Question

outline the concepts of spiritually and religion in counseling and address and incorporate the ASERVIC “Competencies for Addressing Spiritual and Religious Issues in Counseling” in your future work with clients. In your analysis, utilize clinical language and APA-style citations to highlight information that you have gained which will help you meet those competencies in your future practice. In addition, outline competencies that you believe you have not yet met, and describe ways you could work on meeting those competencies in the future.

Answer 1

Competencies for Addressing Spiritual and Religious Issues in Counseling

Preamble

The Competencies for Addressing Spiritual and Religious Issues in Counseling are guidelines that complement, not supersede, the values and standards espoused in the ACA Code of Ethics.
Consistent with the ACA Code of Ethics (2005), the purpose of the ASERVIC Competencies is to “recognize diversity and embrace a cross-cultural approach in support of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts” (p. 3). These Competencies are intended to be used in conjunction with counseling approaches that are
evidence-based and that align with best practices in counseling.
This Preamble must accompany any publication or dissemination, in whole or in part, of the ASERVIC Competencies.

Culture and Worldview
1. The professional counselor can describe the similarities and differences between spirituality and religion, including the basic beliefs of various spiritual systems, major world religions, agnosticism, and atheism.
2. The professional counselor recognizes that the client’s beliefs (or absence ofbeliefs) about spirituality and/or religion are central to his or her worldview and can
influence psychosocial functioning.Counselor Self-Awareness
3. The professional counselor actively explores his or her own attitudes, beliefs, and values about spirituality and/or religion.
4. The professional counselor continuously evaluates the influence of his or her own spiritual and/or religious beliefs and values on the client and the counseling process.
5. The professional counselor can identify the limits of his or her understanding of the client’s spiritual and/or religious perspective and is acquainted with religious
and spiritual resources and leaders who can be avenues for consultation and to whom the counselor can refer.

Human and Spiritual Development
6. The professional counselor can describe and apply various models of spiritual
and/or religious development and their relationship to human development.

Communication
7. The professional counselor responds to client communications about spirituality and/or religion with acceptance and sensitivity.
8. The professional counselor uses spiritual and/or religious concepts that are consistent with the client’s spiritual and/or religious perspectives and are
acceptable to the client.
9. The professional counselor can recognize spiritual and/or religious themes in client communication and is able to address these with the client when they are
therapeutically relevant.

Assessment
10. During the intake and assessment processes, the professional counselor strives to understand a client’s spiritual and/or religious perspective by gathering
information from the client and/or other sources.
Diagnosis and Treatment
11. When making a diagnosis, the professional counselor recognizes that the client’s spiritual and/or religious perspectives can a) enhance well-being; b) contribute to client problems; and/or c) exacerbate symptoms
12. The professional counselor sets goals with the client that are consistent with the client’s spiritual and/or religious perspectives.
13. The professional counselor is able to a) modify therapeutic techniques to include a client’s spiritual and/or religious perspectives, and b) utilize spiritual
and/or religious practices as techniques when appropriate and acceptable to a client’s viewpoint.
14. The professional counselor can therapeutically apply theory and current
research supporting the inclusion of a client’s spiritual and/or religious
perspectives and practices.