An exploration of the place of spirituality in the work of the guidance counsellor

The overall aim of this research study is to explore the place of spirituality in guidance counselling practice. In particular, the study focuses on the experiences and perceptions of guidance counsellors on spirituality in their own guidance counselling practice. It examines the spiritual practices used in guidance counselling, the merits and complexities of these practices, as well as the level of training in spirituality received on guidance counselling training courses. To date, there has been a dearth of research on spirituality in guidance counselling. In this study cross-disciplinary literature in the field of counselling and psychotherapy was investigated, where spirituality is gaining more credence based on the benefits it provides to the client within different therapeutic settings (Blair, 2015; Delaney et al., 2007; Hunt, 2018; Lips-Wiersma, 2002; Richards and Bergin, 2005; West, 2011b). It is clear that there are benefits and challenges to including spirituality in work with clients and thus the topic warrants further exploration. In the current study, an interpretive paradigm was employed using semi-structured interviews to gather the perceptions and experiences of seven qualified guidance counselling practitioners working in a variety of guidance settings. Braun and Clarke's (2006) six phase thematic analysis model was used for identifying and interpreting the primary data. The overall findings are that there may be a place for spirituality in guidance counselling practice, specifically with the ever-changing cultural context of client’s lives. Guidance counsellors adopt an integrated and holistic approach to guidance counselling, in which spirituality is oftentimes included in their practice. The findings also highlight that some guidance counsellors are using spiritual practices at varying levels for the benefit of their clients, whilst also engaging in spiritual practices as a means for their own self-care. Others find it difficult to address the area of spirituality with clients due to feeling ill-equipped to deal with it competently, or the practicalities of service provision impeding such in-depth conversations. The findings also identify the gaps in training in spirituality in initial guidance counselling programmes and CPD courses. Finally, a number of recommendations are put forward to inform future policy, practice and research.