Introduction
Over the last few years, professional psychotherapy rediscovered spirituality and religion in therapy, whereby numerous workshops and resources integrate spirituality into psychology. Various ethical considerations arise from incorporating spirituality and religion in professional psychotherapy. Therefore, ethical concerns should be addressed effectively. Therapists and patients may be hesitant to use spirituality or religion in therapy practice because of the possibility of differing beliefs and controversy of the topic. However, based on research, the therapist’s involvement in the patient’s spiritual beliefs may help improve the healing process and therapy (Tabei et al., 2016). The therapy process is meant to enhance the client’s well-being. Eliminating the spirituality approach in therapy can also affect the clients negatively. Therapists are urged to ensure high professional competency standards during therapy. They are bound to implement a collaborative approach when one lacks proper training and understanding of incorporating spirituality and religion in therapy (Rusu & Turliuc, 2015). This paper identifies the ethical impact of introducing spirituality or religion into several therapy areas, including multiple relationships, competence, informed consent, and imposing religious values.
Competence
Therapists perceive competence as one of the most substantial ethical practice standards. It handles various issues, including embracing equality, diversity, respect, ethics, integrity training, education, and other aspects. Under the competence standard, every therapist must illustrate a practical understanding of the issues and problems the clients are facing and make an effort to provide solutions to the problems and challenges. The therapist’s competence levels can be questioned if they introduce the spirituality or religious values aspects in therapy sessions without informing the patient or seeking their consent. Technically, therapists should depict higher knowledge levels concerning spirituality and religion topics (Uwakwe, 2020). Knowledge can be acquired through training, education, and supervision experience before being integrated into the practice. Knowledge and understanding are closely related and linked. Therapists should efficiently comprehend the ethical implications when handling spirituality issues during therapy sessions, including diverse cultural differences, since every patient has a different religious background and may have different religious beliefs. A therapist should illustrate more profound knowledge and understanding of different religious beliefs and cultures to assist patients when dealing with differing cultures, spirituality, and religions.
The competency level and standard help therapists determine whether spirituality and religious beliefs would be effective in assisting the patients to recover quickly during the healing process. One of the most critical aspects of competency is self-awareness which can be applied to comprehend the concept of spirituality or religion being introduced in therapy sessions (Uwakwe, 2020). Self-awareness is critical because it encourages therapists to avoid imposing their values or religious beliefs on patients. Therapists should not impose their values and beliefs when incorporating religion in therapy treatment and process. Still, they should be aware of the patient’s beliefs and values before adopting spirituality and religion in the healing process.
Multiple Relationships
Multiple relationships occur when therapists are involved in professional roles with patients or clients while playing other roles in their lives with similar clients. The other role the therapist may be involved in may include a personal connection or relationship between the client and therapist, especially being relatives or friends, despite having a professional connection between a therapist and a client. The other role may also be depicted to imply that the therapist may be interested in forming close relations with the patient in the future or would like to be associated with the client after treatment. Based on APA guidelines and standards, therapists must avoid forming multiple relationships with clients or patients that could impair their objectivity, purpose, competence, and effectiveness when performing their professional roles and functions (Amaglo, 2022). Relationships are the core concepts of the therapy process. Multiple relationships may be in the form of social, financial, business, or sexual. Although it is vital to avoid multiple relationships in the therapy process, not all relationships should be avoided, but only those with the potential to significantly harm the client or derail their healing process. In spirituality and religious concepts and matters, multiple relationships are perceived as unethical thus, can be applied in various spiritual or religious cases.
Imposing Religious Values in Therapy
This is a therapist’s strategy or attempt to directly influence their patients’ spiritual or religious beliefs, feelings, judgments, attitudes, and behaviors. Imposing values indicate boundary violations that can alter or interfere with the patient’s treatment progress and right to determination. Based on a recent study, clinical social workers claim that numerous therapists perceive that spiritual and religious discussions with the patient are vital in the therapy process since it helps to fasten the healing process. On the other hand, American Psychology Association is firm and vocal about respecting the client’s diversity regarding religion, race, culture, and other critical aspects. Professional therapy perceives the client’s respect as an essential feature; thus, imposing values on clients during treatment and therapy sessions is viewed as unethical based on the therapists’ code of ethics (Çetintaş & Halil, 2020). Technically, therapists can potentially impose their spiritual beliefs and values on clients by making direct statements that can impact or influence the client’s course of action leading to active involvement. Additionally, a therapist can passively impose their religious beliefs on patients through non-verbal communication, especially when providing a Bible in the client’s room without understanding their spirituality or religion.
Based on the APA code of ethics, imposing religious values and beliefs on a patient leads to a violation of the client’s personal space, which should never be interfered with. Therapists can use various ways and techniques to avoid imposing religious beliefs or values on patients. The approaches include; maintaining a neutral position in religious matters, seeking supervision, and developing self-awareness (Çetintaş & Halil, 2020). The best approach and tool for therapists is self-awareness which entails understanding the patient’s religious beliefs and spirituality to avoid imposing religious beliefs on them. Instead, the therapist can introduce the values and beliefs linked to the patient’s spiritual and religious alignment and beliefs after seeking their consent. Self-awareness development entails an extensive inventory of therapists’ values, attitudes, behaviors, and feelings. The therapists must observe their patients’ reactions to various statements and actions.
Informed Consent
The APA code of ethics standard 3.10 stipulates that medical practitioners like therapists should obtain informed consent from clients or patients before introducing new treatment. In this case, this is before introducing religious beliefs and spirituality in therapy sessions. The standard dictates that the patients should be informed sooner or earlier as it is perceived feasible in therapy relations concerning the expected therapy course, confidentiality limits, third-party involvement, and nature of the relationship. The standard provisions direct that when therapists seek informed consent to treat the patients, they must inform the clients about the nature of the treatment and possible risks associated with the alternative treatment. When obtaining informed consent from patients, the therapists recognize techniques and procedures that have not yet been implemented in the treatment that can help the patient in the healing process. Therefore, the patient must be exhaustively helped to understand what the treatment entails, including the possible risks and consequences that may arise from the new treatment approach.
Therapists must evaluate clients’ needs and opinions regarding religious interventions and acquire informed consent. Numerous religious interventions may be appropriate for some clients and inappropriate for others. Varying spiritual and religious beliefs influence the patient’s needs, expectations, and hopes in therapy (Rusu & Turliuc, 2015). For therapists to incorporate religious values in the treatment process, they must acquire informed consent from the patients to keep up with and maintain ethical standards and provisions. The APA provisions oblige therapists to seek informed consent when unknown or unapproved treatment suggestions for the patients are being used. Therefore, before therapists include spirituality or religion in therapy treatment, they should inform patients about it and ensure they are comfortable and consent to the idea. The concept should be discarded if the patient fails to consent to spiritual involvement in therapy.
Conclusion
Involving religion in Psychotherapy is problematic and needs the therapists to respect boundaries. Therapists’ ability to comprehend and understand the patients’ spiritual and religious lives is a critical feature of psychotherapeutic competence. Additionally, information regarding patients’ spiritual and religious lives reveals highly essential details which can boost the healing process. When enquiring about the patient’s religious beliefs and values, therapists must demonstrate curiosity and respect for the specific aspect of the patient’s life, even if there is a variance between the therapist’s and the patient’s beliefs. Therapeutic abuse may occur when the therapists communicate in a way that reflects their agenda or influence that avoids the neutral feature and principle of therapy treatment. Spiritual assessment should be systematically included in psychotherapy education as a core competency. Introducing spiritual and religious beliefs and values in patients’ lives during treatment requires absolute professionalism and a higher level of quality education, attitude, skills, knowledge, and a comprehensive understanding of the sophisticated biopsychosocial model.
References
Amaglo, E. (2022). MANAGING BOUNDARIES AND MULTIPLE RELATIONSHIPS IN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY. Global Journal of Psychology, 2(1), 1-11.
Çetintaş, Ş., & Halil, E. K. Ş. İ. (2020). Spiritually oriented couple, marriage and family therapies. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 5(1), 7-24.
Rusu, P. P., & Turliuc, M. N. (2015). Ethical issues of integrating spirituality and religion in couple and family therapy. Revista Romana de Bioetica, 9(1).
Tabei, S. Z., Zarei, N., & Joulaei, H. (2016). The impact of spirituality on health.
Uwakwe, R. (2020). Integration of Spirituality into Psychotherapy–A Potential Model for Nigeria. International Journal for Psychotherapy in Africa, 5(1).
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