| International students' acculturative stress and the influence of religiosity/spirituality on their well-being have been receiving increasing attention in mental health and higher education. However, there is a dearth of literature on the nature and essence of their experience of utilizing religiosity/spirituality to cope with acculturative stress. In this phenomenological study, I explored the lived experiences of 12 international students from 8 countries with 6 religious/spiritual traditions/worldviews. Six overarching themes and 12 sub themes emerged from the data. Results suggest that religiosity/spirituality plays central role in international students' psychological, cognitive, and social coping experiences irrespective of their cultural and religious/spiritual differences. Implications for student affairs, counselors, and counselor educators and supervisors are provided. |
