In the United States, graduate programs that teach students how to be therapists stress the importance of “broaching” diverse and cultural contexts of a client’s life. The underlying idea is that many people might feel it is difficult to approach certain aspects of their experiences with their counselor. Topics that are typically considered important to broach include affectional orientation, gender orientation, socioeconomic status, ability status, race, and spirituality or religion.
In not bringing these aspects of their experience into session, it is thought that the individual is only conveying ‘parts’ to the counselor instead of the ‘whole,’ which, in turn, can negatively affect the therapeutic process. Often when the therapist brings attention to a certain cultural aspect, the individual can open up and can feel “this is okay to talk about.” That is why a counselor is encouraged to broach. It is said that:
A therapist who is broaching is aware of cross-cultural similarities and differences and the workings of power in the therapy dyad and makes deliberate efforts to demonstrate this understanding to the client, which includes explicit discussion in sessions [emphasis added].
My particular university was very focused on developing culturally competent counselors. Most of my classes emphasized the importance of incorporating the client’s experience in developing positive rapport and facilitating good therapeutic treatment. The mantra I heard throughout my counseling education is, “If you are not culturally competent, you should not be a counselor.”
However, mainstream therapeutic practice has often come up short when it comes to broaching one particular part of culture and identity: religion. Religion is a huge part of many people’s lives, and many clients want their beliefs to be understood and respected within a therapeutic space. This is actually a reasonable expectation. I can pinpoint the moment the attitudes around mental health began to shift.
1. Understanding basic belief systems, major world religions, agnosticism, and atheism.
2. Recognizing that the client’s beliefs (or absence of beliefs) are central to their worldview and have influence over their psychological well-being.
3. Knowing your own limitations as a clinician in understanding a client’s religion and spiritual experience.
4. Recognizing and using spiritual or religious concepts consistent with the client’s worldview or perspective.
5. Understanding religious themes and contexts and addressing these when therapeutically relevant and counseling with reliable religious resources when necessary.
Living and working as a therapist in Utah, I can say that these spiritual and religious competencies matter, even beyond the Latter-day Saint population.
Why Broaching Matters For You
Now you may be wondering why I feel the need to educate you on broaching. Fair question.
It is because these competencies are important to you as a religious individual who may potentially engage in therapy. Therapists should be competent in exploring religion within therapeutic settings. In fact, it is an expectation. And you should feel like you can bring Jesus into therapy with you in a meaningful way. In fact, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we are encouraged to do so.
I can pinpoint the moment the attitudes around mental health began to shift more within the Latter-day Saint community. In 2013, Elder Holland gave his conference talk, Like a Broken Vessel, and it had a rippling effect on how we saw and continue to see mental health experiences. In this impactful talk, he stated:
… these afflictions are some of the realities of mortal life, and there should be no more shame in acknowledging them than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor.
In contrast to much of the casual, misinformed dialogue around mental health experiences back in 2013, Elder Holland even encouraged us to seek out professional help for these types of struggles and difficulties. He refuted the ideas from previous years and decades, which painted struggling individuals as lazy, broken, or entitled. Elder Holland expressed hope and advice later in his talk:
If things continue to be debilitating, seek the advice of reputable people with certified training, professional skills, and good values. Be honest with them about your history and your struggles.
As a therapist and as someone who has engaged in their own therapy, I can attest to the positive benefits that can come from seeking that kind of help. Certainly, we can recognize the divine inspiration that Elder Holland received, which led many people to get the help they needed when they might have otherwise hesitated.
However, psychology and therapy are generally secular disciplines, and sometimes professionals do not always understand or appreciate different values in their clients, even if they may think they do. In the ASERVIC guidelines addressed earlier in this article, professionals are encouraged to know their limitations and to be aware of their own biases. Indeed, if professionals and individuals seeking services are not cognizant of the reality of bias in therapy, it can lead to recommendations that are not aligned with clients’ values. Sometimes, individuals may feel that they need to do what their therapist recommends, even if it is against their values, in order to get better.
Indeed, among many examples, I once heard an account of a client who was encouraged to have a trial “open relationship” to help their monogamous relationship. Additionally, someone else I knew was encouraged to view their pornography use as a productive coping skill even when they personally wanted to stop watching it due to their religious values. These are certainly not the only ways in which values can be disregarded or misunderstood.
In this spirit we can look at the next line in Elder Holland’s talk that may be easy to overlook. He said:
Prayerfully and responsibly consider the counsel they give and the solutions they prescribe [emphasis added].
We have not been encouraged to listen to counselors, therapists, psychiatrists, or psychologists without critically thinking about the treatments and skills they prescribe. Indeed, we have been encouraged to bring God into the process and study it out in our own minds. To do that, it may be beneficial to find a therapist who is willing and capable of talking about God and who will allow you to bring Jesus to therapy. It can feel like two separate experiences, but it does not have to be.
If you find a good therapist, though, this does not always mean that you will be on the same page or that you will not need to talk about differences in perspectives. There were several times in my own therapeutic experience when my therapist and I talked about how my beliefs were misunderstood and misinterpreted, but they were willing and able to meet me there. That is the important thing. It can feel like two separate experiences, but it does not have to be.
Ultimately, though, I want to empower individuals to bring their values, their religion, and their beliefs into therapy. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we fundamentally believe that all change is wrought through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are taught that “it is only in and through the Grace of God that ye are saved” and “without a Savior to redeem and reform us, there is little hope of lasting improvement in humanity.” He provides us with ways to help us heal and to bring us closer to Him. Therapy can be an avenue to do that if we find the right therapist and we approach it with the right intent.
Healing with Jesus and healing in therapy do not have to be two separate entities. You do not need to keep your beliefs, your values, and your religions apart from your experience in therapy. You have the right to bring these values and find a professional who can navigate that terrain with you.
