Religion and Spirituality in Counseling

In an increasingly secular society, religion and spirituality are not often considered legitimate resources for improving quality of life and overall well-being. My research will delve deeper into the role that they can play in counseling, particularly in the community of Missoula, Montana. I have interviewed four different counselors in the community about their experiences with religion and spirituality at a personal level and how that translates into their work. This is a new approach to this topic because these are qualitative interviews looking into the experiences of these counselors with no focus on numerical data or broad generalizations. This paper will give a deeper insight into different methods and approaches counselors take when it comes to religion and spirituality, thus broadening society’s understanding and appreciation of their potential role and value in counseling.