Enhancing Clinical Training: Integrating Religion and Spirituality Into Undergraduate Psychology Coursework

Abstract

Objective: This article aims to provide a rationale for including instruction on integrating religion and spirituality (R/S) into psychological care at all stages of clinical training, including undergraduate coursework, and to provide examples from undergraduate courses and clinical cases. Method: The article provides an overview of the importance of R/S as a significant aspect of humanity that shapes patient behaviors and beliefs and influences health outcomes (e.g., Koenig et al., 2001; Montaño & Kasprzyk, 2015) and medical decision making (Puchalski & O’Donnell, 2005). The importance of inclusion of R/S as part of cultural competence and cultural humility is discussed. The article then reviews the lack of consistent integration across training (Walker et al., 2004). Results: I provide ideas for how this important topic could be included in coursework. Topics and strategies are described, and brief case examples are included to illustrate the concepts covered. Conclusions: The article ends with a specific call to increase pediatric psychologists’ competencies in this area to serve our patients and trainees, to increase integration across all training levels (undergraduate, graduate, and internship/fellowship), and to collaborate with our colleagues who are expert in these matters (e.g., chaplaincy) as appropriate.

Implications for Impact Statement

Religion and spirituality (R/S) are important aspects of humanity that shape patient behaviors and beliefs and influence health outcomes (e.g., Koenig et al., 2001; Montaño & Kasprzyk, 2015) and medical decision making (Puchalski & O’Donnell, 2005). There is a lack of consistent training on R/S integration in all levels of clinical training (undergraduate, graduate, internship/postdoc). This article provides examples of integrating R/S in psychological care from both an undergraduate counseling course and pediatric psychology cases.