Finding the Spirit Within: Religion, Spirituality, and Faith Development in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals

Abstract

This article addresses the interconnectedness between gay identity and spiritual development as well as explores the unique challenges that lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals face when trying to incorporate a sense of spirituality into their sexual identity. This article addresses what counselors and other mental health practitioners can do to help facilitate spiritual exploration with their sexual minority clients and reexamine the notion of “faith development” and what it means for lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients to find the spirit within. The article also presents traditional and nontraditional methods to find spiritual fulfillment by introducing a four-part counseling framework and how this can contribute to overall mental health.

KEYWORDS:

• affirmative therapy
• gay
• lesbian
• and bisexual
• LGB
• religion
• spirituality
• spirituality counseling