Psychology and the church: An exemplar of psychologist–clergy collaboration.

Despite the increasing attention being given to clergy–psychologist collaboration, many psychologists may wonder what clergy–psychologist collaboration looks like in actual practice. The authors describe an example of clergy–psychologist collaboration involving a careful needs-assessment phase followed by the development of a wide spectrum of preventive, consultative, and direct services. Current challenges include funding, establishment of trust, and the integration of psychology and spirituality. Implications for professional psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examples of collaboration between psychologists and clergy.

Some psychologists may be interested in working collaboratively with clergy and yet may not know where to start. What kinds of collaborative projects are possible? A qualitative analysis of 77 narratives offered by psychologists and clergy involved in collaboration revealed that collaboration between psychologists and clergy currently takes place in at least four contexts: mental health services, parish life, community concerns, and academics. Reported obstacles to collaboration are also described. Essential attitudes for psychologists interested in collaborating with clergy include respecting clergy as professionals, willingness to venture out from traditional professional settings, and exploring innovative collaborative possibilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Basic and advanced competence in collaborating with clergy.

Some of the stories of psychologists and clergy working together have happy endings, and some do not. Twenty psychologists and clergy who work together well were interviewed, and 94 clergy (53% response rate) and 145 psychologists (76% response rate) were surveyed. A 2-tiered schema for working well with clergy is proposed. Basic collaborative qualifications, such as respect for clergy and communication with clergy as needed, should be considered minimal competence for all professional psychologists. Additional qualifications, such as awareness of religious spirituality and shared values, are necessary for more advanced forms of collaboration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implementation of a program to improve the continuity of mental health care through Clergy Outreach and Professional Engagement (C.O.P.E.).

There are over 260,000 religious congregations in the United States. They and their clergy are de facto providers of mental health care. Recent models promoting collaboration between clergy and psychologists advocate that shared religious values underlie effective working relationships. This view may impede collaboration with the majority of psychologists, who are not religious, excluding congregants from needed expertise. The Clergy Outreach and Professional Engagement (C.O.P.E.) model was developed and implemented to facilitate continuity of care across a diversity of caregivers. Handouts based on National Institute of Mental Health prevention science categories and case examples illustrate when and how clergy and clinicians would collaborate. The authors introduce and define the term burden reduction to describe a C.O.P.E. outcome. They consider this clinical work religion inclusive rather than faith based. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An Air Force model of psychologist–chaplain collaboration.

Clients bring to therapy sessions a diverse background of spiritual beliefs and religious orientations that they perceive as valuable resources and coping skills. Yet, not all psychologists know how to address effectively these beliefs and orientations. The author uses case examples to describe his experience within the United States Air Force community gained while establishing a collaborative relationship with the clergy. Recommendations include the following: how to start the collaboration, establishing a collegial relationship, pursuing continuing education on faith factors in counseling, how to utilize pastoral counselors, marketing your respect for the clergy, and capitalizing on the value of clergy in providing continuing education to psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A collaborative relationship between professional psychology and the Roman Catholic Church: A case example and suggested principles for success.

For many years the professional psychology and religious communities have maintained a strained relationship. At best, a passive indifference has been the norm. Fortunately, in some circles, the psychological and religious communities have recently begun to develop more collaborative relationships. For some psychologists, religion and spirituality is now in vogue. The purpose of this article is to detail one professional's experience in developing a close working relationship with both clergy and parishioners of the Roman Catholic Church and highlight useful principles for others interested in collaboration between psychology and religious communities. Hopefully, those who are interested in pursuing closer collaborative relationships with religious communities can benefit from the experiences and principles outlined here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological care for persons of diverse religions: A collaborative continuum.

The purpose of this paper is to describe to psychologists and other clinicians a continuum of mental health care for persons of diverse religions. The continuum delineates boundaries between clinical care provided by mental health professionals and religious care provided by clergy, as well as describes pathways of collaboration across these boundaries. A prevention science based model of Clergy Outreach and Professional Engagement (COPE) is offered to guide this collaboration. The model describes a continuum that moves from the care already present in religious communities, through professional clinical care provided in response to dysfunction and returns persons to their own spiritual communities. One challenge for clinicians is that in addition to a wide diversity of beliefs and practices across religions, there is great ethnic diversity within religions. These diversities are reflected in varied correlations with mental health outcomes. Therefore, we recommend that clinicians assess religious beliefs and their cultural variations when designing religious inclusive psychotherapy specific to the client. There are ethical concerns as to the place of religion in clinical care. The “Resolution on Religious, Religion-Based and/or Religion-Derived Prejudice” adopted by the American Psychological Association has stated that it is not the role of professional psychologists to be spiritual guides. Through spiritual assessment of clients and strategic collaboration with religious leaders via COPE, mental health professionals can focus their efforts on clinical care that respects and incorporates the religious views of clients and does not attempt to recreate the lived religions of the clients' communities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical issues in screening clergy or candidates for religious professions for denominations that exclude homosexual clergy.

Some religious denominations hire psychologists to evaluate current clergy or candidates for religious professions. However, some psychologists question how they can responsibly conduct screenings for a denomination that bars the ordination of individuals because of their sexual orientation. Psychologists who conduct such screenings must consider the ethical mandate to respect persons because of their sexual orientation, as well as the ethical mandate to respect faith traditions. The authors suggest ways that psychologists can balance these concerns to provide complete and ethical services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perennial ethical quandaries in military psychology: Toward American Psychological Association-Department of Defense collaboration.

Active duty military clinical psychologists occupy dual roles as therapist–clinician and commissioned military officer. Frequently, simultaneous allegiance to professional (ethical guidelines) and military (federal statutes) requirements is not possible, placing the military psychologist in ethical quandaries that lack elegant resolution and create a continuing environment of risk. This article briefly highlights two areas of acute ethical vulnerability to military psychologists and underscores the dangers inherent in current informal strategies for managing dual allegiance. It concludes with recommendations for close and ongoing collaboration between the American Psychological Association and the Department of Defense for the purpose of clarifying the role of the military psychologist and resolution of the more pressing ethical dilemmas common in military settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Levels of training to address religion in clincal practice.

Psychologists routinely work with clients who hold religious beliefs and values, yet there is often the question of whether psychologists are trained and competent to address religion as an aspect of diversity. How do training programs prepare psychologists to address this specific diversity issue? Do training programs equip psychologists to work effectively with religious clients? It is useful for psychologists to consider a 3-tier training system in religion and religious diversity that reflects a commitment to seeing religion as a meaningful expression of diversity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral "Medicine" and the Collaboration Model of Knapp and Vandecreek.

Knapp and Vandecreek's (1981) article provided a helpful outline of some ethical and legal considerations of the health psychologist. Their recommendations regarding "physician collaboration" (p. 679) in the psychological management of physiological health concerns lead to practical problems that require further ethical and legal inquiry. Some concerns arising from efforts to apply the collaboration model are considered here: interaction with physicians who are minimally sophisticated about the psychological aspects of illness; collaboration with physicians who routinely equate patient's health psychology concerns only with emotional disorder and consign these individuals to the psychologist; and whether health psychologists can select an accurate diagnosis for conditions that are not psychological in nature. Health psychologists may ultimately resolve these issues as the professional identity of behavioral "medicine" and its practitioners develops. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional psychology and the doctrines of sin and grace: Christian leaders' perspectives.

What is a professional psychologist to do when a client brings up the concept of sin? To some, sin may seem like a stifling religious relic that has no place in contemporary psychology. But viewing sin from within the Christian faith, and in tandem with the doctrine of grace, can help psychologists understand why sin is such an important concept for many of their Christian clients. Psychologists' misunderstanding of sin and grace may contribute to relatively low rates of referral from Christian leaders to clinical psychologists, and may sometimes hinder therapeutic progress. Two methods of data collection, involving a total of 171 respondents, were used to discern what Christian leaders wish psychologists understood regarding the doctrine of sin. Respondents emphasized the nature and consequences of sin, grace, and the importance of psychologists understanding sin and grace. Implications for professional psychologists are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training psychologists to work with religious organizations: The center for church–psychology collaboration.

Church–psychology collaboration is gaining attention among professional psychologists, but few training or practical research opportunities are available for those interested in collaborating with religious leaders and organizations. The authors introduce the Center for Church–Psychology Collaboration (CCPC), with its mission to make sustained and relevant contributions to the research literature in psychology, train doctoral students in effective means of collaborating with religious organizations, and provide service to religious communities throughout the world. Domestic and global implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychological evaluation of religious professionals.

The evaluation of candidates for religious vocations is a unique endeavor in which psychologists have been engaged for more than 50 years. The task is a specific application of personnel psychology that includes screening, selection, confirmation, and guidance. After current practice is described, this article considers (a) predictive criteria for successful clergy practice, (b) the validity of current approaches, (c) parameters of the psychological report, and (d) the ways that religious institutions use psychological evaluations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accepting forensic case referrals: Ethical and professional considerations.

As psychologists serve the legal system with increasing frequency, it is important to consider a number of critical issues at a case's inception, including the following: Who calls the psychologist? Who is the referral source? Who is the attorney? Who are the various parties involved in the case? What are the facts of the case? Does the psychologist have the expertise to clarify and develop technical issues of the case? Will the psychologist be expected to play an expert role or a consultant role? Who pays the psychologist? How are fees determined? What records should be kept? Answering these questions will help the psychologist avoid ethical, legal, and professional dilemmas and will allow the psychologist to perform an important service in helping the court to understand technical issues in reaching just decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

We must be the change we want to see in the world: Psychologists in the statehouse.

Psychologists are serving as state legislators in increasing numbers. A brief synopsis of earlier articles by psychologist–legislators and an introduction to 2 new articles are presented. The author goes on to describe the difficulties of being both a psychologist and a legislator. The importance of supporting these leaders is stressed. Individual psychologists and state psychological associations are urged to help elect and nurture psychologists who take on the responsibilities of political leadership. It is noted that female psychologists currently outnumber male psychologists in state legislatures. The importance of developing relationships with political leaders is emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinically and Statistically Oriented Psychologists Split Our Profession.

Year after year articles appear presenting evidence that the well-known tools of the clinical psychologist fail to measure up to the statistical respectability which rigorous science demands. What is their impact on our profession? The data offered in these articles are viewed by the psychologist steeped in diagnosis and therapy with an indifference that borders on disdain. These same articles elicit a quite different reaction from the statistically oriented psychologist. He is furious that people who are called "psychologists" are discrediting his profession by their complacent indifference to objective evidence. To understand these reactions, factors are examined that include the personalities of the psychologists and the nature of evidence itself. However, the author notes that the time has come for psychologists to realize that they cannot forever remain a divided profession. Perhaps it would help if psychologists could admit that "truth has many faces." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Privileged communication in the psychologist–client relationship.

Determining the status of privileged communications between psychologists and clients is a complex task. There is considerable variation across states with respect to the scope of psychologist–client privilege, and several sections of state codes directly and indirectly influence its status. An analysis of state laws related to privileged communication in the psychologist–client relationship is presented and prevalent legal exceptions and trends related to client privilege are discussed. Implications for practice to assist psychologists in balancing their ethical and legal obligations also are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multicultural competence: Criteria and case examples.

How do you as a professional psychologist know if you are competent to treat clients whose cultural origins and values differ from your own? What awareness, knowledge, and skills do you need? With whom should you consult? When should you refer? Adopting an idiographic, inclusive approach, the authors identify 12 minimal multicultural competencies for practice and illustrate their usefulness through 3 case examples. Suggestions for how professional psychologists can augment and evaluate their own multicultural competencies are offered as well as implications for professional psychology educators. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)