Understanding the Concept of Spirituality and its relationship to Counselling

Understanding the Concept of Spirituality and its relationship to Counselling

Many people understand the concept of spirituality in different ways because it is a comprehensive term with room for many definitions. Generally, spirituality is believed to have a sense of association to something superior to us and, as such, involves searching the purpose of life. Conclusively, spirituality is an experience that touches every person in the universe. Some people believe that their spiritual life is interrelated to their relationship with the synagogue, mosque temple, or church. Therefore, they define spirituality as a form of religion, and as such, a person must be religious, that is, adhere to the commandments and the traditions of their faith. Other people, however, term their spirituality to their relationship with God.

Similarly, some people believe their spirituality is finding their purpose in life. Thus they assume spirituality is linked to their soul and their spirit. Other people define the term of spirituality by connecting it to the new age movement where individuals have healing powers and psychic abilities.in the contemporary world, different professionals from different fields have different definitions of spirituality. ‘For instance, Christina Puchalski, the director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health postulates that the concept is an aspect of humanity that defines the manner people find and demonstrate meaning and purpose as well as how they experience their relationship with the situation, inner self, environment, others and the sacred (Carlson, Leonard, 2013)’.

‘Another definition suggested by Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary- authors of the Spiritual Brain- expresses spirituality as an experience that is assumed to connect a person with divine beings (Beauregard, O’Leary, 2009)’. ‘Additionally, Judith Proctor Zenter and Ruth Beckmann from the nursing profession believe that people in the spiritual world strive to make peace with the universe by finding answers about the infinite (Murray, Zentner, 1989)’.  And as such, the answers are revealed when a person is in emotional distress, ill or dead. Of great importance to note is that spirituality and religion are different even though spirituality having elements of worship. The difference is seen in the idea that spirituality deals with a person finding meaning, connection, and value in their life while religion tries to understand what is right and what is wrong.

Counselors believe that effective counseling is one that addresses the client’s body, mind, and spirit; therefore, counselors have recognized the importance of integrating spirituality in their counseling practices. One thing to note is that religion and spirituality are fundamental strengths to many clients because they assist them in finding meaning in life, and as such, act as tools that promote healing and well-being. Counseling helps clients understand how their behavior showcases their values and beliefs. Thus, via therapy, patients may discover that they need to change some of their benefits. For counselors to execute their duties successfully, they must be open and nonjudgmental, such that they acknowledge there are many ways of fulfilling a person’s spiritual needs. Notably, the clinician’s role is not to identify the right pathway for the client but to guide them to choose the most suitable. Therefore, counselors utilize the spiritual and religious beliefs of their clients to assist them in finding solutions that mitigate their issues. Conclusively, for clinicians to incorporate spirituality in their treatment and assessments, they must be competent when dealing with values. To achieve these skills, counselors must undergo training such that they learn to work with values in their therapeutic sessions.

Spiritual formation is referred to as helping people achieve unity in life. Therefore it involves all trials people engage in to deepen their faith and grow spiritually. In counselling, spiritual formation is intended to understand how God’s spirit works in a clinician’s life, their clients, and how to maintain the sense. There are three known spiritual formation models, namely, purgation model, illumination, and union. Purgation refers to the habits and attitudes of a person. Illumination, on the other hand, is understanding God’s work in a person’s life while the union addresses the command of loving God, oneself, and neighbor with one’s whole heart. Christian counselors use spiritual models to help direct their clients in their right paths. This is via strengthening their association with the divine and assisting them in learning and growing their spirit. Therefore, counselors listen and ask the client questions to help the client reflect their values in their behavior and grow spiritually.

Some of the issues that Christian counselors help their clients resolve is the feeling of being unhappy. The role of the clinician is to assist the client in finding meaning in their lives by tapping into their inner self. The activity helps both the counselor and the client identify some of the spiritual values and religious beliefs they possess to understand, which are reflected in their behavior. By acknowledging these values, the counselor can assist the client in choosing the best path to find happiness and achieve unity in their life. Christian counselors play the role of the wounded healer because they help solve the problem rather than deal with the sin in the person. As such, they use the gospel and Jesus as tools to heal the wounds and the difficulties of the mind.