A spiritual certification for counselors: is it needed? Wanted? Would it make a difference?

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the need for a certification in spirituality for counselors. Two surveys were conducted to adumbrate whether a new certification was needed, wanted, or would make a difference to clients. The first survey was sent to counseling professionals, and the second survey was sent to potential counseling clients. Counseling professionals reported a 60% need to recognize clinicians who have spiritual training. Results indicated that 68% of clients were more motivated to seek counseling from a counselor who was certified as a spiritual counselor. A proposal and implications for helping professionals are discussed.