Continuing Education for Psychologists

SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS COMPETENCIES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
Guidelines for Psychotherapists and Mental Health Professionals

Spirituality lies at the heart of many clients' core values, and helps shape their perception of themselves and the world around them. In this book, two clinical psychologists provide a much-needed, research-based road map to help professionals appropriately address their clients' spiritual or religious beliefs in treatment sessions.

More and more, it has become essential for mental health professionals to understand and competently navigate clients' religious and spiritual beliefs in treatment. In Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Practice, you'll find sixteen research-based guidelines and best practices to help you provide effective therapy while being conscious of your clients' unique spiritual or cultural background.

With this professional resource as your guide, you will be prepared to:
• Take a spiritual and religious history when treating a client
• Attend to spiritual or religious topics in a clinical setting
• Hold clear ethical boundaries regarding your own religious or spiritual beliefs
• Know when and how to make referrals if topics emerge which are beyond the scope of your competence

This book is a must-read for any mental health professional looking to develop spiritual, religious, and cultural competencies.

Cassandra Vieten, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, Executive Director of the John W. Brick Foundation, Scholar in Residence at Arthur C. Clark Center for Human Imagination at University of California, San Diego, and Senior Fellow at IONS. She is coauthor of Living Deeply and author of Mindful Motherhood.

Shelley Scammell, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with a 20-year practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and has taught psychology at Sonoma State University, as well as at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Formerly, she was an associate professor of English at New York University, and taught at Baruch College and Mount Holyoke.

"This book fills a very important gap in the training of most mental health professionals. Carefully researched, well organized, and wonderfully practical, it will help any clinician who recognizes the importance of spirituality and religion in most people's lives yet feels uncertain of how to approach these issues in psychotherapy."
--Ruth Baer, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky and author of The Practicing Happiness Workbook

"Spiritual and religious competency is a foundational skill for clinicians, but has typically received much less attention than it deserves. This book thoughtfully engages key issues and provides clinicians with up-to-date resources and strategies for building this core skill."
--Willoughby Britton, PhD, assistant professor of research in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

"If you're a psychologist or clinician, put Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Clinical Practice on your list of must-read books. It will be your guide to helping clients access the religious and spiritual resources–like coping skills or social support–available for their treatment or recovery. Keep it close and refer to it often!"
--Christine Carter, PhD, author of The Sweet Spot and Raising Happiness

"If you are unaware of the spiritual dimensions of healing, your competence will be seriously compromised. This is a must-read manual for therapists, healers, doctors, nurses, or anyone in the healing professions."
--Deepak Chopra, MD

"This critical resource takes a deep look at the self-insight, knowledge, and skills that clinicians need to have in working with clients of varying spiritual and religious identities. Unlike vague advice to be open and empathic, this book relies on research and provocative clinician experiences to highlight specific recommendations to take seriously psychologists' oft-ignored requirement to respect and take seriously clients' diverse spiritual and religious identities."
--Adam Cohen, associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University

"This is a much-needed contribution that significantly raises awareness of religious and spiritual dimensions of clients' lives, highlights client resources that can be drawn upon, and expands the diversity discussion in a thoughtful and inclusive way. I would recommend this book for every therapist."
--Brant Cortright, PhD, professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and author of Psychotherapy and Spirit and Integral Psychology (SUNY Press)