Counseling and Values ■ April 2011 ■ Volume 55 199 © 2011 by the American Counseling Association. All rights reserved. Influence of Familial Spirituality: Implications for School Counseling Professionals Keith M. Davis, Glenn W. Lambie, and Kara P. Ieva This article (a) addresses the importance of familial spirituality on students’ holistic development; (b) explores professional ethical codes, standards, and counseling competencies relating to students’ familial spirituality; (c) introduces educational activities to assist school counselors in increasing their understanding and appreciation of the influence of familial spirituality on students’ behavior; (d) reviews a case study of a counselor integrat- ing the suggested strategies in support of students and families; and (e) provides implications for professional school counseling. P rofessional school counselors are tasked with supporting the academic, career, and personal and social development of all students (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2005). In addition, counseling preparation program accreditation standards (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2009) and school counseling competencies (ASCA, 2007; Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling [ASERVIC], 2009) note the significance of a counselor’s ability to appreciate the influence of students’ spirituality and family system on their holistic development. Furthermore, research supports the importance of spirituality and family systems in the counseling process to promote positive change and higher levels of functionality (e.g., Cole, 2005; Gold, 2010; Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2007; Miller, 2002; Santiste- ban, Suarez-Morales, Robbins, & Szapocznik, 2006; Saxena, O’Connell, & Underwood, 2002). For example, Saxena et al. (2002) found that spirituality (e.g., spiritual connection, spiritual strength, hope and optimism, meaning in life) contributed to quality-of-life ratings to a greater extent than other well-being factors (e.g., physical, psychological, and/or social). In addition, Hodge (2005) noted that most counselors working with families reported that spirituality should be integrated into their clinical practice to effectively serve their clients. Nevertheless, many school counselors do not integrate familial spirituality into the comprehensive, developmental counseling services they provide to their students and other stakeholders (Lambie, Davis, & Miller, 2008; Sink, 2004). More specifically, Sink (1997) suggested that school coun- selors may believe that “dialogue on spirituality and faith issues is thought to detract from the progress of counseling and to be inappropriate or even ‘taboo’ for a ‘value-free’ public school setting” (p. 59). Keith M. Davis, Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Appalachian State University; Glenn W. Lambie and Kara P. Ieva, Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences, University of Central Florida. Kara P. Ieva is now at Counseling and Educational Settings, Rowan University. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Keith M. Davis, Department of Human Development and Psychological Coun- seling, Appalachian State University, 730 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28608 (e-mail: daviskm@appstate.edu).