Implementating spiritually-oriented counseling to support mental recovery in a Schizophrenia rehabilitation client: A descriptive single case study

A spiritually oriented counseling intervention was implemented with a Muslim female client with schizophrenia who had experienced severe trauma related to sexual abuse. Over three counseling sessions, the intervention activated spiritual domains such as mystery, love, suffering, hope, forgiveness, peace, and prayer. The participant reframed her illness from a mystical understanding to a medical perspective and expressed renewed motivation to engage in Quranic recitation as a source of inner calm. The authors propose that systematically integrating spiritual dimensions into rehabilitation services may support holistic recovery for individuals with schizophrenia.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Schizophrenia rehabilitation aims to support the mental recovery of individuals who have undergone clinical treatment by promoting psychological stability, social functioning, and meaning-making. Consistent with the body–mind–spirit paradigm, recovery is understood as a holistic process involving interconnected biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. However, Although spirituality has increasingly been recognized within psychiatric practice, practical guidance for integrating spiritual care into routine mental health services remains limited (Cook et al., 2024; Lucchetti et al., 2021). This study aimed to describe the implementation of spiritually oriented counseling in supporting the mental recovery of clients with schizophrenia at UPT Social Rehabilitation Bina Laras (RSBL) Kediri. The novelty of this study lies in the systematic integration of Fisher’s spiritual well-being framework into practical counselling techniques within a rehabilitation setting. This study employed a descriptive qualitative single-case study design involving a Muslim female client with schizophrenia who had experienced severe trauma related to sexual abuse. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, moderate participant observation, and reflective field notes conducted across three counselling sessions lasting 30–60 minutes each. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that the counselling intervention facilitated the activation of several spiritual domains, including mystery, love, suffering, hope, forgiveness, peace, and prayer. Throughout the intervention process, the participant demonstrated changes in illness interpretation, emotional expression, interpersonal perceptions, and engagement in religious practices. The participant gradually reframed her illness from a mystical understanding to a medical perspective and expressed renewed motivation to engage in Quranic recitation as a source of inner calm and meaning. This study contributes to the development of recovery-oriented mental health care by providing a structured framework for translating spiritual concepts into actionable counselling strategies. The findings suggest that integrating spiritual dimensions into rehabilitation services may support holistic recovery among individuals with schizophrenia.