Mental Health Clients’ Preferences for Spiritually Oriented Treatment

Ruth Melissa A.B.___________________ (writer) (Last Name) (First) (Initial) Mental Health Clients’ Preferences for Spiritually Oriented Treatment_______________ (Title) Guidance and Counseling, Mental Health Dr. Tom Franklin October, 2000 63 pages (Graduate Major) (Research Advisor) (Mo./Yr) (Pages) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 4 Edition___________ (Name of Style Manual Used in this Study) The purpose of this study was to determine whether outpatient mental health clients prefer a counselor who integrates spirituality into the counseling process. Questions on spirituality and religion were included in the study to help differentiate between the two and to reduce the possibility of placing respondents into a category they may not necessarily be comfortable with. A total of 67 clients participated in the research. The majority of respondents strongly agreed they wanted a counselor who understood their spirituality. Only two respondents indicated they were not at all spiritual. Pearson r results indicated that of those that indicated they were very religious, having a counselor who understood their religion was very important to them. Respondents who categorized themselves as more spiritual than religious tended to be more interested in developing their faith than those who were religious. There were no significant correlations when comparing high spirituality with desire for religious understanding by a counselor or high religiosity and desire for spiritual understanding. This points to the importance of distinguishing between religion and spirituality and providing options for all clients and not just non-spiritual or highly