Religious spiritual well-being across psychotherapeutic orientations: a comparative study among Austrian psychotherapists

Abstract

This study investigates religious spiritual well-being (RSWB) among Austrian psychotherapists across therapeutic orientations. A total of 520 psychotherapists (mean age: 53.43 ± 10.81 years; 72.3% female) participated in an online survey using the Multidimensional Inventory of RSWB (MI-RSWB-18). Behavioral therapists reported lower overall RSWB compared to humanistic and systemic therapists, especially in General Religiosity, Connectedness, and Religious Spiritual Well-Being Revised (RSWB-R). No differences were found in Forgiveness, Hope, or Meaning. Findings highlight that humanistic and systemic therapists may more readily address spiritual themes than behavioral therapists. Future studies should explore these dynamics in diverse cultural contexts.