This study examined the beliefs about religion and spirituality among substance abuse counselors. The data was gathered using an explorative qualitative design by interviewing substance abuse counselors in the field and asking questions related to the religion, spirituality, and the influence on their practice. This research highlighted the impact of substance abuse as a spiritual disease that affects the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the client’s life. The key findings were related to the responses from the participants because it highlighted the importance of meeting the client where they are (motivational congruence), tolerance, acceptance, and the impact of agency policies. The second key finding is the substance counselor’s beliefs have no bearing in their practice because they operate under the philosophy of motivational congruence which is meeting the client where they are. Even though they have personal beliefs they are able to implement the professional use of self-focusing more on the client’s needs as opposed to theirs. The implication for future research is the contribution to extant literature by emphasizing the importance of religious or spiritual practices in the recovery process.

This study explored how personal strivings constructs of Goal Conflict and Complementarity and primary appraisal dimensions of Motivational Relevance and Congruence (separately and in combination), related across time to immediate and long-term effects of a stressful transaction. The study was located within the transactional model of stress and integrated aspects of motivational theory, focusing on the theoretical position that within the stressful transaction the relationship between motivational factors and the individual response to an event is mediated by cognitive processes, including appraisal. Advances in transactional theory highlight the role of motivational factors (such as personal strivings) as linked to primary appraisal in the form of Motivational Relevance and Congruence. The utility of personal strivings in exploring the role of motivational factors in the stress process were highlighted. Despite an increasing theoretical focus on motivation and appraisal, research in the area is limited. Data was collected for the study through the administration of questionnaires to university students (N=152) prior to (time 1) and into (time 2) an examination period. The questionnaires used a range of self-report measures. Correlations, partial correlations and ANOVAs were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that Goal Complementarity and Conflict directly influenced primary appraisal processes but not affective and wellbeing outcomes. It was proposed that primary appraisal processes were the conduit through which the impact of Goal Complementarity and Conflict were expressed within the stressful transaction. The results also suggested the impact of anticipatory Motivational Relevance which seemed to imply a highly “loaded” event with negative affective and long-term consequences into the event. Subjects entering the event wit h an “optimistic” demeanour indicated by high anticipatory Congruence and positive affect had increased Congruence into the event with consequent amplified positive emotions and dampened negative effects. Subjects with high anticipatory Relevance and low Congruence across the event had relatively higher scores on negative outcomes. High anticipatory Relevance and Congruence was associated with negative immediate and long-term outcomes into the event. High Relevance Congruence was generally associated with a strong emotional response, which also elicited strong positive emotion as the event unfolded. Subjects with low Relevance did not seem to hold as strong an investment in the event and reported reduced emotions and symptomology. These findings were discussed in relation to the stress, appraisal and motivation literature and their limitations and implications were explored.