If Gretchen doesn’t even have to ask
The Impact of Visible Signs of Therapist´s Religious Affiliation on Psychotherapy – an empirical study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15136/2020.7.2.27-60Abstract
Visible signs of religious affiliation can be taken as a signal of certain religiosity, which is linked to ethical and moral values of this religion. This raises the question whether such signs worn by psychotherapists impact patients´ acceptance of these persons as psychotherapists. Furthermore, the question of congruence of the attitudes of patients with the assessment of psychotherapists arises. Additionally, it seems worth investigating whether contemporary events associated with religion have an impact on this aspect of the psychotherapeutic relationship.
The research was conducted at the psychotherapeutic outpatient clinic of Sigmund Freud University by questionnaires with illustrations of male and female persons wearing signs of affiliation to Christianity, Judaism or Islam. It was repeated three years later, after the number of terrorist attacks in Europe had increased significantly.
The patients´ questionnaire showed significant results, which differentiated between the religions and between the gender of the persons wearing the signs, but not by patients´ religiosity. Opinions of psychotherapy professionals differ significantly from those of patients: They underestimate the importance of these signs for the patients. Contemporary events associated with religion influence both patients´ and psychotherapy professionals´ attitude towards the visible religious affiliation of therapists, but do not balance it.
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