A qualitative research on evaluation of spiritual counseling and guidance services in Diyanet youth centers

This study was conducted by interviewing the staff of the Religious Affairs Youth Center, which provides Spiritual Counseling and Guidance services and the young people who came to the center. The MDR competencies of the Spiritual Counselors, the difficulties they experienced in the field, the services offered to young people at the centre, the content of the activities, the characteristics of the young people who come to the centre, the young people's evaluations of the centre and the MDR services provided at the centre, their suggestions about the services, and their opinions on the characteristics that spiritual counsellors should have were analyzed. This research aims to contribute to the Spiritual Counseling and Guidance services offered at Religious Affairs Youth Centers. A qualitative research method was employed in the study, utilizing a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by eight personnel serving in the Religious Affairs Youth Center (MDR) at the Kütahya Provincial Mufti's Office and fifteen young individuals who benefited from the centre's facilities as participants. The data obtained from these interviews were analyzed using MAXQDA 2024, a qualitative data analysis program. It has been determined that the Youth Center is a popular place among young people. They have positive thoughts about the staff working in the centre, but they perceive the place more as a library. They are not sufficiently informed about the services provided, so they do not receive MDR services from the counselling unit in Spiritual Counseling and Guidance. It has been observed that spiritual counsellors are competent in the field. However, they want to further develop themselves by benefiting from the disciplines of Psychology, Logic, and Philosophy. It has been observed that they do not encounter any issues in terms of communication and serving as role models. It has been determined that Spiritual Counselors and the Institution should carry out special studies at this point to introduce the MDR field to young people better and ensure that young people can benefit more from these services. Keywords: Young, Youth Center, Spiritual Counseling and Guidance, Spiritual, Spirituality