Abstract
ABSTRACTA co-operative inquiry group consisting of 8 counsellors met for 11 months to explore their experience of spirituality in their training and in their work with clients [Swinton, V. (2010). The spiritual in counselling training (Unpublished Thesis). The University of Manchester; Swinton, V. (2015). The spiritual in counselling training. In G. Nolan & W. West (Eds.), Therapy, culture and spirituality: Developing therapeutic practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan]. The aim to explore whether spirituality was absent from the process of training, specifically to discover (1) how counsellors perceived and described their experience of spirituality in their training and (2) with a view to developing spiritual pedagogy into the training process of practitioners. The research was based on the Human Inquiry paradigm, where participants could consider the implications of new ideas for their own lives and their practice [Reason, R., & Bradbury, H. (2001). Handbook of action research: Participative inquiry and practice. London: Sage]. From these groups although four main themes were identified, what is being considered in this paper is how the inquiry group process proved to be a useful vehicle for transformative learning and a dynamic means for individuals to engage with the topic in counselling training.
Highlights
Including Spirituality in the Training Process The call for the inclusion of spirituality in counselling training is growing with writers and researchers highlighting the importance that spirituality play in the life of clients in diverse populations, such as the US and the UK (Sperry & Shafranske 2005; Bartoli, 2007; Delaney, Miller, & Bisono 2007)
The assumption is that spirituality is absent from the training process and should be an element in the training of counsellors and those working in the caring profession
For one co-researcher, the nature of counselling which involves exploring our inner world, as well as engaging with those who are doing the same meant that spirituality was involved in this process, all be it implicitly
Summary
Including Spirituality in the Training Process The call for the inclusion of spirituality in counselling training is growing with writers and researchers highlighting the importance that spirituality play in the life of clients in diverse populations, such as the US and the UK (Sperry & Shafranske 2005; Bartoli, 2007; Delaney, Miller, & Bisono 2007). The thrust of the research in this area is on incorporating religious and spiritual variables in practitioner education (Kelly Jr., 1994); or the need for practitioners to develop competencies to work with religious and spiritual issues in counselling The conclusion from most research in this area highlights the fact that despite the importance of religion/spirituality in most clients’ lives, practitioners are not given adequate training to prepare them to deal with issues arising in these realms (Delaney, et al, 2007; Shafranske & Malony, 1990). Religion might be recognised as part of diversity but whether psychologists were receiving adequate training in this area was difficult to ascertain
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