Psychological Services helps students with Crisis on Faith

Salt Lake Temple

Salt Lake Temple

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Posted: Friday, February 1, 2013 5:45 am


Psychological Services helps students with Crisis on Faith

Ashlyn Tucker / Utah Statesman

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On Monday evening, the USU Counseling and Psychological Services center held their first-ever workshop designed to help people who are struggling with religion and spirituality.


The workshop was the first of a five-part sequence entitled “Successfully Navigating a Crisis of Faith.” The other four parts of the series are to be held over the next four weeks.

Twenty-four students, faculty members and individuals from the community attended the workshop, and most actively participated in the discussion.

According to the event summary on the USU events calendar, topics to be discussed during the five-week sequence include the relationship between faith and doubt, the common stages of faith and belief, the interplay between morality, religion and spirituality, coping with distress and harmonizing belief with intellect.

John Dehlin, a fourth-year Ph.D. student studying psychology and the presenter of the workshop, said it was designed for people who need some support with a very sensitive aspect of their lives.

“Facing a crisis in faith often makes people feel stuck,” he said. “We are here mostly to support people where they are and help get them unstuck.”

The workshop focused primarily on identity and emphasized the journey rather than an end.

“I really don’t like the term ‘crisis.’ We want to help participants see their crisis as a gift,” Dehlin said. “It’s OK to never reach a final state.”

Another purpose of the workshop was to normalize the idea of having a crisis of faith.

During the workshop, attendees were invited to supplement the presentation with examples from their own lives. The participants were able to see other people facing similar challenges.

Ian MacFarlane, a predoctoral intern studying psychology, assisted in the presentation of the workshop.

He said in Utah, where the vast majority of the population is religious, it is often taboo to talk about religious beliefs and especially the lack thereof.

“A lot of people don’t have someone to talk to or don’t know how to handle it,” he said.

To read this article in its entirety, visit The Utah Statesman website.

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Friday, February 1, 2013 5:45 am.


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