A pedagogical gap: Spiritual integration in counselor education programs

A neglect of spirituality in counselor training is evident. It is estimated that only 25% of counselor education programs address spirituality (Dobmeier & Reiner, 2009). The reluctance of counselor education programs to engage in spiritual and religious training appears due to a focus on scientific, objective counseling, and the influence of theories such as Skinner and Ellis (Young, Wiggins-Frame, & Cashwell, 2007). Further, it appears that few counselors receive formal training in addressing spiritual and religious issues in counseling (Schulte et al., 2002). Numerous studies have demonstrated the physical, emotional, and psychological benefits of integrating spirituality into counseling; however, despite this evidence, it appears that few new professional feel confident in their ability to address spiritual and religious issues with clients.