How to Address Religious Values in Therapy

Ethics of Religion

Implementing religion or spirituality into therapy can have a very beneficial effect if done ethically. However, as with any type of approach, ethical guidelines should be considered and followed. For example, if the client is not interested in religion or spiritual approaches, it would be unethical to force these values on to him in therapy even if the therapist believes it would help (Rosmarin, 2018). One must respect the client at all times. Indeed, even Christ did not force Himself on those who asked Him to go away (Mark 5:17). With regard to competence, multiple relationships, imposing religious values in therapy and obtaining informed consent, there are serious ethical implications that have to be considered and this paper will explore them from the standpoint of the Christian worldview statement of GCU.

The APA Code of Ethics

As a professional therapist, one’s duty is always to abide by the American Psychological Association (APA) Code of Ethics. The five main principles of the APA Code of Ethics are:

1. Beneficence and nonmaleficence, i.e., do good and no harm to others

2. Fidelity and responsibility, i.e., know one’s duty and loyalty to the client

3. Integrity, i.e., honesty in accordance with the ethical code

4. Justice, i.e., fairness without discrimination to others

5. Respect for rights and dignity of others, i.e., protect human rights of clients via privacy and respecting boundaries between professional and personal life.

One standard of the APA Code of Ethics that quickly emerges from these principles is Standard 10.06, which states that psychologists must not “engage in sexual intimacies with individuals they know to be close relatives, guardians, or significant others of current clients/patients” (American Psychological Association, 2002, p. 15). This standard is founded upon each of the five principles of the APA Code of Ethics, but especially the last one in which respect for boundaries is clearly acknowledged. The professional therapist must respect this boundary because he is there to help the client—not to form a self-centered relationship with the client. This accords with the GCU Christian Worldview Statement (n.d.) as well.

The GCU Christian Worldview Statement (n.d.) asserts that “the integration of faith and work may be understood as the application of the Christian worldview within the context of work in ways that honor God, serve neighbors and contribute to the advancement of the society” (p. 1). In other words, the therapist has to serve the interests of the client using the same kind of love with which he serves God. This is an inherently selfless love. Thus, one can see how a therapist who violates the professional relationship with a client by entering into a sexual relationship is actually violating the APA Code of Ethics as well as the Christian ethics guide.

Applying Christian Worldview Ethics to Therapy: Implications

The Christian worldview can be used to help guide the professional in each of the following areas by reminding the professional that the tenets of his Christian faith align with the principles of the APA Code of Ethics. Sometimes a Christian may feel compelled to catechize to others or to share his faith with others—and perhaps he might feel this goes against his professional code. But when he is acting in his professional capacity, he must remember that he has certain obligations to respect his client’s wishes and to respect the rules of the industry regarding relationships and how to administer to clients. Christ wants His followers to love others but He does not want others to violate the rights of others in his name. So that is the important guideline to remember when tackling these subjects.

Competence

The counselor must always be competent in assisting the client. If a counselor is not using professional knowledge and techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for instance, but is rather only relying on spiritual intervention it goes against ethical duty of the counselor to act competently and professionally towards the client. The therapist is not a religious leader nor a priest, etc. The therapist is a professional, trained, and credentialed counselor whose education is based on using the theories and evidence-based practice of the field of psychology to administer to clients’ needs. The religious leader administers through faith, prayer and sacraments; the psychologist can use religion in therapy if it is something the client wants to include as part of the therapy—but it should not be used as a substitute for therapeutic techniques that are evidence-based. So if the client wants to incorporate prayer into his cognitive behavioral therapy, that would be fine (Oxhandler, Moffatt & Giardina, 2019). The Christian worldview here is to allow the professional to be as open to prayer and religious discussion as the client wishes; if the client has no interest, the professional is obliged to respect that about the client.

Multiple relationships

When it comes to multiple relationships, the counselor must remember he has but one relationship with the client and that is in the professional sphere. Here is where one might feel that the Christian worldview teaches something different, but it really does not. The counselor is a professional when he meets with the client and he must always be seen as such. They may share the same faith and the same religion; they may attend the same church; but none of that matters in terms of their relationship. The relationship must remain professional because the therapist has to act in a professional capacity towards the client at all times in accordance with the principles of the APA Code of Ethics—not to mention that it would be a violation of Standard 10.06 of the APA Code of Ethics to engage in a sexual relationship with a client. But even if the relationship is not sexual, it still can verge across the line between professional and personal if the therapist were to invite the client to his church or to a prayer meeting or a Bible reading. The professional must maintain a strictly professional relationship with the client at all times so as not to violate his ethical code..

However, as Lankster, Sewell and Butler (2019) note, it is not always easy or possible to balance relationships. Lankster et al. (2019) question whether it is even right to do so. Many Christian counselors might question this. Yet, the APA Ethical Code is clear and must be observed on this matter.

Imposing Religious Values in Therapy

Yes, the therapist may hold with GCU that Christ is the truth—but this does not mean he has to insist on this to his client. Even GCU (n.d.) states: “This is not to suggest that all students are required to personally embrace the Christian worldview. They are free to do so, of course, but they are also free to embrace other views of the world” (p. 2). In other words, it is not Christian to force one’s faith onto another. Christ did not do this as the Gospel of Mark shows, and His followers should not do this either. However, what about when it comes to values? Hall (2017) points out some of the problems that a Christian counselor might have assisting a client who believes homosexuality is good, whereas the counselor might view it as sinful. What a Christian counselor could do in this situation is refer the client to another counselor, or if he is able he could treat the client’s psychological issues without addressing the counselor’s own perspective on sexual values. Indeed, the counselor’s values should never even come into the picture: the client’s values are what matter. But again is this practical or possible as Lankster et al. (2019) ask? It is and must be, says the Code of Ethics.