Abstract
Marriage and family therapists are likely to encounter religious or spiritual clients in their career and thus are encouraged
to be aware of their clients’ religious and spirituality. This awareness is often fostered within graduate training programs.
This study aims to examine graduate students’ incorporation of religion and spirituality in therapy and their satisfaction
with the quality and amount of training programs’ adherence to religion and spirituality. A sample of 135 graduate students
from American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy accredited programs completed the survey. Findings showed that graduate
students with greater levels of religiosity and spirituality were more likely to perceive it important to address religion/spirituality
in therapy and to perceive there is a need for religious/spiritual education. When controlling for religious and spiritual
orientations, overall regression results revealed that not having a course on religion and spirituality and perceiving a need
for religious/spirituality in education predicted lower satisfaction with the amount and quality of current training surrounding
these dimensions. Implications demonstrate the need to address religious/spiritual concepts in the curriculum, supervision,
and in marriage and family therapy training.
to be aware of their clients’ religious and spirituality. This awareness is often fostered within graduate training programs.
This study aims to examine graduate students’ incorporation of religion and spirituality in therapy and their satisfaction
with the quality and amount of training programs’ adherence to religion and spirituality. A sample of 135 graduate students
from American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy accredited programs completed the survey. Findings showed that graduate
students with greater levels of religiosity and spirituality were more likely to perceive it important to address religion/spirituality
in therapy and to perceive there is a need for religious/spiritual education. When controlling for religious and spiritual
orientations, overall regression results revealed that not having a course on religion and spirituality and perceiving a need
for religious/spirituality in education predicted lower satisfaction with the amount and quality of current training surrounding
these dimensions. Implications demonstrate the need to address religious/spiritual concepts in the curriculum, supervision,
and in marriage and family therapy training.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.1007/s10591-012-9205-7
- Authors
- Sharde’ N. McNeil, Department of Family Child Sciences, Florida State University, 225 Sandels Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1491, USA
- Thomas W. Pavkov, Institute for Social and Policy Research, Purdue University Calumet, 1247 169th Street, Hammond, IN 46324, USA
- Lorna L. Hecker, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Purdue University Calumet, 1247 169th Street, Hammond, IN 46324, USA
- J. Mark Killmer, Adler School of Professional Psychology, 17 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60602, USA
- Journal Contemporary Family Therapy
- Online ISSN 1573-3335
- Print ISSN 0892-2764