The influence of therapists' spirituality on their practice: A grounded theory exploration

Background: Counselling and psychotherapy have complex relationships with religion and spirituality. Therapy has not tended to focus a great deal on the spirituality of the client, much less that of the therapist. More recently, there has been an increased interest in the role of spirituality in therapy. Aim/Methodology: This study used a grounded theory methodology to explore the spirituality of nine therapists and to identify the ways in which their spirituality influences their practice. Findings: One overarching theme emerged from the data, which was the reflective, dynamic, and developmental process in which participants were engaged, in order to integrate their spiritual and therapeutic identities. Within this, two subthemes emerged: the direct influence of therapist spirituality on therapeutic work, and finding harmony between spirituality and broader professional context. Implications: Processes of professional and spiritual development of therapists are discussed along with implications for practice, training, and research.