The integration of religion and spirituality in group therapy: Practitioners' perceptions and practices

Abstract

The current study examined practitioners’ perceptions and practices regarding the integration of religion and spirituality in group therapy. Results indicate that therapists’ degree of spirituality positively predicts their perceived appropriateness of religious and spiritual interventions. This perceived appropriateness, as well as therapists’ spirituality and religious commitment, influenced practitioners’ use of the same religious and spiritual interventions. Therapists in the study reported low levels of perceived barriers to addressing spirituality in group therapy, yet largely did not practice religious or spiritual integration. In addition, participants viewed spirituality and religion to be different constructs. Participants reported spiritual interventions to be more appropriate than religious interventions and reported more frequent use of spiritual interventions than they did use of religious interventions. Finally, practitioners in this study reported more openness to addressing spirituality in group therapy than they did openness to addressing religion in group therapy.