Author Description

"Since publication of the second edition of Integrating Spirituality and Religion Into Counseling: A Guide to Competent Practice, the work in this counseling specialty has continued to evolve with many researchers, educators, and practitioners contributing. Nonetheless, an ongoing need exists for guidelines so clinical work is both ethically grounded and supported by scientific discovery. It is in this context that we worked to evolve the third edition of this text. Many counselors and clients report that practicing with openness toward the spiritual domain is consistent with their personal values. These individuals hold the belief that coping with the challenges faced on the road to wholeness involves taking seriously the spiritual aspects of the human condition. Unfortunately, some traditions hold that the spiritual life will alleviate pain. Our approach, and that taken by chapter authors, is that the spiritual life ultimately helps us "lean in" to the painful places in our lives and embrace all of whom we are. As mindfulness literature suggests, we are most whole when we turn toward the difficult rather than away from it. This book is written for people who share the conviction that the basis of sustained fulfillment is a spiritual framework on which to rest. Readers should leave their study of this work with a clearer perspective on how to provide counseling in an ethical manner consistent with a client's spiritual beliefs and practices. This book is intended to guide the reader to a deeper grasp of competent, spiritually integrated counseling work that respects client belief systems, honors and, at times, introduces spiritual practices, and respects the spiritual experiences of clients"--