Spiritual Disclosure and Ego Resiliency: Validating Spiritual Competencies

Abstract

Counselor spiritual and religious competency depends primarily on the ability to facilitate client spiritual disclosure. Little is known, however, about the empirical qualities of spiritual disclosure. In a sample of 318 adults (mean age = 44 years), spiritual disclosure independently predicted ego resiliency, a critical quality for stress-related growth. Spiritual disclosure predicted ego resiliency over the partial mediators of the 5 factors of personality, general global disclosure, and congregational support. Implications for professional counseling ethics are discussed.