Pilot study of a CBT-based intervention for promoting spiritual experience among men in residential addiction treatment
International Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Journal January 1, 2025 John Calvin Chatlos, Ralph L. Piedmont, Nina A Cooperman et al. 1 citation
A 10-session group psychotherapy intervention, grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy but designed to open participants to spiritual experience, was tested for feasibility and preliminary efficacy in 15 men with long-term substance use and a history of incarceration living in a residential treatment program. All scales measuring spirituality, mystical experience, healing, and well-being showed statistically significant improvements from before to after the intervention. Fourteen of the 15 men reported a very strong or extreme spiritual experience. The pattern and magnitude of change were similar across two sequential cohorts, suggesting replicability. The authors conclude the intervention is feasible and warrants further study, though the lack of a control group limits conclusions about efficacy.