Some individuals or families may be deeply committed to their faith and base much of their lives around spirituality or religion. Prayer, religious meditation, or some other aspect of spiritual connection may form part of an individual's self-care routine, as might church or volunteer work in the community.
Spiritual beliefs can also play a significant role in one’s ability to cope with adverse events in life. Spiritual practices can:
Provide social and emotional support.
Help people find meaning and purpose in life.
Offer comfort in times of grief.
Provide ethical and moral guidelines by which some choose to live.
When a person who is religious or spiritual seeks treatment, sensitivity on the part of a therapist may be beneficial to treatment because it may lead to a broader evaluation of the person seeking treatment and allow the therapist to explore a wider variety of treatment solutions.
Therapists who are aware of therapeutic strategies based in spirituality, such as spiritual journaling or forgiveness protocols, may also be able to provide people in therapy with resources on these topics, whether or not they are able to address them personally. Individuals who gain strength from their spiritual faith may find it difficult to achieve progress and healing in therapy when unable to address and incorporate all dimensions of who they are.