| Until recently, there was some resistance to the idea of a common link between psychology and spirituality. A study of this resistance between professionals in psychology and spirituality is needed because both areas of interest have a common focus of assisting individuals in changing inappropriate behavior.;There is also a need for this study because I believe strongly that there is a common link between psychology and spirituality. In my experience as a minister, counseling and encouraging people to be the best they can be, I discovered that some of the counseling skills I used are the same as those used by psychologists. I discovered that it is difficult to separate what I do as a minister in counseling from what I learned from studying psychology.;The purpose of this study was to identify some common elements of psychology and spirituality, and to explain the possible link between psychology and spirituality.;The method of identifying the common elements between the two areas required asking members of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (APPC) and members of the Association of University and College Counseling Centers Directors (AUCCCD) three questions: (1) What is your definition of psychology? (2) What is your definition of spirituality? And; (3) based on your definitions of psychology and spirituality, what is your experience of the relationship between psychology and spirituality.;The most common definition of psychology offered from both groups was, "Psychology is a study of human beings (behavior)." Spirituality was most commonly defined similar to one respondent's statement, "A complete aspect of human behavior having to do with belief systems and the way people view their relationship to the world and to each other.".;Definitions of psychology and spirituality related to the human aspect and behavior of an individual. Both definitions considered human behavior and a possible associated belief system. These definitions served as a foundation to the key study of the research, "Based on your definitions of psychology and spirituality, what is your experience of the relationship between psychology and spirituality?".;From a total of thirty one responses, twenty four answered this question. The twenty four who answered this question indicated there is a connecting link between psychology and spirituality. According to my research, the connecting link between psychology and spirituality, is that both relate to human aspects and individual behaviors. This commonality is undergirded by similar purposes of psychology and spirituality, which is helping individuals to live as happily and normally as possible. |
