Clients' Perceptions of Marriage and Family Therapists Addressing the Religious and Spiritual Aspects of Clients' Lives

Abstract

As marriage and family therapists are emphasizing the actual contexts of clients' lives, religion and spirituality are being addressed as important aspects of culture. This pilot study investigated whether clients felt their therapist adequately addressed the religious and spiritual aspects of their lives according to their desires for such. Thirty-eight clients who attended therapy at university clinics were surveyed using a questionnaire about their own religiosity and spirituality, about their preferences to have religion and spirituality addressed, and whether they perceived their therapist addressed religion and spirituality in the therapy process according to their desires. Results show these family therapists did rather well at addressing the religious and spiritual aspects of their clients' lives. Demographic correlations showed that the gender of the client and whether the university clinic they attended was affiliated with a religious denomination were each positively correlated to whether the clients wanted religion and spirituality addressed and whether their therapist adequately addressed these issues. Detailed limitations are noted.

Key Words:

• Spirituality
• religion
• research
• family therapy