Assessing Religion And Spirituality In Counseling Summary

Richards, Bartz, and O’Grady’s (2009) article, “Assessing Religion and Spirituality in Counseling: Some Reflections and Recommendations” described the importance in using psychological assessments, including spirituality and religious beliefs, to promote effective counseling practice. Understanding a client’s spirituality promotes empathic understanding, facilitates a positive counseling process, and allows for appreciation and respect that can be gained from understanding a client’s unique worldview. Similarly, the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) stress the importance of counselors respecting their client’s faith and values, only sharing their personal beliefs when it benefits

(2009) separated spiritual assessment into two distinct levels: Level 1 and Level 2. The first level focuses on the client and their worldviews, allowing counselors to garner information about the importance of spirituality and religion. Obtaining such information can be accomplished by the use of questionnaires, interviews, or information obtained during the actual counseling session. Another creative approach involved having clients read spiritual quotations and then reflecting on the meanings of those quotations; thereby allowing insight into the client’s spiritual and religious worldviews (Richard et al., 2009). After completing the initial assessment, and when appropriate, the counselor can then make a deeper exploration of the client’s religious and spiritual beliefs, examining the influence they have on the psychological and social adjustment of the client (Level 2). The authors also stressed the importance of assessing religious orthodoxy, “the degree to which people believe in and adhere to the traditional doctrines and moral teachings of their religion” (Richard et al., Religious Orthodoxy, para. 1). Understanding the degree of religious orthodoxy is an important determinant in providing appropriate client interventions (Richard et al.,