The Cultural, Spiritual, Psychological and Ethical Implications of Prayer in Therapy among the Igbo People in Nigeria

Spirituality is becoming an increasingly important aspect of therapy, with prayer, mindfulness, forgiveness, compassion and other spiritual interventions being the choice for therapists. While the controversial nature of including prayer in therapy requires careful consideration of ethical issues, there is no doubt that within the African setting, prayer is used as an intervention in many therapy and mental health domains. Thus, the objective of this qualitative study was to address the cultural, spiritual and psychological implications of the use of prayer during therapy, its multicultural sensitivity, and values among the Igbo people in Nigeria. The study adopted a phenomenological design with a sample size of 15 respondents obtained using convenient sampling. The findings of the study reveal that prayer forms an integral component in the practice of therapy. Although prayer may not heal all physical or mental ailments, it can improve the quality of life and how a person sees his/her personal condition. The study therefore recommends that to improve the care of clients, therapists should develop a patient-centered, spiritually sensitive form of therapy in which religious issues are addressed gently and appropriately with dignity, respect, and integrity.