Client's experiences and perceptions of religious and spiritual issues in psychotherapy: A meta-synthesis of...

Recently, several studies have examined the role of spiritual and religious (R/S) issues in psychotherapy. However, to our knowledge, no studies have systematically synthesised clients' qualitative perspectives on how these themes are addressed during sessions. The present study is a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies focusing on clients' experiences and perceptions of their R/S issues in individual or group secular psychotherapy contexts.

Original studies were identified by systematically searching six databases and conducting subsequent manual literature searches. A meta-aggregation approach was used to synthesise the findings from the primary studies.

Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and quality appraisal. The meta-aggregation identified three synthesised findings: (a) R/S clients' experiences and perceptions of the therapeutic relationship, (b) R/S topics addressed in psychotherapy, and (c) client preferences for R/S integration in psychotherapy.

Clients valued therapists who were open, respectful, and able to incorporate their beliefs into treatment. This seemed to strengthen the therapeutic alliance. Some clients may view psychotherapy as a complement to their R/S practices, which could influence their perceptions and expectations of therapy. The main limitations were the small number of studies included, the restriction to English-language articles and secular settings, and the underrepresentation of non-Western/non-Christian cultures.