Application of the Implicit Strategy Elements of Spirituality and Religion in Family and Marriage Counseling

Abstract

Spirituality and religion are significant elements in the lives of most individuals. In the middle of most religious systems however, are the family unit. This study is to explore the employment of spiritual and religious elements among family and marriage counseling practitioners in Malaysia. This qualitative study uses the case study design. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview method on thirteen registered counselors from three counseling centers that provided the family and marriage counseling services. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Finding shows that there are two themes in exercising implicit strategies of spirituality and religious elements in family and marriage counseling: i) practitioners employed an intra-counselor in the implicit method and ii) practitioners employed an interclient in the implicit method.The outcome of the study illustrates that the practitioners’ tend to integrate spirituality and religious elements implicitly in the conducting of family and marriage counseling. The practitioners’ approach reflects vigilance and care in ethical compliance and maintains the client’s comfort. The findings provide added value to the counseling field, positively impacting the stakeholders in the effort to provide good and effective counseling services in order to preserve ethics and uphold the counseling profession at par with other professional services.