Spiritually Modified Cognitive Therapy: A Review of the Literature

A paucity of research exists on the effectiveness of spiritual interventions, despite their wide use by practitioners and the acknowledged importance of evidence-based practice. To assist practitioners in their selection of spiritual interventions, the author reviewed research on the effectiveness of spiritually modified cognitive therapy. The results indicate that this approach has been used in diverse settings with a variety of faith groups to address a wide array of problems. Only in the area of depression, however, does spiritually modified cognitive therapy generally meet the American Psychiatric Association's criteria as a well-established empirically validated treatment. Implications of the findings for social work practice are discussed.