ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces and discusses the dimension of a way of understanding as a way to link counseling theories and R/S concepts. It begins with an overview of the historical relationships between R/S and scientific thought, and then turns to very briefly review the vast and growing literature aimed at accommodating diverse R/S traditions in pluralistic settings. The concept of a psychospiritual theme as a bridge between the two ways of understanding is developed. Several psychospiritual themes that are encountered in counseling are discussed—suffering, selfhood, change, development, and flourishing—as ways to open up existing models of integration. A case example is applied to make the discussion concrete and to illustrate how common psychospiritual themes are in practice.
