Exploring Abuse: Faith, Spiritual/Religious Abuse in Counseling

10/13/23 • 37 min

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as we navigate the often murky waters of faith, abuse, and the role of mental health counseling in this delicate balance. Our esteemed guest, Chris Conley, LPC, brings a wealth of professional expertise to the table as he sheds light on how spiritual or religious abuse can damage a person's relationship with the divine, leading to feelings of depression, anxiety, fear, and trauma. We delve deep into the ethical responsibilities of mental health professionals when addressing faith or spirituality with clients, emphasizing the need to maintain objectivity and refrain from pushing any religious agenda.
Ensuring a positive therapeutic impact involves understanding and respecting a client's personal convictions. We discuss the importance of understanding a client's worldview in the counseling process, touching on how abuse can cause a person's worldview to crumble, leading to significant mental health concerns. But it's not just about the clients' worldviews, we also touch on the importance of recognizing diverse beliefs and practices within faiths.
Navigating faith isn't a journey one needs to embark on alone. We highlight online resources like recoveringfromreligion.org, secularnetwork.org, and Clergyproject.org- virtual spaces that can prove invaluable in the healing process. We also introduce the Spiritual Harm and Abuse Scale, a tool that can facilitate understanding and recovery. Remember, you don’t have to be an expert in faith to provide help. An open mind, an attentive ear, and the ability to ask the right questions can make a world of difference. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on the complex relationship between faith, abuse, and mental health counseling.

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Kinder Mind - Exploring Abuse: Faith, Spiritual/Religious Abuse in Counseling

Transcript

Dr. Barlow00:00:01.042

Welcome to the Kinder Mind podcast , where we're devoted to opening up conversations and destigmatizing mental health . We'll bring you interviews with practitioners in the field of mental health , researchers uncovering new knowledge and best practices for treating mental health disorders , and individuals sharing their mental health journey .

Dr. Barlow00:00:19.684