An experimental spiritual-oriented application based on narrative therapy: The Rug I Wove, The Self I Perceived

This study examines the effects of the group therapy program titled "The Rug I Wove, The Self I Saw," developed based on Narrative Therapy with a spiritual orientation, on individuals' spiritual and psychological well-being within the framework of a mixed-method research model. In the study, the rug concept was used as a cultural metaphor, enabling individuals to transfer their life stories onto the rug through motifs, thereby reinterpreting their narratives and enhancing their spiritual and psychological well-being. The research was conducted using a pre-test post-test control group experimental design, and a therapeutic intervention program incorporating the core techniques of Narrative Therapy was applied to the experimental group. The study sample consisted of 16 volunteer high school students from Kütahya, Turkey. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 8) and control (n = 8) groups. Quantitative data were collected using the Spiritual Orientation Scale, the Intrinsic Spirituality Scale, and the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Qualitative data were evaluated using content analysis. The findings indicate that the experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in spiritual orientation, intrinsic spirituality, and psychological wellbeing levels (p < 0.05). In contrast, no significant change was observed in the control group. Qualitative findings revealed that participants increased their self-awareness during the therapy process and reconstructed their problem narratives, thereby supporting their spiritual and psychological well-being.