Accessing Spirituality in the Classroom

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Accessing Spirituality in the Classroom

• Bill McHenry, PhD, NCC, LPC
• Assistant Professor, Counseling
• Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

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The question is not really whether or not
spirituality will impact our classroom. Instead,
the choice is how effectively we will utilize it
with our students. Mosak and Dreikers suggest
that for many, existential questions anchored in
spirituality are some of the most important
questions they will face (2000).
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The effect of discussing spiritual issues on some
clients

• Can provide the opportunity for discussion of
  untapped resources (McGee, Nagel Moore, 2003).
• A client who has suicidal thoughts may not
  attempt based on religious/spiritual convictions.
  Such information and awareness may be of great
  use for a clinician.
• Can provide the counselor-client relationship
  with a stronger sense of we can discuss anything
  in here (Souza, 1999).
• A client who may be in fear of how the counselor
  may view his/her beliefs may have less trust in
  the relationship if spirituality is not
  addressed.

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The effect of discussing spiritual issues on some
clients

• Can normalize the experience of increased
  spiritual awareness as a result of a major life
  crisis.
• The client may, after a traumatic event such as
  the death of a partner, become aware of his/her
  increased level of spirituality
• Can open up the discussion about
  religion/spirituality (Souza, 1999).
• A client who may have had trepidation regarding
  discussing beliefs may gain awareness of their
  value in the counseling process.

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In the classroom, counselor educators

• Can provide the room for open discussions about
  spirituality
• Can promote the honoring, valuing and discussing
  of differences
• Can model respect for differences
• Can disclose their own religious/spiritual
  beliefs
• Can openly discuss ethical guidelines pertaining
  to spiritual/religious issues in counseling

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In the classroom, counselor educators

• Need to understand and value that spiritual
  beliefs are usually held quite firmly by students
• Changing or even slightly altering such beliefs
  may be well beyond the classroom experience
• Need to understand that these classroom
  conversations are not typical discussions, and
  thus must be handled with great care
• When moments surface regarding spiritual issues
  (whether by chance or engineered by the
  professor), it is important to remember that most
  people do not have such discussions on a regular
  basis. Some of the comments and discussion
  surfaced in class may be thoughts and questions
  from 200 a.m., when the student couldnt sleep.

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In the classroom, counselor educators

• Need to understand their own beliefs and how they
  might influence the discussion of spirituality
• Presenting ones beliefs in an open and
  transparent way will model for students how to
  effectively work with clients in a similar
  fashion.

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In the classroom, counselor educators should be
aware of

• Students who are unwilling to share.
• Students who are willing to preach their sermon
  to the class.
• Students who have decided that spirituality is
  not something they are willing to discuss with
  clients.

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Encouraging spiritual discussions in the classroom

• In orientation class, discussing how the
  intersection of theory and practice evolves
  through the program, but is anchored in personal
  beliefs of the counselor (Polanski, 2002).
• The opportunity to discuss student beliefs about
  spirituality fits well in this discussion.
• In diversity/multicultural class, discuss how
  various populations, and individuals within
  cultures hold diverse spiritual/religious views
  (Polanski, 2002).
• The opportunity to discuss both the students and
  others views of spirituality can allow for
  addressing respect for differences.

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Encouraging spiritual discussions in the classroom

• In clinical courses (fields, practicum,
  pre-practicum, etc.) utilize moments during
  counseling sessions when opportunities arise for
  discussion of spirituality or religiosity.
• In assessment class, present assessment materials
  related to spirituality/religious beliefs to
  enable discussion of how such factors can be used
  in the counseling process (i.e., Spiritual
  Assessment Scale subscales include meaning of
  life, inner resources, interconnectedness and
  transcendence).

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Encouraging spiritual discussions in the classroom

• In theories class, discuss the ramifications of
  spiritual beliefs in conjunction with the major
  theories proposed and the fact that such beliefs
  will impact the individual counselors personal
  theory of change (Polanski, 2002).
• Perhaps discuss social interest as having a
  spiritual cosmic connotation
• In marriage and family courses discuss how
  familial patterns and rules promote certain
  religious/spiritual beliefs and how these beliefs
  impact personal and family relationships
• Perhaps show this through a genogram targeting
  spiritual/religious beliefs across generations

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References

• McGee, M., Nagel, L. Moore, M.K. (2003). A
  study of university classroom strategies aimed at
  increasing spiritual health. College Student
  Journal, 37(4).
• Mosak, H. Dreikers, R. (2000). Spirituality
  The fifth life task. The Journal of Individual
  Psychology, 56 (3).
• Polanski, P.J. (2002). Exploring spiritual
  beliefs in relation to Adlerian theory.
  Counseling and Values, 46(1).
• Souza, K.Z. (1999). A review of spirituality in
  counselor education. New Orleans, LA Association
  for Counselor Education and Supervision National
  Conference. (Eric Document Reproduction Service
  No. ED436689).