ABSTRACT
As individuals experience grief and loss, faith and religion can provide an important protective factor throughout the grieving process. This chapter will describe the acknowledgment and potential use of faith and religion in the therapeutic process; specifically, Christianity will be described as both faith and religion and how practitioners might utilize the beliefs of an individual in the recovery process. This section will briefly explore the definition of Christianity and describe the varying Christian teachings relative to substance use and grief. Individuals come into substance use disorder treatment with hugely varying differences relative to concepts of spirituality, faith, and religion. Along with protective factors, potential negative perceptions and impacts of faith and religion will be explored. This section will explore how to investigate a client’s experience and attitudes toward the Christian faith with a lens of curiosity and exploration rather than of certainty and resolve. Practitioners will be challenged to explore client perspectives of Christian faith, and for practitioners, cautions will be focused on understanding any personal biases and assumptions carried into the therapeutic relationship.
