Spirituality in psychotherapy : the psychologist's experience.
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Date
2014
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Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to explore how psychologists experience and respond to clients
introducing spirituality in therapy. It also aimed to explore when and how the
psychologist recognises their own limits of competence in the areas pertaining to the
client’s spirituality, and how they manage this.
Methodology: Qualitative research methods were utilised to carry out this study which
attempts to “describe and interpret” participants' feelings and lived experience in “human
terms” (Terre Blanche, Kelly & Durrheim, 2006, p. 272). A thematic analysis was used
to analyse the data collected. This approach aims to discover, interpret and analyse
themes emerging from the text to provide a rich description of the data (Terre Blanche et
al., 2006). Six psychologists participated in this study and were interviewed using semistructured
interviews.
Findings: The overarching findings of this study are that the psychologists’ values,
biases, judgements and/or acceptance of their clients’ spirituality and their view of its
place in therapy are informed by their personal values and spirituality. It highlights the
need for psychologists to be aware of how their own spiritual beliefs and their personal
experiences of other spiritualties affect their response to clients in therapy.
The findings also suggest that psychologists seldom consider their competence in dealing
with spirituality in psychotherapy which means that they open themselves up to working
outside of their scope of practice and in violation of ethical practice.
Description
M. Soc. Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. 2014.
Keywords
Spirituality., Psychotherapy--Religious aspects., Psychology and religion., Psychologists., Theses--Psychology.