Integrating Clients' Religion/Spirituality Into Practice: A Comparison Between Psychologists, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Social Workers in Colorado.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to examine the attitudes and behaviors about integrating client religion/spirituality (RS) into clinical practice for four mental health professions in Colorado.

METHOD

A cross-sectional design was used consisting of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale and background questions to survey 619 licensed professional counselors, clinical social workers, psychologists, and marriage and family therapists living in Colorado. About 77% of respondents were cisgendered white women who reported an average age of 50, and over 75% had a personal religious affiliation.

RESULTS

Profession was significantly associated with clinicians' attitudes about integration of client RS (partial η = 0.039), with psychologists showing significantly lower positive attitudes than the other professions and a significantly lower overall RS integration score than counselors and marriage and family therapists. Compared with counselors, psychologists also reported a lower frequency of implementing several specific RS integration behaviors. Our results did not replicate the findings of between profession differences from a prior study in Texas.

CONCLUSIONS

The sampled psychologists in Colorado may have less favorable attitudes about integrating client RS into clinical practice compared with other mental health professionals. New education initiatives, especially those sharing the positive and growing evidence-base for R/S-integrative therapies and interventions, may be useful in promoting more positive attitudes amongst these Colorado psychologists if their negative attitudes can be overcome. Reviewing the results of this study in light of previous research conducted in Texas (Oxhandler and Parrish 2018) suggests geographic heterogeneity in integrating RS into practice.