By: Kisha Freed and Mark Sanders
Publication Date: May 19, 2023
This post, the first in a three-part series, shares perspectives from Kisha Freed, a Success Coach, Six Seconds Certified EI Practitioner/Assessor, and mindfulness meditation teacher, and Mark Sanders, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Substance Use Disorders Counselor.
Over the years, counseling has addressed mind and body. There has been some apprehension about the effectiveness of integrating spirituality into counseling practice. However, in Does Spirituality Still Have Relevance For Recovery?, licensed professional counselor James E Campbell mentions that “interest in the spiritual implications of substance use, treatment, and recovery appears to be gaining momentum once again.”
In his article Integrating Spirituality in Counseling Practice, author Gerald Corey indicates “There is growing empirical evidence that our spiritual values and behaviors can promote physical and psychological well-being. Exploring these values with clients can be integrated with other therapeutic tools to enhance the therapy process.”
While continuing research studies are underway to identify the beneficial effects of spirituality in mental health and SUD practices, a 2009 survey conducted by the California Mental Health & Spirituality Initiative revealed that 88% of African Americans agree that their faith is an important factor for their personal and family’s well-being.
In this three-part series, we explore some implications of integrating spirituality and counseling with African American clients with mental illness and substance use disorders. We hope that mental health and addiction recovery counselors will find that integrating spirituality into their practice can help them to increase connection, foster a safe space for belonging, and promote quicker recovery for their clients.
In Part 1, we build a foundation for the overall discussion by defining spirituality, discussing the differences between spirituality and religion, and, lastly, the importance of spirituality for present-day African Americans within the context of past oppression and survival. In parts 2 and 3, we will discuss the integration of spirituality and counseling, how to conduct a spiritual assessment, and varieties of spiritual interventions that can be helpful when counseling African Americans with mental health and SUD.
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