Would my lack of faith hinder me as a psychologist?

Question

I'm currently a psych major with aspirations to be either a clinical or counseling psychologist. In regard to existential matters, I am an agnostic. Religion plays no role in my lifestyle or decision making. I've had one professor tell me that being non-religious may be an asset because it could facilitate objectivity. And I've had another professor tell me that being non-religious may leave me unable to relate to many clients who draw hope from their religion. So I'm undecided. What do you think? Would you want a faithless psychologist?

Answer 1

I'm a psychotherapist, too. I actually work with religious people, and I have qualifications because I majored in religion and spent a year in seminary. I receive a number of referrals from local clergy.

You will, through your professional training, develop the capacity to allow persons to draw upon whatever gives them strength. Sometimes it's family, sometimes it's an internal sense of purpose, sometimes it's faith. The skilled psychotherapist works on the issue that brought the client to therapy and utilizes whatever resources there are available. Your non-commitment to a faith will allow you to work with people of all faith traditions: Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, etc. Since you have no horse in that race, you can help clients find their own best path. I would recommend that you seek supervision if an unfamiliar religious topic comes up during a therapy session.

(By the way, In this era of managed care, there is precious little therapeutic time for engaging in a religious debate in therapy. And if you did, chances are it would be your last session with that client.)

Oddly enough, however, I was once seeking help for myself from a psychotherapist, and she decided she couldn't work with me because I told her I didn't believe in a higher power.

Answer 2

I wouldn't want a faithless psychologist, but a good faithless psychologist who respects my faith would be fine, if necessary. I suppose I would prefer someone of the same faith, but only if equally qualified.

Your professors might both be right. As a faithful, you might disregard signs of obsession or mania (I'm sorry, I might use words in a wrong way here, but you get the picture), as supposedly pertaining to faith. As an agnostic, you might be unable to distinguish between the healthy faith and pathological developments. Needless to say, you have to be very careful either way.

Answer 3

I have a great councelor. It is based on the human aspect of compassion and emphathy for others. You want to help people, go for it. If you think you're right, never let anyone make you believe you're wrong. I've had a lot of councelling. You don't put your feelings on the patient, you give them support. You ask them questions to help them find their way. You let them know they have gifts to bring to the world!!! I'm a humanist. I believe in God. I do not go to church. I have no problems with anyone, until they hurt someone else! That is where the problem comes in with religion sometimes. If someone has faith, but isn't hurting anyone, that shouldn't be a problem for you. I would say accept the challenge, if that's what you choose. Follow your own gut! I have faith in what we do here and now that makes the difference, hopefully, for society. You may have faith in humanity, and people. You may have faith in the human spirit we give to each other. The gifts we share between ourselfs. What's wrong with that? I think that's what we're here for. I think we're all connected and we change each other or why would we be here at all, and when I'm dead, I'm not worried about where I go, I care what I do now, in this life, to make a difference for my fellowman. Right? Isn't this the cycle of nature and life? I think we have faith, wheather it's in God, or whatever, I think we have faith in something to make a difference, or we wouldn't have a purpose. Best of Luck. We need all the good councelors we can get. And we need ones who believe we should use our brains! I don't care if you believe in Budha, if you're good to others, that's what counts. You must have faith in something, if only your purpose to help another person. That's still faith. I wonder if this question will even come up, I don't care, I care about how the person relates to me, and my issues and how they treat me. Shouldn't the focus be kept on the patient, and not the therapist? or am I wrong? You don't tell them how you feel, you ask them how they feel. My doctor and therapist volunteer some things, and I ask some things, but you can steer this off with you have faith in the nature of life, etc. I wouldn't go into details, keept the focus on the patient. Don't set yourself up. You have a right to keep your private life private, don't you? Another plus, if you set boundries, that shows your patient how to set some boundries!

Answer 4

Yes, I would. I should think it could only be a plus, not having the person I'm telling all my secrets and innermost thoughts to not sitting there silently judging me based on his faith. My own experience is, a person of faith would be more likely to turn to their pastor for help, or to someone either in or recommended by the church. Religion plays no part in true clinical psychology, unless you're dealing with someone with religious mania, and has no place there. If you're listening to someone, and your objectivity was clouded by religion, how effective are you really going to be? Your faith would always play a big part of diagnoses, whether it was done consciously or not. Keep up your studies, and certainly follow your heart.

Answer 5

both professors make valid points


but the fact is no psychologist is perfect like their clients they too are human. Your difficulty might be trying to find a way to relate to the faith part of your clients issues, but if every psychologist quit because he could not relate to a part of their clients issues then we would have no Psychologists in the world.

Answer 6

I would! I think you psychologists in general should leave religion out of the equasion when dealing with people. You would bring an opinion of honestly and objectivity that people need to hear. Kudos to you!

Answer 7

I think you might find it difficult to counsel Christians. We see it all the time on here where nonbelievers think that those of us who fellowship with the Spirit must be schizophrenic.

I will tell you honestly that if any Christian acquaintance of mine needed a counselor, I would urge them to find a Christian.

Christ wants our minds to be whole and sound, free from anxiety and fear. So when we need a counselor, we need one that is well-grounded in Biblical principles.

So as long as you can understand this, I say go for whatever career you want! Who knows. Perhaps along the way you will come to understand why so many of us put our Faith in Christ.

Answer 8

What do you have really to offer anyone if yo don't know God. The Bhagavad-Gita tells everything there is to know about the soul and the consciousness and what our purpose is and what the mind is supposed to be concentrating on. How to control the mind. Action and reaction. If you tell them the wrong thing you will get the Karma (reaction) of what ever suffering they experience due to them following your advice. Not a good deal if you don't know what is the right thing to do. What can you offer therm but some mundane understanding which will get them another birth with again another miserable life disease, old age and death again. You don't have the meaning of life yet you think you can help others. Foolish Get the meaning of life then help people. go to http://www.stephen-knapp.com get the book The Universal Path to Enlightenment and also How the Universe was created and our Purpose in it. Hope this helps you to help others.

Answer 9

Most psychologists I know aren't religious. I myself look at it as a proabable career opportunity. You just have to try to be religiously neutral, you have to understand their need for it. Anyone with a basic knowledge of pschology should be able to do this, your religious neutrality would be a plus in my opinion.

Answer 10

I think that it is better that you are non religious. I prefer a faithless psychologist to a religious one. Objectivity and religion do not mix well.