Spirituality in Counseling: A Faith Development Perspective

A Scoping Review of Ethical Considerations in Spiritual/Religious Counseling and Psychotherapy

Four overarching themes from this scoping review were identified, namely: (a) clients' right for autonomy and self-determination; (b) cultural sensitivity; (c) practitioner competency issues; and (d) recommended guidelines for ethical practice. These themes were aligned with the moral principles that guide professional ethical practice. A competency-based model was designed based on findings to enhance counselor/clinician competencies by enhancing sensitivity to spiritual and religious sentiments, which allows greater responsiveness to the clients' needs, values and preferences.

Spiritual Factors Predict State and Trait Anxiety

This research study was designed to examine the effect of spiritual well-being and spirituality on state and trait anxiety. Two hundred and thirty-eight adults in the USA were surveyed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Duke University Religion Index, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and Participant Questionnaire. Results indicate that spiritual well-being can predict 39.1 % of an adult's state anxiety and 37.9 % of trait anxiety. Furthermore, frequency of religious attendance, frequency of private religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity can predict 6.2 % of an adult's state anxiety and 8.6 % of trait anxiety. Recommendations for researchers and implications for clinicians are discussed.

Definitional ceremonies: narrative practices for psychologists to inform interdisciplinary teams' understanding of children's spirituality in pediatric settings

In pediatric settings, parents and children often seek spiritual and religious support from their healthcare provider, as they try to find meaning in their illness. Narrative practices, such as definitional ceremonies, can provide a unique framework for psychologists to explore children's spirituality and its role in the midst of illness. In addition, definitional ceremonies can be used as a means for psychologists to inform interdisciplinary teams' understanding of children's spirituality and its relevance in pediatric treatment settings. In this article, our objectives are to (a) provide a brief overview of the literature on children's spirituality, (b) review some of the literature on childhood cancer patients' spirituality, (c) highlight the importance of whole-person care for diverse pediatric patients, and (d) introduce definitional ceremonies as appropriate narrative practices that psychologists can use to both guide their therapy and inform interdisciplinary teams' understanding of children's spirituality.

The Use of Traumatic Biblical Narratives in Spiritual Recovery from Trauma: Theory and Case Study

Scholars in different disciplines have begun to converge in their answer to the fundamental question, "what does it mean to be a unique person." Writers in the fields of psychology, neurology and theology have begun to address the fact that identity is tied to the narratives we create, more than the events that occur in life. Traumatic events in life can create discontinuities in that narrative that interfere with functioning. In this essay, I propose the use of traumatic Biblical narratives in pastoral counseling to assist the client in articulating personal traumatic episodes and beginning the process of integrating traumatic experiences and initiating growth.