Spiritual counseling and guidance in solving family problems: The Turkish-Muslim case living in Strasbourg

This study aims to identify the intra-family problems faced by Turkish and Muslim migrant families living abroad and to explore the use of spiritual counseling and guidance services as an alternative approach to resolving these issues. In study, the family issues of Turkish and Muslim immigrant families living in Strasbourg, France, were identified through interviews, and a spiritual counseling and guidance model was developed based on the collected data. The research utilized pre-test and post-test methods to measure the model's impact on family harmony and religious coping levels. The study is organized into three main sections: the theoretical framework, fieldwork, and the interpretation of findings. The theoretical framework involved a document analysis, while the fieldwork employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 96 Turkish and Muslim immigrants living in Strasbourg, which helped identify the family issues they faced. Based on these findings, a spiritual counseling and guidance model was developed and implemented with 15 female immigrants over eight weeks through online sessions. Before and after the sessions, participants were administered the Family Harmony Scale (FHS) and the Religious Coping Scale (RCOPE). The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis, and the results indicated that the implemented model led to significant improvements in family harmony and religious coping levels. These findings suggest that spiritual counseling and guidance services can be effective in addressing the issues faced by Turkish and Muslim immigrant families living abroad. Keywords: Spiritual Counseling and Guidance, Family Problems, Emigrants, Family Peace, Religious Coping