Gordon (2018) explores the use of intellectual humility for better integration of
spirituality and counseling as it allows the therapist to provide a more honest,
appropriate, and comprehensive treatment to the client. Spirituality is an
essential part of personhood and influences one’s understanding of self, his
expectations of how people and society operate, and the clash between the
former and the latter that has created problems to which he is seeking
resolution for in therapy.
b b b b b b b b b b b b Surprisingly, many therapists lack or have limited professional
training on the basics of spirituality (Gordon, 2018). These therapists tend to
avoid incorporating the counselee’s spiritual view during therapy sessions as to
not betray their own ignorance. Invoking intellectual humility will lead the
therapist to broaden his knowledge. He will come to recognize when to refer
his client to a more suitable clinician. Intellectual humility is important for
spiritually minded counselors too.
b b b b b b b b b b b b Therapists need intellectual humility to remain open-minded in
order to test currently held assumptions and to maintain relational connection
especially when spirituality of the therapist and client greatly differ. An arrogant
counselor stops listening to his client because he either assumes he
understands his client's view through projection of his own spirituality or he
dismisses the validity of the client’s perspective in preference for his beliefs
(Gordon, 2018). When the counselor owns his limitations, it leads to thoughtful
questioning. This invites the client to open up, build rapport, own his problem,
and create his solution.
Article Response
b b b b b b b b b b b b Entwistle (2015) says to foster intellectual humility, “we need to
recognize the limits of our intellectual abilities and our knowledge base. We
need to admit that our own biases and fallibility can skew our conclusions” (p.
100). I find Gordon’s (2018) paper not only insightful but practical as it details
some ways a therapist can critically assess and strengthen intellectual humility.
To apply this to my counseling, I will pay close attention to detect
defensiveness or feelings of insecurity as these are indicators that the client’s
view on spirituality opposes my beliefs. I will strengthen my intellectual humility
by probing the client to elaborate, using open ended questions rather than
trying to move off the topic with “yes-no” questions. I will analyze the
reasoning behind the client’s thought process under his spiritual assumptions
to test for logical consistency within his worldview framework. This truly puts
me in his shoes and allows me to connect with him without imposing my own
beliefs.
References
Entwistle, D. N. (2015). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: An
introduction to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of
integration (3rd ed.). Wipf and Stock Publishers.
