Life Goals Religion and Spirituality
Spiritual-Religious Content Life Goals Group Guidance Program
Life goals are an important existential need for people. However, not
every goal pursued positively impacts an individual’s life. The intrinsic
life goals addressed in this study (self-acceptance, relationships, contribution
to society, health) are those that are consistent with the individual’s
self, directly meet basic psychological needs, and are psychosocially
beneficial. External life goals (money, fame, image), on the other
hand, are aimed at gaining the approval and admiration of others and
are psychosocially risky. Therefore, it is extremely important for individuals
to review and adjust their tendencies towards these goals. Religion
and spirituality can contribute to people’s identification and evaluation
of their life goals, thus nourishing their psychosocial lives. The
Spiritual-Religious Content Life Goals Group Guidance (MADİYA-GR)
program, developed in this context, is a group guidance program that
aims to strengthen intrinsic goals from a spiritual-religious perspective
and reduce the importance given to external goals.
The introduction to the book outlines the subject, purpose, and importance
of the study, as well as the research supporting the MADİ-
YA-GR program. Within the conceptual framework, the importance
and content (intrinsic and external) of life goals are examined from
various perspectives; two case analyses are presented to illustrate the
topic. Following this, religion and spirituality are examined as fundamental
sources guiding life goals; the relationship between religion/
spirituality and types of goals is discussed. Since the program focuses
on adolescence, the relationship between identity development and life
goals, which are prominent during this period, is addressed, followed
by the relationship between religion/spirituality and identity. The second
chapter summarizes the importance, achievements, and content of
the MADİYA-GR program; the final chapter evaluates the program and
discusses its contributions to the literature. The appendices provide all
the activities of the MADİYA-GR program as materials for practitioners.
In conclusion, the developed MADİYA-GR program is an important
program that can be used when working with individuals, especially
adolescents, who are seeking purpose and who value religion and spirituality.
In this respect, it can be used particularly by psychological and
spiritual counselors in group guidance sessions. Furthermore, this book
can be considered a resource to support student development in educational
settings. Finally, the book can contribute to readers reviewing
their own life goals, understanding and reorganizing these goals from a
spiritual and religious perspective.
Keywords: Religion; Spirituality; Life Goals; Intrinsic Goals; External
Goals; Adolescence; Identity Development; Group Guidance