Characteristics of Spirituality Essay

Characteristics of Spirituality

Authentic spirituality involves an emotional response, what I will call the spiritual response, which can include feelings of significance, unity, awe, joy, acceptance, and consolation. Such feelings are intrinsically rewarding and so are sought out in their own right, but they also help us in dealing with difficult situations involving death, loss, and disappointment. The spiritual response thus helps meet our affective needs for both celebration and reconciliation.

Spirituality often involves a cognitive context, a set of beliefs about oneself and the world which can both inspire the spiritual response and provide an interpretation of it. Our ideas about what ultimately exists, who we fundamentally are, and our place in the greater scheme of things form the cognitive context for spirituality.

By contemplating such beliefs we are temporarily drawn out of the mundane into the realization of lifes deeper significance, and this realization generates emotional effects. But equally, the spiritual response generated itself and interpreted in the light of our basic beliefs it reflects the ultimate truth of our situation as we conceive it. The cognitive context of spirituality and the spiritual response are therefore linked tightly in reciprocal evocation and validation.

"A third essential component of spirituality is what is ordinarily called spiritual practice. Since the intellectual appreciation of fundamental beliefs alone may not suffice to evoke a particularly deep experience, various noncognitive techniques can help to access the spiritual response. Activities such as dance, singing, chant, meditation, and participation in various rituals and ceremonies all can play a role in moving us from the head to the heart. And it is in the heart, or gut, where we find the most powerful intrinsic rewards of spirituality, as profound as its cognitive context might be.

Spirituality in counseling

For the people living with HIV, spirituality is the source of their strength and helps them to cope (Cotton et al.,2006 Dalmida, 2006 Marcenko & Samost, 1999 Siegel & Schrimshaw, 2012 Tangenberg,2001).

According to Hodge, (2003), clients who pray, sing worshipping music and have meetings with supportive friends may feel empowered and persevere through difficulties and overwhelming situations. And Hodge, (2006), states that spiritual modified CBT yield equivalent enhanced outcomes as compared with traditional CBT and simultaneously provide more cultural relevant service.

According to Jankowski, (2002), clients who experience Gods love and acceptance enance their ability to cope in other relational settings.

According to Jonhson & Hayes, (2003),therapists prefer to discuss topics such as religion and spirituality as it is the source of distress for their clients.

Psychotherapists identify less with spirituality and they are warned not to impose their values on their clients. Therapists are not trained regarding spiritual diversity hence they do not have the confidence to work effectively with religious and spiritual clients and they are advised to seek information regarding the subject to become well informed and regain their confidence. Clients who are spiritual oriented find the related discussions most helpfuland they develop trust in the therapist who accepts their worldview.