Abstract
There has been a remarkable amount of interest in the relationship among spirituality, religion, psychology, and health of late. Contemporary interest in spirituality and religion is hot among not only the general population but among professionals in the mental and physical health disciplines. While most people believe in God and consider themselves to be spiritual, religious, or both, most mental health professionals have little if any training in this area. Psychologists can use spiritual and religious principles and tools to better serve their clients even if they do not share the same religious interests. The purpose of this article is to offer thirteen spiritual and religious tools common among all of the major religious traditions that can be used by contemporary professional psychologists in clinical practice to enhance the already high quality professional services that they provide. Examples of spiritually and religiously integrated treatment along with several ethical precautions are noted as well.
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This article is based on book project by Plante currently in press.
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Plante, T.G. What Do the Spiritual and Religious Traditions Offer the Practicing Psychologist?. Pastoral Psychol 56, 429–444 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-008-0119-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-008-0119-0