Making the human-divine connection: A phenomenological study of the environments and circumstances that facilitate a connection with the divine

Some therapists and counselors often face challenges with those clients who wish to integrate religious and/or spiritual beliefs into their treatment plan. As such, these professional practitioners face challenges when finding ways to satisfy such needs without compromising their position as a professional in the field of psychological therapy and counseling. There are limited tools available to counselors that provide a full understanding of the lived experiences of individual clients who use the strategy of making a human-divine connection. This study examined the lived experiences of adults in Palm Springs, California who self-identified as practicing Christians and who claimed to be able to make a connection with the divine (i.e. God). This study used both semi-standardized interviews and photo-elicitation to gather data about the participant's experiences in connecting with God. The data analysis for this study used phenomenological interpretation techniques established by Husserl (1931/1962) and Giorgi (1997). The results of this study revealed the human-divine connection to be a complex dichotomous experience that may prove useful in the psychotherapeutic treatment process.