Spirituality and Coaching

We are preparing for fund-raising to pull in and train new coaches, fine-tune the website, establish infrastructure, and secure more radio broadcast contracts. As I was researching statistics for our fund-raising documents, I came across the following statistics which I thought you might find interesting. All these statistics (except for the first one) are from the June 2005 issue of Psychology Today article, "With God as My Shrink."

Statistics On Christianity and Counseling

93-95% of Americans believe in a higher power.

Only 33% of psychiatrists and psychologists believe in a higher power.

The vast majority of mental health workers have no formal training in spiritual matters.

There is a growing awareness that spirituality (in general) and Christianity (in particular) are integral to our well-being.

83% of Americans believe their spiritual faith and religious beliefs are closely tied to their emotional and mental health.

75% of Americans state they think it is important for them to see a professional counselor who integrates their values and beliefs into the counseling process.

More people would prefer to see a religious counselor (29%) than a psychiatrist (27%), psychologist (17%) or family doctor (13%).

People want a therapist that resonates with their world view and who has similar ethics so they understand how the individual makes their decisions.

Today, the amount of time clergy spend counseling parishioners is equal to that of all members of the American Psychological Association practicing 35-40 hours.

Yet pastors are not always trained emotionally or psychologically to treat those who consult with them. We need mental health care workers who can be sensitive to the physical, psychological, relational and spiritual needs of individuals.

We need Guide To Self to grow exponentially to provide such coaching informed by an emotional, physical, mental, relational and spiritual awareness.

We head back into the studio to record again this afternoon. We go live on the air next Tuesday, May 31st at 5 pm on KDIA, 1640 AM. Wish us luck!


Best,

John