Professor Lindbloom bridges gap between therapy and religion

Counseling Psychology Professor Gordon Lindbloom is part of a small but growing academic field preparing future counselors to help clients consider how their religious beliefs might promote or hinder their mental health. The first academic journal devoted to religion and therapy was recently launched by the American Psychological Association and Counseling Today, a magazine for counselors and psychotherapists, recently published a two-part series on the subject.

In this podcast, Lindbloom talks about the “cultural sea change” afoot in the field—moving from outright hostility among counseling professionals to a growing awareness of the need to understand how to discuss matters of faith with clients. Lindbloom also discusses the challenges of preparing students for this work which requires students to reflect on their own experience with religion, as well as their personal biases.