Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records
Faith experiences constitute important sources of meaning but also a risk of religious struggles. However, studies exploring the faith experiences of clients in relation to psychological functioning in psychotherapy are needed, especially in secularized countries. This study investigated how clients...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/10/502 |
| _version_ | 1797552100253630464 |
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| author | Aida Hougaard Andersen Dorte Toudal Viftrup Heidi Frølund Pedersen Kirsten K. Roessler |
| author_facet | Aida Hougaard Andersen Dorte Toudal Viftrup Heidi Frølund Pedersen Kirsten K. Roessler |
| author_sort | Aida Hougaard Andersen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Faith experiences constitute important sources of meaning but also a risk of religious struggles. However, studies exploring the faith experiences of clients in relation to psychological functioning in psychotherapy are needed, especially in secularized countries. This study investigated how clients described faith experiences when addressed in psychotherapy, how they experienced faith in relation to coping, and how the experiences were integrated into the psychotherapy. Written records of 33 clients from a psychological clinic with outpatient care in Denmark were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The most prevalent diagnoses among the clients were stress, depression, anxiety, and life crises. The clients reported that spiritual and religious beliefs functioned as sources of meaning and constituted either a strength, a challenge, or a combination of both. The psychosocial life and coping strategies of the clients were interwoven with faith experiences. A psychological, resource-focused approach in relation to the clients’ religious challenges seemed to help them toward a more flexible and resource-oriented faith. Assessing faith experiences as sources of meaning in a therapeutic approach focusing on the client’s resources may increase both the psychological functioning of clients and the therapists’ understanding of clients’ lifeworlds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:55:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a05717de3d804bdb819319c2a08f5214 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:55:09Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-a05717de3d804bdb819319c2a08f52142023-11-20T15:44:52ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-10-01111050210.3390/rel11100502Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical RecordsAida Hougaard Andersen0Dorte Toudal Viftrup1Heidi Frølund Pedersen2Kirsten K. Roessler3Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, DenmarkResearch Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, DenmarkResearch Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, 8000 Aarhus C, DenmarkDepartment of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, DenmarkFaith experiences constitute important sources of meaning but also a risk of religious struggles. However, studies exploring the faith experiences of clients in relation to psychological functioning in psychotherapy are needed, especially in secularized countries. This study investigated how clients described faith experiences when addressed in psychotherapy, how they experienced faith in relation to coping, and how the experiences were integrated into the psychotherapy. Written records of 33 clients from a psychological clinic with outpatient care in Denmark were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The most prevalent diagnoses among the clients were stress, depression, anxiety, and life crises. The clients reported that spiritual and religious beliefs functioned as sources of meaning and constituted either a strength, a challenge, or a combination of both. The psychosocial life and coping strategies of the clients were interwoven with faith experiences. A psychological, resource-focused approach in relation to the clients’ religious challenges seemed to help them toward a more flexible and resource-oriented faith. Assessing faith experiences as sources of meaning in a therapeutic approach focusing on the client’s resources may increase both the psychological functioning of clients and the therapists’ understanding of clients’ lifeworlds.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/10/502clinical psychology of religionreligious copingspiritualityfaithinterpretative phenomenological analysispsychotherapy |
| spellingShingle | Aida Hougaard Andersen Dorte Toudal Viftrup Heidi Frølund Pedersen Kirsten K. Roessler Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records Religions clinical psychology of religion religious coping spirituality faith interpretative phenomenological analysis psychotherapy |
| title | Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records |
| title_full | Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records |
| title_fullStr | Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records |
| title_short | Clients’ Faith Experiences as an Opportunity or a Challenge for Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Analysis of Clinical Records |
| title_sort | clients faith experiences as an opportunity or a challenge for psychotherapy a qualitative analysis of clinical records |
| topic | clinical psychology of religion religious coping spirituality faith interpretative phenomenological analysis psychotherapy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/10/502 |
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