Article's premise
The article,A Working Model for the Integration of Spirituality in
Counseling, written by Miles Matise, focuses on the importance of allowing
the integration of a client’s spirituality into the counseling process. In
addition, the author provides a spiritual awareness guide, SAG, to help the
counselor conceptualize the client's issues within their spiritual context as
well as a spiritual decision tree. The counselor can best create a prognosis
and treatment plan specialized to the client's spiritual needs with the
information provided with their spirituality.
Research questions
The main research question of the article revolves around the thought:
can spirituality benefit the need of the client, and how so? The author
makes the distinction that counselors must view the client as a whole,
their spirituality included. Additionally, the idea that spirituality should be
considered during topics of loss, grief, and crisis is of the essence in the
client's well-being. The research question goes further by including the
idea of training for counselors on how to deal with their client's spirituality
in the healing process regardless of their personal beliefs. The author
writes that by neglecting the client's spirituality, the client "may become
overly censored and not experience the full effectiveness of counseling”
(Matise, 2017). The author also uses the spiritual decision tree to decide
whether counselors should integrate spirituality into the counseling
process and focus on a spiritual strategy.
Findings and conclusions
The study concluded in the idea that "the question of whether or
religion and spirituality should be addressed in the therapeutic process is
no longer an issue" (Matise, 2017). In other words, the study supports the
idea that spirituality is essential to be considered and integrated into the
counseling process to achieve their goal in healing. It is also essential that
counselors become familiar and comfortable with their feelings when
dealing with clients who prioritize their spirituality. Entwistle supports the
idea by reminding us that "licensed professionals exist to meet the client's
needs” (Entwistle, 2015, p.297). As a result, counselors must receive the
appropriate training to avoid separation from client and counselor. Finally,
Matise concludes the study by addressing the fact that the combination of
the spiritual decision tree and the spiritual awareness guide "the
counselor can more accurately meet the client at the stage of their
spiritual development and help to provide a cognitive psycho-spiritual
framework to assist the client through their experience" (Matise, 2017). In
summary, a client's spirituality is of essence to be integrated into the
counseling process.
Reaction/response
After reading the study, I can say that the result sincerely supports
my idea that spirituality should be integrated into the counseling process.
I believe that spirituality is the core of every human and, therefore, needs
to be addressed to those who come seeking guidance. On the other hand,
I agree that counselors need to receive the training to deal with these
clients. Counselors should become aware and possess the knowledge of
how to deal with spirituality. Similarly, it is up to the counselor to decide
whether they want to continue to help the client or refer them to someone
who is better qualified at dealing with their spirituality. In summary, the
counselor must look at the client within their fullness in order for them to
achieve breakthrough and freedom from their situation and mental health
problems.
Reference
Entwistle, D. N. (2015). InIntegrative approaches to psychology AND
CHRISTIANITY: An introduction to Worldview ISSUES, philosophical
foundations, and models of integration(pp. 165–267). essay, Cascade
Books.
Miles Matise, Jeffery Ratcliff & Flavia Mosci(2018)A Working Model for the
Integration of Spirituality in Counseling,Journal of Spirituality in Mental
Health,20:1,27-50,DOI:10.1080/19349637.2017.1326091
Link to article:
https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/action/showCitFormats?
doi=10.1080%2F19349637.2017.1326091
