Working with Spiritual Struggles in Psychotherapy: From Research to Practice

Does my life have any deeper meaning? Does God really care about me? How can I find and follow my moral compass? What do I do when my faith is shaken to the core? Spiritual trials, doubts, or conflicts are often intertwined with mental health concerns, yet many psychotherapists feel ill equipped to discuss questions of faith. From pioneers in the psychology of religion and spirituality, this book combines state-of-the-art research, clinical insights, and vivid case illustrations. It guides clinicians to understand spiritual struggles as critical crossroads in life that can lead to brokenness and decline—or to greater wholeness and growth. Clinicians learn sensitive, culturally responsive ways to assess different types of spiritual struggles and help clients use them as springboards to change.

About the Author

Kenneth I. Pargament, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Bowling Green State University. He has pioneered studies on the vital role of religion and spirituality in coping with stress and trauma. A clinical psychologist, Dr. Pargament has been a leading figure in the effort to integrate research on religion and spirituality into clinical practice. He has received the William James Award from Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Oskar Pfister Award from the American Psychiatric Association, and the Outstanding Contributor to the Applied Psychology of Religion and Spirituality Award from APA Division 36, of which he was the inaugural recipient. Julie J. Exline, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. Her primary research interests focus on spiritual struggles and supernatural attributions. Dr. Exline is a clinical psychologist and was certified as a spiritual director through the Ignatian Spirituality Institute at John Carroll University. She is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (Division 36 of the American Psychological Association) and is a recipient of the Society's Margaret Gorman Early Career Award, Virginia Sexton Mentoring Award, and William James Award, in recognition of her research in the psychology of religion and spirituality.