Relationship Between the Counsellors and the Clients and Spirituality Paper Example

Discussion 1 response

Spirituality is an extensive element that typically entails a search for meaning in life because it is a universal experience (Good Therapy, 2017). Thus, I agree with you that spirituality is an essential aspect that makes individuals who they are. In particular, spirituality is an extension of an expression of religious practices. In the moment of mental distress, physical stress, or intense emotions, people search for transcendent meaning via nature or a set of philosophical beliefs, which later translates in a broad set of principles that surpasses all religions. Consequently, incorporating spirituality and religion in the counselling session would help in understanding people and gauging their behaviour. Specifically, people seek spiritual counselling to solidify personal spiritual beliefs.

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Moreover, intertwining the disciplines of faith as well as psychological aspects in the counselling sessions is a fundamental action that helps to maintain the mental and emotional health among the individuals (Good Therapy, 2017). Consequently, ethical standards need to be upheld while employing religion in the counselling sessions to allow proper navigation of people's challenges in the manner that respect their faith. Thus, I definitely agree with you that the counsellors should treat individuals based on their religion and they should avoid converting people to other religions that are different from what they believe. Ideally, an ethical counsellor does not attempt to push personal beliefs on an individual's belief during the counselling session or otherwise attempt to alter that person's spiritual or religious beliefs. Nonetheless, in case individual beliefs lead to unnecessary distress or if an individual shows difficulty in the constraints of spiritual beliefs, the counsellors may draw the person's attention to offer more guidance of what is expected.

Discussion 2 response

One of the key challenges that is experienced during the therapy session is the establishment of trust and effective relationship between the counsellors and the clients. In most cases, the clients are worried about the form of reception that the therapists are likely to have when the clients expose their spiritual beliefs. For this reason, I agree with you that in the therapy settings, numerous clients want their spirituality to be considered but the approach used in incorporating the beliefs may be difficult to implement. In particular, in the initial period of the therapy session, an operative relationship should be created between the counsellors and the clients in order to enhance the clients' openness towards sharing their beliefs. The therapist can provide an informed consent to all the clients to make them informed of all the requirements for the counselling sessions and to understand their spirituality issues.

Idyllically, it is inevitably to indicate that cognitive behavioural therapy when incorporated with the spirituality aspect yield a positive result. Basically, cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on identifying individuals' thoughts, beliefs and how different attitudes affect people's feelings and behaviour (Dobson & Dobson, 2018). Consequently, the counsellors who apply CBT approach to guide their clients are able to teach effective coping strategies for the clients to deal with different problems throughout their lives. Cognitive behavioural therapy is the most effective treatment strategy when used together with spirituality in the counselling sessions to assist clients with anxiety or depression conditions. In addition, CBT has been proved to be a reliable antidepressant technique that has assisted in positively influencing how clients respond to specific situations.

References

Dobson, D., & Dobson, K. S. (2018). Evidence-based practice of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Guilford Publications.

Good Therapy. (2017, August 28). Spirituality. Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/spirituality