Religious and spiritual issues in psychotherapy practice: Training the trainer

Psychology's interest in religion and spirituality has greatly increased over the past few decades, and it has inspired the development of substantial scholarship in these areas. However, there continues to be a paucity of efforts to integrate this emerging scholarship into training programs. The author explores the historical and ideological context of psychotherapists' reluctance to address religious and spiritual issues in their academic programs and clinical practices. The article also offers seasoned psychotherapists concrete suggestions regarding how to enhance their religious and spiritual competencies with the aim of facilitating both the training of emerging psychotherapists and the treatment of religious and spiritual clients.