Religiosity gap reversed: how religious counsellors’ belief system presents when working with clients in a non-religious environment

Abstract

ABSTRACTMost studies exploring the religiosity gap are concerned with non-religious counsellors and religious clients. Approaching this phenomenon from a reversed perspective, this study explores how counsellors’ religiosity presents when working with clients in a predominantly non-religious environment. Semi-structured interviews with 11 Czech counsellors who self-identify as Roman Catholic were subjected to thematic analysis. The analysis revealed seven main themes, divided into two main thematic domains: counsellors’ inner attitude towards the counselling process and direct interaction with clients. The findings are discussed in relation to the concept of religiosity gap, as well as training, supervision, and multicultural competencies of counsellors.