Practical Guidelines for Incorporating Spirituality into the Treatment of Complex PTSD

Abstract
While mental health professionals have debated the appropriateness of including a discussion of spirituality in psychotherapy, research findings have shown that many clients not only desire that spirituality be an extensive part of their therapeutic work, but expect it (Harris et al., 2016; Stanford et al., 2023). Existential issues frequently arise for trauma survivors (Bowland, 2015), which make incorporating spirituality into trauma treatment potentially very important (Flint et al., 2024). This is also true for those with complex trauma histories (Pressley & Spinazzola, 2015). In this presentation practical guidelines will be discussed with respect to how to constructively incorporate spirituality into the treatment of complex PTSD. Recognizing when therapeutic content is actually spiritual in nature is an important step. While a survivor’s use of religious language (e.g., talking about God) can give some explicit indicators that concerns of a spiritual nature have arisen, sometimes spiritual issues are cloaked by clients when they allude to existential dilemmas. It is important that clinicians do not make assumptions about potential similarities and differences between their belief systems and their client’s, but, rather, that they employ the clinical skills to develop the facilitative conditions that will allow them to listen well, and their clients to feel heard, as they attempt to understand the world views of their clients. Using religious/spiritual language that is congruent with the survivor’s belief system is one way to communicate effectively with them while respectfully engaging them in discussions of a spiritual nature. When particular religious/spiritual client beliefs are seen as detrimental to their client’s mental health, therapists must take care not to denigrate the entire belief system of their clients, but instead find ways to skillfully, nonjudgmentally, point out problematic aspects while utilizing the positive elements of their client’s faith system as helpful resources. The potential benefits and dangers of explicitly using spiritual resources with particular clients within a session (e.g., citing religious scriptures, or praying together in-session) will also be discussed.