Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy: An Integrative Approach that Empowers Clients

by Rick Johnson

"Written with great clarity and intelligence, this book will be of benefit to all mental health practitioners, students of psychology, and those seeking a better understanding of their own process of psychological and spiritual transformation."
—Tara Brach, PhD, Author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

"In this wonderful book, Rick Johnson weaves together different theoretical perspectives in a way that welcomes religion, spirituality, and nature into the counseling and psychotherapy process. It's a delight to read Dr. Johnson's approach—an approach that teaches therapists how to empathically explore spirituality as an important dimension of human existence."
—John Sommers-Flanagan, PhD, coauthor of Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice and Clinical Interviewing

"Rick Johnson's book Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy is a rich introduction to the varied forms in which spiritual suffering enters the consulting room, the range of theories which address or fail to address this need, and specific attitudes and practices through which therapists can provide a non-doctrinal but open encounter with the spiritual needs of their clients."
—James Hollis, PhD, Jungian analyst, and author of fourteen books, among them What Matters Most: Living a More Considered Life

A practical integration of psychology and spirituality that builds upon existing psychological theories

While many clients want spiritual and philosophical issues to be addressed in therapy, many mental health professionals report that they feel ill-equipped to meet clients' needs in this area. Providing a model that is approachable from a variety of theoretical orientations, Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy supports therapists in becoming open to the unique ways that clients define, experience, and access life-affirming, spiritual beliefs and practices.

Drawing on the author's research into spiritual issues as well as predictors of clients' psychological health, this reflective book presents an integrative approach to discussing the topic of spirituality. An essential resource for mental health professionals of all spiritual and religious persuasions, Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy discusses:

Client-defined spirituality Integrating spirituality with psychological theories Why clients become spiritually lost Practical steps for spiritual health and abundance in therapy Helping clients reclaim their real self How spiritually oriented therapy helps Guidance for therapists in differentiating their spirituality from their clients' to foster a more successful therapeutic relationship

Filled with numerous cases and stories illustrating how spirituality can be a natural and beneficial part of the therapeutic process, Spirituality in Counseling and Psychotherapy enables mental health professionals to nonjudgmentally invite a collaborative exploration of the role of spirituality in their clients' lives.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jennifer Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping he'd go a bit more into cultural responsiveness than he did, but still an excellent resource on being open to others' spiritual needs.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't review required texts for college courses, but this was something I really appreciated, and I'm glad it was implemented into a class focused on counseling theories. The author does a great job of approaching the integration of spirituality into counseling with respect and insight. These are sensitive subjects, particularly for this area of work -- counseling and psychotherapy are often devoid of spiritual components, and religion or spirituality is often viewed as replacement for professional counseling/therapy. However, the author makes a point that these two topics don't have to be mutually exclusive. The author takes great care differentiating between religious dogma versus spiritual beliefs, focusing on the latter, and how it can be harnessed to empower and enable healing in therapy sessions. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in these topics, especially future/current counselors. The book incorporates old and new theories with plenty of interesting case studies to keep readers interested and engaged.