Spirutual counseling and guidance services in CDI dormitories: An investigation on student perspectives

Since the individual is a being composed of the unity of body and soul, they have a structure that affects each other. A problem occurring in one, inevitably impacts the other. Since solving spiritual problems will also contribute to solving physical problems, spiritual counseling, which aims to solve this from a spiritual perspective, provides a perspective for those seeking support in this direction. That is why spiritual counseling and guidance has attracted attention in recent years and has been the subject of many studies. Spiritual counseling and guidance is an effective field in guiding individuals who experience a void or have difficulty making sense of the difficulties they experience. In Turkey, the protocols established with the Presidency of Religious Affairs have given momentum to the work carried out in this area. The primary aim of this study is to examine the spiritual counseling services conducted in student dormitories affiliated with the Credit and Dormitories Institution (CDI), based on the evaluations of those who have received such services. In this study, the general framework of spiritual counseling and guidance is first outlined, followed by a brief overview of its implementation in dormitories under the authority of CDI. The research is based on case study design, one of the qualitative research methods. The findings have been discussed under main and subheadings with their subcodes; participant information has been discussed in terms of other studies in the literature and the researcher's comments. Within the scope of the findings, the participants' level of knowledge regarding spirituality and spiritual counseling has been identified, their perceived need for a spiritual counselor and guide has been determined, and their expectations from such professionals have been outlined.