Navigating Faith-based Practices in Therapy: Psychotherapists' Experiences in India

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cultural Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• Addressing clients' faith-based practices (FBPs) is crucial in psychotherapy, especially in religiously diverse India.
• Psychotherapy faces significant stigma in India, contrasting with the cultural acceptance of FBPs.
• Existing literature reveals a research gap concerning how Indian psychotherapists integrate FBPs into practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of Indian psychotherapists in navigating clients' FBPs within mental health care.
• To address the identified gap in understanding the negotiation of FBPs in the Indian psychotherapeutic context.

Main Methods:

• Pilot qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 10 Indian psychotherapists.
• Thematic analysis of transcribed interview data to identify key themes and subthemes.

Main Results:

• FBPs play a complex role in mental health care, especially where psychotherapy is stigmatized and inaccessible.
• Psychotherapists face challenges in distinguishing adaptive versus maladaptive FBPs for client well-being.
• Systemic factors and social stigma significantly influence how clinicians engage with FBPs, limiting the effectiveness of learned skills.

Conclusions:

• FBPs can both support and hinder psychotherapy, highlighting the intricate relationship between culture, faith, and mental health in India.
• There is a lack of formal religious and spiritual competence training for psychotherapists in India.
• Developing context-specific training programs is essential to enhance psychotherapists' ability to effectively engage with clients' FBPs, overcoming social barriers.