Christian Therapists' and Clients' Perceptions of Religious Psychotherapy in Private and Agency Settings

This study investigates the work of seven mental health professionals with 27 adult clients using data from 92 sessions. Therapists were in private practice or agencies. Therapists and clients (a) identified presenting problems, (b) rated improvement in therapy since its onset, and (c) estimated severity of problems both (retrospectively) at the onset of therapy and(later) at the beginning of the study. Each week, therapists and clients reported on the use or non-use of 20 spiritual guidance techniques and rated the helpfulness of the session. Therapists saw a range of problems, most often involving marriage and family and personal-emotional concerns. Agency and private therapists saw people with different types of problems. Therapists also reported using spiritual guidance techniques at different frequencies. Therapists used spiritual guidance techniques differently with clients of differing religious intensity. Clients and therapists are cautioned that Christian therapists may differ substantially in use of spiritual guidance techniques, expertise, and therapy outcome; consequently, Christian counseling should not be treated as a unitary phenomenon.