Beliefs and Practices of Christian Psychotherapists regarding Non-Sexual Multiple Relationships

Abstract

A group of 362 Christian mental health professionals were surveyed regarding their beliefs about and their practices concerning non-sexual multiple relationships (NSMR's). On each of 28 items, respondents were asked to indicate the degree to which they engaged in the multiple relationship behavior and the degree to which they believed each behavior to be ethical. In addition to multiple relationship situations faced by most mental health providers, a number of the items dealt specifically with multiple relationships that arise in faith-based environments or with religious clients. Among other things, results indicated that Christian therapists who worked in church-based settings were more likely to engage in NSMR's than were therapists in other settings. Moreover, respondents indicated that non-sexual multiple relationships were the most frequent ethical dilemma they faced in practice. Implications of the findings for the training of Christian therapists and for therapists who work in faith-based settings are discussed.