Integrating Spirituality Into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in an Acute Psychiatric Setting: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Results from national studies in the United States suggest that spiritually integrated psychotherapy may be desired by and beneficial for a specific subset of patients. However, protocols to facilitate these aims within the context of evidence-based psychosocial treatments are few, and, consequently, the availability of spiritually integrated cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is limited. This article describes the development and implementation of a brief (50-minute), stand-alone Spirituality & CBT group piloted in an acute psychiatric setting. This novel treatment includes (a) psychoeducation about the relevance of spirituality to psychiatric symptoms, (b) the integration of spiritual beliefs into cognitive restructuring, and (c) the use of spiritual exercises in behavioral activation and self-care. We further report results from a brief survey of 45 patients regarding the perceived relevance of spirituality to symptoms and treatment and their subjective experiences in the group.