Christian Counsellors’ Understanding and Use of Intuition Article Swipe

This research used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA;Smith, Larkin & Flowers, 2009) to examine Christian counsellors' understanding and use of intuition in their work as therapists.Intuition is often used instinctively, and without examination, in therapy, but is a phenomenon that is little understood in the context of Christian counselling.It raises questions around its efficacy as an intervention, and the ethical implications of working with it.This research aimed to specifically address those issues by understanding Christian counsellors' experience of working with intuition.Existing research was reviewed and critically examined in relation to the research question.Subsequently, data were collected from semi-structured interviews with four participants, all of whom were experienced Christian counsellors.Literature and research demonstrate that there are many factors that influence an individual's ability to make sound intuitive decisions.This research concluded that for some Christian counsellors their intuitive decisions were almost always accurate, and that they were able to develop strong working alliances with their clients from their use of intuition, allowing them to work at a deeper level.It was also found that previous experiences of intuition impacted on participants' confidence in working with it in therapy.The powerful impact that intuition had on participants is worthy of further research. Research questionAs a relatively unexplored area of research within the counselling profession, it seems important to discover more perspectives on Christian counsellors' experience of working with intuition.In this study, I used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA;Smith, Larkin & Flowers, 2009) as the methodology of research as it is a good fit with the ethos of the counselling profession (Bright & Harrison, 2013; p. 28;Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2009).The research question was: 'How do counsellors with a Christian faith understand and use intuition in their work as therapists?'This research aimed to gain a better understanding of Christian therapists' experience of working with intuition.The understanding may inform ways in which therapists can work with intuition more sensitively and ethically for the best interests of their clients. Literature review ParticipantsConsistent with the IPA approach, only a small number of participants were recruited for the research.Four participants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews via online platforms.All participants were experienced Christian therapists.However, the Christian backgrounds and theological beliefs of the participants varied considerably, providing a broad mix of ideas.