Spiritual care and guidance in Turkish context: Conceptual framework, practice models and social acceptance

This research examines the field of spiritual care and guidance in Turkey from conceptual, practical, and social perspectives, aiming to understand the conceptual foundations, application models, and societal acceptance of this area. The first chapter of the thesis explains the problem, scope, purpose, limitations, and methodology of the spiritual care and guidance research. The purpose of the research is to understand the conceptual framework of the concept of spiritual care and guidance conducted in Turkey, to examine the application models of spiritual care and guidance carried out in Turkey, and to evaluate the relationship between social acceptance and spiritual care and guidance. The expected benefits from this research are evaluated under the headings of scientific contributions, practical and policy contributions, increased social awareness, and academic and professional development. This chapter also includes the methodology of the research. The second chapter of the thesis explains the basic concepts related to spiritual care and guidance under the title of conceptual framework and the relationship with religious education. Then, under the title of spiritual care and guidance and theoretical foundations, the theoretical foundations of the relationship between spiritual care and guidance and religious education are addressed through theories, approaches, and models. In the third chapter of the thesis, under the title of spiritual care and guidance application models in the world, the concepts of Pastoral Care and Seelsorge, their background, and historical development are explained. The professionals, institutions, and application models involved in providing spiritual care services worldwide are presented under subheadings. This chapter aims to understand the diversity and effectiveness of the practices. The fourth chapter of the thesis covers the effects of the concept of spiritual care and guidance on mental and psychosocial health and the development of the service in Turkey. The aim is to understand the conceptual framework by determining how the field of spiritual care and guidance is understood from the perspectives of religion, psychology, and social work, and by establishing the basic principles of these services. In the fifth chapter of the thesis, the efficiency of spiritual counseling and guidance services is examined. In this context, interviews were conducted with 21 counselors of different educational levels and genders, with different experiences in various fields, and with 20 clients who received services in different areas based on the principle of maximum diversity. Six questions were asked to the participants. Through the analyses resulting from semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, codings were made, and themes and meaning units were identified. Themes were interpreted, and research findings were obtained. The findings include suggestions on how efficient spiritual counseling and guidance services are, what deficiencies exist, and what needs to be done to address them. In the sixth chapter of the thesis, under the title of discussion, conclusion, and recommendations, a general evaluation of the findings in our study is made, and solution suggestions are provided for improvements and developments. The research aims to expand the knowledge base in this field and to better understand the contribution of the concept of spiritual care and guidance to people's mental health.