Participants’ perceptions of therapists as a variation of clinician’s overt religiosity -

Abstract

A burgeoning line of psychotherapy research investigates the various factors that contribute to positive psychotherapy outcomes, including the therapeutic modality, the client, the therapist, their match, their demographics, and their therapeutic alliance. The therapeutic alliance consistently emerges as a significant predictor of positive outcomes in addition to certain therapist characteristics. Some research suggests that the therapist’s and client’s religious identity and the match between them on this dimension may also play a role in the therapeutic process, however results have been inconsistent. Additionally, research pertaining to clients' perception of religious psychotherapists is scarce. Given the religious diversity in Lebanon, yet the high political, social, and cultural salience of religion and sectarian identification, it is particularly important to investigate the role of religion in the therapy room. This study aimed to add to the general literature on the role of religion in therapy, and specifically to Lebanese and Middle Eastern literature by exploring, through an analog model, how participants rate a therapist based on the therapist's overt religiosity and the participants' religious identification. One hundred and eighty seven undergraduate students were recruited from the American University of Beirut. All participants read a description and saw a picture of a female therapist, but whereas the written description was constant across conditions, participants were randomized to view one of three pictures; a veiled therapist, a therapist wearing a cross pendant, or a therapist with no religious symbols. The participants filled out a rating form that assesses a therapist's trustworthiness, expertness, and attractiveness, followed by a measure of their religiosity. Results found no significant differences in overall therapist ratings between groups, even when controlling for participant religiosity. However, within the sub dimensions of the rating scale, the veiled therapist was r