Listening to Sacred Stories: How Clinicians Navigate and Understand a Patient’s Religious Experience

Religion and spirituality (R/S) in mental health care has gained growing recognition, with institutions such as the Nation Health Service, World Health Organization, and World Psychiatric Association emphasizing its significance in clinical practice. However, limited attention has been given to how mental healthcare clinicians understand and interpret patients’ religious experiences. This study explores clinicians’ interpretive frameworks and practices using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach and semi-structured interviews with eight UK-based clinicians (psychiatrists, psychologists, and CBT practitioners). Transcripts were analyzed both thematically and structurally, guided by the Four Voices of Theology. Findings are discussed through the lens of the Four Voices of Theology and offer insights into how clinicians negotiate meaning, context, and diagnosis regarding religious experiences. This research enhances understanding of clinician–patient engagement around R/S and highlights the need for more reflective, context-aware approaches in mental health care.