The Religiosity and Spiritual Beliefs and Practices of Clinical Social Workers: A National Survey

Abstract

This article describes the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices among a national sample of 426 licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). Given the significant role LCSWs' intrinsic religiosity plays in whether or not they consider clients' religion and spirituality (RS) as it relates to practice, it is critical that the profession best understands current LCSWs' religious and spiritual beliefs, and in what ways these mirror or contrast those of the clients whom they serve. Findings from this secondary analysis of a recent national survey suggest that compared with the general U.S. population, fewer LCSWs self-identify as Protestant or Catholic, fewer engage in frequent prayer, and fewer self-identify as religious. However, more LCSWs engage in meditation and consider themselves to be spiritual. Although it appears that RS is an important area in both LCSWs' and clients' lives, the beliefs, practices, and degree of importance with either differ. This article addresses implications for practice and education, as identifying such differing views calls on the profession to strengthen its training surrounding LCSWs' self-awareness of their RS beliefs and recognizing that their clients may not hold similar beliefs or engage in similar practices.

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