Enhancing the evidence base for spiritually integrated psychotherapies : progressing the paradigm of practice-based evidence

Spiritually integrated approaches to psychological therapies enable practitioners to be responsive to clients’ religious and spiritual concerns and have been combined with most mainstream therapeutic approaches. As such, although evidence is required regarding their efficacy, with randomized controlled trials having a privileged status, a single research paradigm is unlikely to deliver both a robust and relevant evidence base for the psychological therapies, that is, embedded in routine practice. The research paradigm of practice-based evidence provides a complementary approach to trials methodology as carried out in routine practice via the application of a myriad of qualitative and quantitative research designs. Accordingly, this article provides the background to a special section comprising 12 articles within a practice-based evidence paradigm that captures a focus on the therapist, the content of sessions and therapist–patient interactions, applications to specific patient populations and therapy modality, and the outcomes of spiritually integrated psychological therapies.