who hold a variety of faiths.
- Individualized treatment plans geared toward your spiritual or religious culture.
Next Steps
Call us at 585-398-8835 or Schedule an Appointment.
Renew Hope and Healing
Locations in Victor, Henrietta, Pittsford and Penfield. Also servicing surrounding areas such as: Canandaigua, Farmington, Clifton Springs, Geneva, Shortsville, Macedon, Palmyra, Perinton, Fairport, and Bloomfield.
REFERENCES
1 Why some Americans mix Christianity, Eastern religions. Sited October 2, 2016.
2 The Hartford Institute for Religion Research. We are a group of scholars who study religious groups and organizations. We are part of Hartford Seminary. Each of us teaches, does research, and writes on a diverse set of religious topics. We do not directly address theological or biblical questions, rather, we study the social scientific dynamics of religious organizations. We also network and do collaborative research with many denominations, scholars, and independent organizations around the country. Sited October 2, 2016.