Spirituality and religion

Spirituality and religion

Spirituality and religion are vital sources of strength to some clients, it gives meaning to their lives, and it can be essential in promoting their mental healing and well-being. In Blair’s findings, some patients described how spirituality played an indispensable role in their lives because it helped them get an identity. During a therapeutic process, the counsellor must use the client’s spiritual belief to help them explore and get better. As a therapist, I think it’s essential that one meditates on their spirituality so that one can be able to relate with a patient on a spiritual level. At the end of the day, successful counselling should address the body, mind and spirit.

The spirituality topic is susceptible, and one should have some level of therapeutic skills to know on what angle to address it with their patients. I wouldn’t talk about my spiritual orientation unless my client is interested. Only then will I indulge in the topic in a way that is beneficial and in ways that would not cause difficulties in the therapy session. Spirituality is a broad and exciting topic, discussing it with a patient one learns a lot from them regardless of whether you are in the same religion or not. Having being trained in spirituality and relating to it makes it easier to understand a client’s spirituality without asking them a series of questions. Disclosing one’s spirituality as a therapist helps the counselling be comfortable and authentic from both ends. However, it’s vital that as a therapist that one does not interfere with the belief of the patient. As a professional counsellor, one should be able to identify the differences between spirituality and religion. That’s why that discussion should only be done only when the clients bring it up, at least according to me.