Why are most therapists non-religious?

I have been curious about this, partly because I've struggled with my own religious views. But based on my own experience and that of the few people who shared with me, religious psychiatrists are rare. Other specialists are more likely to be religious than professionals who deal with mental health issues. Obviously Freud, the father of psychiatry, did not have much respect for religion and thought God was an illusion. But there's been a long time since Freud and most of his views are no longer accepted anyways.

I am not looking for discussion about why people should or should not be religious or if religion is good or bad. There is a different section for that.

I'm just curious about why most therapists are not religious. Is it historical reasons (Freud), because of their training (religion not mentioned), because of being exposed to too much suffering in their clients (how could a loving God allow that), what?

This hasn't been my personal experience as most of mine have been (even though the topic rarely comes up in therapy) ...

There are a considerable number of therapists in my area influenced by Buddhism and using mindfulness directly in therapy. I know many Buddhists who are either analysts or psychiatrists.

But you are right that it isn't so common. I remember going to a panel on trauma and asked why they were all so secular, what about spirituality, and no one had an answer. Perhaps there is a fear that first of all it should be a science and having religion in there would make it less so? Also I think that people don't want to "push" their own beliefs onto others in therapy, so that old idea of neutrality comes back in.

Do you have anything beyond a few anecdotes to substantiate this? How much can you really know about the religious beliefs or practices of your therapists or psychiatrists? Unless they specifically identify with a religious counselling philosophy (eg pastoral counselling or something) most will keep their beliefs private as they would any other element of their personal lives. Their job is to help you figure out your issues, including your spiritual concerns if you have any, not share or impose their ideas about god or religion.

Also, in most countries (not sure about the US as it's often an outlier in this area) being highly educated tends to correlate with being less religious. So psychiatrists, who usually have 8-12 years of post-secondary education, would be less religious as a group than the general population on this basis alone.

I have found most, if not all, my therapists and psychiatrists were religious or spiritual in some way, but it rarely came up. Most would answer if i asked what they believed in, but would not offer that info without provocation. Unless they are specifically oriented with a particular religion or spirituality (pastoral counseling, a heavily religious treatment center, something like that), their religion has nothing to do with my personal growth. I would be really bothered if someone pushed the concept of religion or spirituality on me in therapy (and actually have been turned off to treatment providers who tried this early on).

I think that they make a point to not show what their religious beliefs are. It's part of the personal/professional separation.

Not all of their clients will be the same religion. Not all of their clients would be accepting of someone who belongs to X religion. Religion might even be a trigger. So... some might choose to not disclose to any client (even if that client has the same religion) because word does get around and they wouldn't want to have another client learn of it.

Like... I'm an athiest. I don't particularly talk about my beliefs (or lack thereof), but I do instantly fear the judging that comes from people who are quite religious. It doesn't mean that they'll be like that - I just worry about it the moment I open my mouth. So if I knew the religious background of my T, I wouldn't go to see them out of that worry. I would have to know someone for quite a while before I'd be alright with that.

I have found that most of mine have been deeply religious and only one that I know isn't religious.
They have a deep faith in Christianity but it is Ireland and it would be unusual to find a therapist that wasn't religious here.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have only anecdotes so no. And I don't know if there is actually a real way to find out. But I think therapy itself is fundamentally secular. I think Freud used to see God as a father figure type illusion. How could a therapist or analyst recommend going to church or go to church himself/herself, when one is trained to view religious orientation in these terms? It's like how homosexuality used to be viewed as a mental illness. It depends on your frame of thought.

I think psychological way of looking at life is in direct rivalry with religious views. A therapist who also happens to be religious is likely not seen as "scientific minded" by colleagues. Because psychology "reduces" essentially all religious feelings and beliefs to psychological phenomenon. The only way I can imagine a therapist taking part in religious practices would be either the person living a double life or the person focusing on some other aspect of the religious practice (e.g. going to church to see old friends and enjoy social interactions, not actually believing in anything said or done over there).

I have found that my therapists have all been very spiritual people of faith; however, they did not bring their personal beliefs into our sessions. Even my therapist who was a pastor and a licensed pastoral counselor kept his beliefs out of our sessions, and we are of the same denomination (same exact church actually).

The only time it has come up in my sessions has been when I brought it up, and even then they have spoken more in generalities about faith rather than specifics of doctrine (even when it has been clear that our beliefs are very much the same).

A therapist's job is not to instill their beliefs and values on their clients, but rather to help clients have introspection into their own experience, emotions, and perhaps spirituality if that is of importance/focus for the client.

I deliberately seek put therapists who do not incorporate any religious or spiritual bent from a therapy point of view. They may have it, but I don't want to know about it. The two I see now have both told me their backgrounds, without me asking, which include two different religions, but beyond that, the subject has not come up.
There are those who advertise as specific religion affiliated therapists around where I am, so if someone is looking for that, I think it can be found.

My experience is close to Chris'. T1 was agnostic, T2 was Buddhist, and T3 is Christian. T1 brought religion up a couple of times, encouraging me to visit different types of congregations. T2 didn't talk about religion, but signs of her faith were evident in her office and practice. T3 has used principles of faith, but I sought her out because I was Christian at the time. Over the last 3 years, my belief system has changed back to agnosticism. She has respected that. Now that she's leaving her Christian practice, she told me she didn't want to limit herself anymore and she respects all faiths.

Option C made me smile .

I know one person who is devoutly Christian and was planning to be a therapist. My initial thought actually was that he won't like the curriculum. The material doesn't really favor religious dogma, I think it might even be considered a neurosis to be religious. Now, let me specify religion is not the same as spirituality. I'm not sure how to explain this without coming off as very anti-religion which I am not, I think religion is great but it needs to stay out of psychology and medicine and stick to what it's good at, spirituality. A lot of churches have therapists I'm pretty sure, and I think if you share the same beliefs as your therapist that's probably ideal. My friend ended up changing his major, probably when he realized he couldn't counsel a girl out of an abortion.

Maybe some therapists are not religious because they are trained to look for any psychological reasons why a person may believe what they believe. So maybe some think that religion protects a person from the fear of death, for example. I'm just guessing, but I still think many therapists can have a spiritual or religious perspective.

To me that's like saying that cardiology or carpentry or engineering is fundamentally secular. Of course it is. But individual engineers or carpenters or cardiologists have their own views which generally are not directly expressed in their professional lives. I don't think therapists have more disdain for religion than anyone else but unless they are specifically practicing a kind of religious psychotherapy, their religion really has no place in session. Unless you are seeing them in their capacity as clergy or something, it would be wholly inappropriate and potentially quite offensive to recommend going to church or joining a particular denomination.

The congregation I was part of as a child and adolescent was full of therapists and psychiatrists. Seriously there were lots! They often gave talks (at synagogue) about biblical themes from a psychoanalytic perspective, about suffering from religious and psychological points of view, about existential anxiety as a spiritual issue etc. And it would absolutely shock me if any one of them ever initiated discussions about god or were in any way proscriptive about religion in their sessions with clients.

Psychoanalysis as a field draws heavily on mythology (including the bible) for insight into human nature and the universal themes illustrated in those stories. The rivalry between science and religion is only there if your interpretation of religion is very literal. It's true that no one will take you seriously as a scientist if you claim that the world is 6000 years old. But that's not the only way to "do" religion. You can believe that god reveals things through myth and metaphor. You can believe that god has given us the brains to find solutions. You can look at the ways in which science and religion both embrace the quest for truth and marvel in the mystery of existence.

Plus I think it's important not to confound people's religious affiliation with belief in god. God is not necessarily the main point in every religion and certainly can be quite irrelevant to any individual's religious identity or spiritual practice.

Most of mine have been spiritual in their own way, but their beliefs have never been pushed upon me. One of my current Ts and I discuss the idea of spirituality sometimes as I find his ideas and beliefs interesting.

Btw, most of my Ts, who have been either CBT or psychodynamic, are not big believers in Freud and his theories at all.

There are existentialist therapies that do embrace the spiritual aspects of human beings and some who view human beings and human interaction as sacred so I can't really agree with the blanket assumption that psychology is secular. Psychologists in research spend time looking into altered states and transcendence and have since the beginning with William James. There is a lot of overlap in alternative therapy with spirituality and even distinct religious traditions and practices. Mindfulness has been incorporated into the most "scientific" form of therapy, CBT. And there is even an overlap now with neuroscience and contemplative practices so I don't think it is correct to assume that all of psychology is completely secular.

Mine is quite religious, and of the same faith as me. I was worried he would try to make me more religious, but he hasn't thankfully.

Also, Carl Jung was a big believer in G-d, and also a father of the discovery of the psyche.

If you are not religious because you see god as being responsible for suffering, than you're still religious by proxy.
I'd put it down to a T being able to critically think. Once you're able to do that than our childish beliefs fall away.

This article summarises the current understanding of the psychology of religion quite well:
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/12/believe.aspx

My psychologist is a very devout christian. His practice is actually at a christian counseling center. That is why I was initially referred to him (my counselors felt that he would nurture my fledgling spiritual side). In the beginning I took comfort in the fact that he was a deeply spiritual person. Now not so much. I find it impossible to talk to him about a lot of things because I feel like it would be like telling dirty stories at church or something.

I do know that there are many "christian" counseling centers around the country though (America), especially down south.

It's not that therapists aren't religious, they are trained to limit personal disclosure. Religion may or may not be relevant to the therapist personally, but it is only relevant in practice if it is an issue YOU bring to the table.

This is interesting for me. My current T is Muslim; I know because I read her dissertation, which was about depression in the Southeast Asian Muslim community and how being Muslim can affect your attitudes towards therapy, etc.
Also, I googled her and found a picture of her wearing a hijab at a health fair for Muslims where she did a poster on mental health. She doesn't wear one where I see her. She seems pretty religious and really into helping her community. I know this because I googled her, not because she talks about it in session.
I doesn't bother me, but I am curious about it. Like how does she feel when I tell her stories about my sex life or drinking? I am sure she is fine with it since she specializes in BPD so she must hear a lot of stories about those topics, but it makes me wonder how she integrates her faith with a job that specializes in people who have behaviors that might no agree with her religion, and how does she not judge me, etc. I mean, I have never felt judged by her but I wonder how she integrates the two.
Part of me is just curious about her religion and her practices, and another part of me wonders if she wouldn't prefer a patient who was Islamic. I know that sounds bad maybe, but I also know that she is listed under some Muslim therapist sites and she seems very committed to that community, so I wonder if she wouldn't be happier or feel more connected to a patient who was Muslim sometimes. Even though like I said she has never given me any reason to think that, but I am curious about things like that. Mostly I am just curious about her religion and practices though.

Also my last T was pretty agnostic/not religious, so it is different having someone who is pretty committed to their faith. (Even though this has never come up in therapy; the reason I know this is from my snooping.)

My husband's T is Christian. It came up early when trust was an issue. I believe my therapist is Christian but that thought came from deciding if I bend my beliefs for my son's benefit. Both therapists know we are atheists. That we're not okay when our beliefs take a sharp turn.

This has not been my experience. Most therapists i have come across in my area have been christians.
My t and i are both devout christians.