BRAND-NEW!
Spirit and Psyche: Integrating Spirituality in Mental Health Counseling
Presented by: Dreya Blume, LCSW
When: Friday, April 4th, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Pacific Time
Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.
Continuing Education Credit Hours: 6 CEs | $190.00
In recent years, mental health professionals have recognized the importance of addressing clients’ religious and spiritual beliefs as integral components of mental health care. This workshop is designed to equip clinicians with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively integrate religion and spirituality into their therapeutic practice.
In this training, we will explore the vital role that spirituality and religion can play in clinical work, in that it can offer clients a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and connection. We will examine the theoretical frameworks and evidence-based practices that support the integration of spirituality and religion in therapy.
You will learn how spiritual beliefs influence clients’ worldviews, coping mechanisms, and emotional well-being. You will also become familiar with techniques for assessing clients’ spiritual and religious beliefs, learning how to incorporate these elements into the therapeutic process. The training will also cover how to create a safe and inclusive environment for discussing spiritual and religious issues.
We will also explore the ethical guidelines and cultural competencies necessary for integrating spirituality and religion into counseling. As clinicians, the goal is to recognize the importance of respecting clients’ beliefs and knowing how to maintain professional boundaries.
This training will introduce a wide range of practical therapeutic approaches and interventions that draw upon spiritual and religious resources, such as mindfulness, meditation, prayer, and ritual. You will learn how to adapt these techniques to suit individual client needs and preferences.
By the end of this workshop, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to incorporate spirituality and religion into your counseling practice, which will deepen your ability to support clients on their journey of healing and well-being. My goal is for you to leave with the confidence to engage in meaningful conversations about spirituality and religion with clients, something that can only enrich the therapeutic experience of both client and clinician.
This will be an experiential workshop, with journaling and small group discussion. Please be sure to have a notebook on hand.
Objectives
- Identify the differences between spirituality and religion
- Define the role and importance of spirituality in mental health
- Identify the various ways in which a clinician can assess in their intake paperwork for the religious/spiritual background and current relationship to religion/spirituality that a client may have
- Gain competency in introducing religious and spiritual-based themes to clients
- Identify the connections between a client’s religious/spiritual perspective, their worldview, and their mental health
- Discuss the influence of a client’s religious/spiritual beliefs on the counseling process
- Understand how to employ a client’s religious/spiritual belief system during collaboration of a treatment plan
- Assist clients in accessing religious and spiritual resources