He said that void could be filled later this year when the Division 36 task force presents its report and draft of a model curriculum dealing with these issues. The key to presenting spirituality and religious issues is to learn how to respect all religions and being able to place the patients in the appropriate social, political, economic and religious context, Shafranske said. Those graduate schools that do offer and require religious courses see the demand for spirituality in therapy a reaction to science's failure to provide answers to life's perplexing and puzzling question, many of which lead them to psychologists' offices. Mark McMinn, Ph.D., of Wheaton in Illinois, said the common belief by the Christian-based graduate schools is that science does not always have the answers to the questions people ask in therapy. Those individuals learn how to deal with life's problems by applying their spirituality and religious beliefs to help come up with answers.
Some people prefer therapy that is grounded in a faith common to the therapist and the patient.
Particularly, if they are told that their religious beliefs are a big part of their problem. Ken Pargament, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, thinks the backlash to changes in how mental health services are delivered under managed care has played a part. Many problems can't be taken care of in 10 sessions. That's where clinical practitioners begin to look for other resources. The ability to include spirituality and religion becomes very important at that point.