Confirmation

Domain XV · Nature, philosophy, social & rites of passage

What it is

Confirmation is a Christian rite, usually of adolescence but open to adults, in which a baptised person is confirmed in, or publicly affirms, the promises made at baptism. Churches describe it differently. In Catholic teaching it is a sacrament that completes Christian initiation; the recipient…

Format

• Preparation. Catholic: the whole people of God prepare candidates and pastors ensure readiness; a candidate must be baptised, suitably instructed, in a state of grace if they have the use of reason, and able to renew baptismal promises; sacramental confession beforehand is expected. Church of…
• Format: individual sessions with the young person or adult, family sessions, and collateral contact with church staff with written consent. No source gives session counts for this work; the length depends on the presenting problem. Phases may be revisited in adulthood for missed or regretted rites.

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• After the rite. Catholic and Anglican confirmation is generally linked to Holy Communion (in some Anglican churches children receive Communion earlier) and the Catholic rite records names in a register. United Methodists may later reaffirm, which "does not change or add to" professing membership.

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• over-reliance on your own religious background; working when the client feels understood rather than explained to.
• the therapist steering toward their own preference; working when the client can tolerate the decision being theirs.
• secrecy, special attention from an adult, changes in mood after camps; working when the young person knows who to tell.
• steering the client toward your own path; working when supervision confirms you can hold the client's decision neutrally.
• pressure to accept an abusive relative in the role; working when the client chooses a sponsor who represents real support.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.