Innovating "Spiritually Competent" Counselors: Issues and Challenges

The study examines on innovating "spiritually competent" counselors and its issues and concerns. It also deals on how spirituality and religiosity can be integrated into clinical practice and further used for personal spiritual growth. This study is based on a qualitative research, looking into the importance of spiritual and/or religious beliefs to the physical and mental health of counselors and clients. Discussions of the paper will also consider how counselors should be creative and innovative in handling conflicts between conventional social values and laws and religious beliefs. The importance of training and curriculum and a more standardization of the curricular experiences for counseling students are warranted in preparing them as "spiritually competent" counselors.