Before the beginning: Religious leaders' perceptions of the possibility for mutually beneficial collaboration with psychologists

In the past decade, several authors have argued that psychologists consider collaboration with religious communities as a way of reaching people in their natural settings, addressing issues of ecological validity, and enriching psychological theory and practice. However, absent from most of the literature is a rationale for why members of the religious communities may be interested in collaborating; or, how setting members might benefit from such working relationships. The paper presents perspectives from leaders of religious communities on these questions. Based on interviews with leaders, three variables emerged as influential for leaders' openness to collaboration: (a) emphasis on a service orientation (inreach/outreach), (b) familiarity with a university, and (c) perceptions of psychologists as potential collaborators. The results of the interviews also suggest that (d) many leaders make distinctions between collaboration and consultation, (e) several potential barriers exist for collaboration, and (f) community psychologists may need to make distinctions between clinical and community interventions. The paper presents initial guidelines and relevant information to psychologists interested in working in the context of religious organizations.