Spirituality, religion and family therapy: Competing or complementary worlds?

Spirituality and religion are often related to issues clients raise in therapy. Therapists' religious backgrounds affect the way they view and deal with these issues, and indeed whether they see them at all. In this paper, we discuss the overlap of the therapeutic and religious worlds. We also discuss how some therapists are dealing with this interface. Finally, we outline several ways religious issues can be integrated into family therapy training programs within the larger existing framework of training in cultural and ethical sensitivity.