Spirituality: counselor perspectives and educational training

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe spiritual concerns of clients, its reemergence as an issue, and educational training needs of counselors in treating spiritual concerns. In recent years there has been a renewed interest and redefinition of spiritual issues, and counselors are expected to meet the needs of clients presenting these concerns. Institutions of higher learning are the training base for these counselors and they are recommended to address curriculum implementing spiritual training to meet client needs. This is a qualitative study 3 with data being gathered through counselor interviews regarding their experiences and recommendations for spiritual issues and training. The information found in this study is limited to institutions of therapy and education in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. The data will impact counselor-training curriculum by identifying a need for education of spiritual issues and therapeutic intervention techniques. It will also provide definitions of what spirituality means to society.