ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS AND RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL THERAPY 1
Ethical Implications and Religious and Spiritual Therapy
Following the Guidelines of the American Psychological Association
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Introduction
In 1,250-1,500 words, I will describe the ethical implications of implementing religion or spirituality into therapy. I will consider the topics of competence, multiple relationships, imposing religious values in therapy and informed consent. I will use a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources as well as the textbook and the American Psychological Association (APA) Code of Ethics with APA formatted in-text citations and references. I will prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide.
Competence
The issue of competence is a key factor when considering the ethical implications of implementing religion or spirituality into therapy. This section will focus on multicultural issues as they relate to the ethical implications.
According to Sue, Arredondo & McDavis (1992) their research focuses on multicultural counselling standards and how this relates to the issue of implementing religion and/or spirituality into therapy. In some cases, a therapist will be of the same culture, religion, gender and same belief system as their client. In this regard then the ethical implications of incorporating religious or spiritual therapeutic practices would not complicate the therapeutic sessions with the client. In those cases where the therapist is not of the same culture, religion, gender and same belief system as their client (or any one of these differing factors just mentioned), complications could and would arise when incorporating religious and spiritual values onto the client for therapeutic reasons.
The key question that comes into play is that is the therapist competent to discuss religion and/or spirituality with their client during therapy? (Richards & Bergin, 1997). If the therapist is competent to do so (implement a religious and/or spiritual element to the therapeutic sessions), then a strategic plan on the part of the therapist to uplift the patient/client through religious and/or spiritual means could not only cement the practices of good therapy, but also greatly improve the life of the patient as well as prevent from depressive, suicidal or other negative factors that could complicate the positive of the client during therapy sessions (Remley & Herlihy, 2007). However as Remley & Herlihy (2007) note there are ethical considerations that need to be ever-present in the mind of a therapist that uses this strategic plan as Richards & Bergin (1997) refer to it and ensure that they are not imposing their own belief systems on their client or they could be no better than missionaries who indoctrinate other cultures with their belief systems and take them away from their traditional beliefs.
Multiple Relationships
The issue of multiple relationships as it relates to incorporating religion and/or spiritual beliefs into therapeutic sessions will be discussed in this section. The focus will be on the theoretical practices of the basis of therapy and how introducing religion and/or spirituality could compromise these theoretical practices and ethical practices of therapy. This section will also focus on the code and ethics that are set out by the American Counselling Association for the practice of therapy.
According to Corey (2015) the theory and the practice of therapy is to help the patient/client/consumer with any existing dilemma and/or problem that they may have and to try to reach some point of resolution with that client. Many times when one thinks of multiple relationships as it relates to a therapist’s role, a client may already being going to church every Sunday, or going to the synagogue on Saturday, or going to the mosque five times a week if not more. Whatever the spiritual and/or religious practices of the client, a therapist must not ever lose their role as a good listener to the client (Corey, Corey, Corey & Callanan. 2014).
According to the American Counseling Association (2005), the primary role of the therapist is not to ever confuse their relationship with their client and to always understand what their main job is to do – not to be a spiritual leader and/or religious leader for their client, but to be a therapist that listens and offers good practical suggestions that will help the life and the livelihood of their client. The ethical dilemma with a therapist being a spiritual and/or religious motivator for their client is that this creates at least a dual role in the eyes of the client, or dual relationship, if not even multiple relationships if for example the client is young and their parents are no longer alive and the therapist has also taken on a parenting role in the life of the client as well. The ethical considerations of these multiple relationships must be kept in key consideration and always guarded on behalf of the therapist so that acts of misconduct do not result from the primary objective stemming from good intentions.
Imposing Religious Beliefs in Therapy
This section will focus on the ethical implications of a therapist imposing religious beliefs onto their client, as well as the breach of the code of ethics that this pertains to the American Counselling Association (2005).
According to the American Counselling Association (2005), a therapist cannot impose their religious beliefs onto their clients. If they do so, this is considered to be a breach of conduct and they can lose their licenses to practice therapy due to these actions. Fukuyama & Sevig (1997) also note ethical issues that are involved with such conduct of a therapist imposing their religious beliefs onto a client.
Fukuyama & Sevig (1997) state that there are so many religions, spiritual beliefs and understandings of how to see the world that a therapist is truly in an ethical paradox to completely avoid imposing their religious beliefs when it comes to either giving advice to their clients even if the conversation at-hand was not religiously based, or in cases where solutions and resolutions to problems and/or dilemmas occur that need to be dealt with on behalf of the client.
As an example, a therapist may have a client who is Jewish however an addiction to nicotine has. If the therapist even suggests that the client seeks additional help from the therapist who may not be an expert in nicotine cessation therapeutic methods and suggests Nicotine Anonymous (NA), the Jewish client could potentially become offended because NA does have religious overtones in its counselling sessions, as does the entire Anonymous Enterprise and the Jewish client may complain to the American Counselling Association that the therapist is trying to turn the client into a Christian. This is just one example; however a highly plausible one that shows how careful and cautious a therapist needs to be in their dealings with religious and/or spiritual matters.
According to Gonsiorek, Richards, Pargament & McMinn (2009), they also note that a therapist who imposes their religious beliefs onto their clients will not only face misconduct reprimands from the American Counselling Association (2005), but could lose their careers altogether that stemmed from good intentions in the first place.
Informed Consent
This section will deal with informed consent when it comes to the issue of integrating and or implementing religion and/or spiritual values into therapy. One of the issues that will be discussed is the legal issues of informed consent.
According to Young & Young (2014), not only is not receiving informed consent from the client and/or their parents in the case of children’s therapy a breach of conduct according to the American Counselling Association (2005), it is also against the law and legal ramifications could be the result of the therapist’s end of their career with even criminal charges laid on the therapist as well as civil action being taken for there being a breach of the rights of the client and any damages suffered. However, Young & Young (2014) also state that if the matter of informed consent is dealt with competence and indeed received fully and in writing by the client that there will be an open space and a resolution to the potential danger of implement religious and/or spiritual values in the counselling sessions.
Zinnbauer & Pargament (2000) discuss four key approaches that will help with a therapist implementing a religious and/or spiritual understanding in therapeutic sessions. These four key approaches are one of respect, openness, space to challenge the existing belief system and the willingness to change course if there is a need to change course from the religious and/or spiritual understanding being used in the therapeutic sessions.
Conclusion
In 1,250-1,500 words, I described the ethical implications of implementing religion or spirituality into therapy. I also consideredthe topics of competence, multiple relationships, imposing religious values in therapy and informed consent. I also used a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources as well as the textbook and the American Psychological Association (APA) Code of Ethics with APA formatted in-text citations and references. Actually I used 12 peer-reviewed articles. I also prepared this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide.
References
American Counseling Association. (2005). ACA code of ethics: As approved by the ACA
Governing Council, 2005. American Counseling Association.
Corey, G. (2015). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Nelson Education.
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., Corey, C., & Callanan, P. (2014). Issues and Ethics in the Helping
Professions with 2014 ACA Codes. Nelson Education.
Fukuyama, M. A., & Sevig, T. D. (1997). Spiritual issues in counseling: A new course.
Counselor Education and Supervision, 36(3), 233.
Gonsiorek, J. C., Richards, P. S., Pargament, K. I., & McMinn, M. R. (2009). Ethical challenges
and opportunities at the edge: Incorporating spirituality and religion into psychotherapy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40(4), 385a.
Miller, T., & Bell, L. (2002). Consenting to what? Issues of access, gate-keeping and
‘informed’consent. Ethics in qualitative research, 53-69.
Netzer, C., & Biller‐Andorno, N. (2004). Pharmacogenetic testing, informed consent and the
problem of secondary information. Bioethics, 18(4), 344-360.
Remley, T. P., & Herlihy, B. (2007). Ethical, legal, and professional issues in counseling.
Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Richards, P. S., & Bergin, A. E. (1997). A spiritual strategy for counseling and psychotherapy.
Sue, D. W., Arredondo, P., & McDavis, R. J. (1992). Multicultural counseling competencies and
standards: A call to the profession. Journal of Counseling & Development, 70(4), 477-486.
Young, C. S., & Young, J. S. (2014). Integrating spirituality and religion into counseling: A
guide to competent practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Zinnbauer, B. J., & Pargament, K. I. (2000). Working with the sacred: Four approaches to
religious and spiritual issues in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78(2), 162-171.