Spirituality and Religion in Counseling

Spirituality and Religion in Counseling: Competency-Based Strategies for Ethical Practice provides mental health professionals and counselors in training with practical information for understanding and responding to clients’ needs using a spiritual and religious framework. This work conceptualizes spiritual and faith development in a holistic way, using case examples and practical interventions to consider common issues through a variety of approaches and frameworks. This is an essential compendium of actionable strategies and solutions for counselors looking to address clients’ complex spiritual and religious lives and foster meaningful faith development.

"This comprehensive and relevant resource provides counselors across settings with practical tips and tangible tools to foster client well-being and counselor wellness. Nonjudgmental strategies are grounded in theories and steeped in competencies. Through realistic vignettes, thought leaders illustrate how to implement techniques in an ethically and culturally appropriate manner. Counselors interested in incorporating spirituality and religion from a strengths-based perspective will find this guide indispensable for presenting concerns with people of all ages."—Simone Lambert, PhD, LPC, NCC, counseling core faculty at Capella University and president of the American Counseling Association (2018–2019)"This book is an excellent addition to any counselor’s bookshelf. The table of contents reads like a who’s who of the intersection of counseling and spirituality. One of the strengths of this text is that it has a balance of practitioners, who speak to the experiences in the counseling room, and of researchers, who provide a broader context for understanding. I enjoyed the reading and was challenged to expand my own beliefs about counseling."—Gerard Lawson, PhD, professor of counselor education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and past president of the American Counseling Association"Gill and Freund provide a comprehensive resource for counselors integrating spirituality and religious issues into their clinical practices. Using critical ethical and multicultural lenses, Spirituality and Religion in Counseling interweaves rich case studies and practical tools that aid a counselor’s ability to grow. This volume will help practitioners better understand clients’ spiritual worldviews and honor the sacred in the lives of those they work with. A great addition to any professional library!"—Michael M. Kocet, PhD, LMHC, NCC, ACS, professor and department chair of counselor education at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and former board member of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling"Gill and Freund provide a bold and essential next step in integrating spirituality and religion into the counseling process. By providing a developmental lens, case studies, and focusing on assessment and intervention skills for helping clients with spiritual and religious issues, they have moved us from the theoretical to the practical. Many of us have been waiting years for such a volume and the editors have not disappointed!"—Charles F. Gressard, PhD, LPC, NCC, chancellor professor in counselor education at the College of William and Mary

Carman S. Gill is an associate professor of mental health counseling at Florida Atlantic University and a past president of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC).Robert R. Freund is a visiting assistant professor of counseling and psychological services at the State University of New York at Oswego.