Religion, spirituality and therapeutic practice

Increasing attention has been paid to how therapists might respond respectfully and usefully to clients’ religious and spiritual beliefs and commitments. Although recommendations overlap with principles of good clinical practice, some specific themes have emerged in the literature. Three of these are briefly examined in this article: the assessment process; responding to problematic religious and spiritual material; and training and supervision. Contextual constraints within public sector service provision are also noted. Mindful of these, therapists are encouraged to engage constructively with clients’ religious and spiritual material to enrich therapeutic experience and effectiveness.