Background
Achieving spiritual growth and personal development within the framework of Christianity requires consistent self-discipline and the formation of habits of righteous behavior. The key to spiritual growth lies in various spiritual practices that involve continually exploring one’s relationship with God. The counselor should provide clients with tools for ongoing spiritual growth, establish discipline, and monitor their progress.
Spiritual guidance and advice should be tailored to each client’s unique perspective on the spiritual journey and their movement towards God. Most of the time and effort is put in by the clients themselves to achieve the result. The counselor should support and assist clients through referrals and ongoing feedback. Thus, the application of spiritual disciplines and self-assessment tools is the basis of effective spiritual counseling.
Guiding Clients in Christian Spiritual Disciplines
Several key areas should be prioritized by the counselor to benefit the clients. Bible reading is one of the most important spiritual disciplines that helps people draw closer to God. The role of the counselor is to help clients develop a habit of regular Scripture reading.
Christians must devote time to familiarizing themselves with the Bible. The counselor can help clients reflect on the reading and study the Bible to reveal deeper meanings. It is also essential to incorporate disciplines such as Bible memorization so clients may refer to them in any necessary situation.
Another crucial area is prayer, which also should be developed as a habit. The counselor may assist clients in their first prayers to demonstrate that they can communicate with God without using complex language. Fasting should also be prioritized, as it helps Christians focus on prayer and develop self-denial, which is essential for establishing the right behavioral patterns.
Focusing on these areas of spiritual practice can greatly aid the work of a counselor. First, it can help the counselor establish trusting relationships with the clients as fellow Christians. Additionally, it can help build the right habits and behavioral patterns, which form the basis of righteousness. Practicing activities such as Bible reading and memorization, as well as prayer and fasting, will further aid clients in following the precepts of Christianity with greater ease.
Daily Spiritual Experience Scale in Counseling
The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) is a self-reporting tool to assess clients’ daily spiritual experiences. Underwood and Vagnini (2022) note that DSES can be used to indicate various kinds of distress that a person might face. In the long term, the scale can help the clients develop better stress-coping mechanisms, higher resilience, better posttraumatic growth, reduced addictive behaviors, substance abuse, and burnout (Underwood & Vagnini, 2022).
These findings are also supported by the research conducted by Karami and Kahrazei (2018) among patients with leukemia. The study found that higher spirituality is associated with a greater awareness of the inevitability of death and an understanding of transcendental truths. These consequences allow patients not only to have greater hope but also to accept death without anger (Karami & Kahrazei, 2018).
Therefore, people do not experience despair but find peace in spirituality, which improves their well-being. DSES can benefit clients by enabling them to evaluate the effectiveness of their spiritual practices, discuss them with a counselor, and work on areas that need improvement. Ultimately, clients can cultivate a sustainable spirituality, resulting in reduced stress and enhanced self-regulatory skills.
DSES or a similar assessment can be used in counseling sessions to identify areas for growth in clients. The counselor may ask clients to take the assessment daily to detect any changes in their spiritual practices. The assessment results can help the counselor determine the stability of the client’s perceptions. If clients have doubts or difficulties about their faith, the DSES-based counselor can suggest the necessary spiritual practices.
During the sessions, the counselor can provide feedback on the assessment results and recommend maintaining a stable spiritual state. DSES should primarily serve as a tool for clients to self-reflect and monitor their own progress. The counselor should teach clients how to act if they have difficulty developing spirituality.
Spiritual disciplines can be extremely important when working with spiritually struggling clients. More specifically, developing the right behavioral patterns through regular Bible reading, prayer, and fasting can help clients establish basic spiritual habits. Spiritual disciplines should not be considered a sacrifice but rather a genuine effort of devotion. When clients struggle with their spirituality, it is essential to encourage them to read the Bible regularly and reflect on their readings.
It is crucial to help them find those passages and insights that can relate to them personally. For a counselor, it is essential to help clients discover their own spiritual values and sense of connection to a Higher Power or a Greater Purpose. Incorporating spiritual disciplines should not be sudden and stressful for clients. The counselor should develop discipline among clients by gradually emphasizing the personal benefits they receive from these practices. Gradually, such clients will be able to establish strong habits that will become the basis for their spirituality.
Limitations
The primary limitation in applying spiritual disciplines in counseling sessions is the significant role the client must play in developing sustainable behavioral changes. While a counselor may provide relevant recommendations and guide the client’s spiritual development, the effectiveness of sessions can be significantly reduced without self-discipline and the client’s desire for growth. First, the counselor should help the client grow a desire for increased spirituality. It is essential to equip clients with the tools to cultivate self-discipline through spiritual practices and inspire them to continually reflect on their progress.
Another important limitation to consider when applying spiritual practices in sessions is the time required to develop spirituality through self-discipline. Many clients may feel stressed about the slow growth of their spirituality. This aspect cannot be ignored, as it can lead to guilt and helplessness in clients. The counselor should celebrate the slightest success of clients in the movement towards spirituality.
Following spiritual practices and self-discipline should be the primary goal for clients to achieve righteousness. In the initial stages, clients should not strive for ultimate spirituality or live according to all the precepts of Christianity. The necessary basis for spiritual growth is the development of the habit of performing spiritual practices. The counselor should also closely monitor this aspect and emphasize the importance of consistency for personal growth and development.
References
Karami, A., & Kahrazei, F. (2018). The role of Daily Spiritual Experiences in hope and posttraumatic growth in patients with leukemia. Health, Spirituality and Medical Ethics, 5(2), 23-29. Web.
Underwood, L. G., & Vagnini, K. M. (2022). The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale: Empirical relationships to resiliency-related outcomes, addictions, and interventions. Religions, 13, 1-13. Web.