How religious and spiritual information is infused throughout counselor education programs

Abstract

Many counseling clients want the religious and spiritual aspects of themselves acknowledged and incorporated into their therapy sessions. As such, counselors must gain competence in addressing religious and spiritual issues with clients. What is uncertain is whether counselor education programs address religious and spiritual issues consistently and adequately. The following text is a thematic literature review synthesizing research related to the question, “How is religious and spiritual information infused throughout counselor education programs?” Review of the research reveals incredible variability between counselor education programs, and a paucity of religious and spiritual content delivered to counseling students, suggesting that religious and spiritual topics must be more consistently addressed throughout counselor education programs.