An Intersection of Spirituality and Therapy: An Exploration of Holistic Healing

Therapy is a process an individual engages in with one or more other individuals with the goal of personal growth that often includes working through emotional, psychological, and/or spiritual challenges. The focus of therapy can be varied and is typically determined by you with a therapist’s guidance based on what issues are causing you the most distress. Spirituality is different for everyone and typically refers to a meaningful connection with something bigger than the individual self. 

While therapy may have roots in much earlier times, it has become increasingly common practice in modern day. Spirituality, on the other hand, is an experience that has existed possibly as long as mankind as it is often related to our need to make sense of our world. While modern-day therapy has gone through times when including spirituality was discouraged, there is growing recent interest in the possibilities for integrating therapy and spirituality. 

Understanding Spirituality

Spirituality is difficult to define and something I’m still learning about for myself. It also does not serve to try to fit something so vast and influential, personal and communal, into a small box of a definition. However, I will remind you of the description we started with, as it may be the most helpful: a meaningful connection to something bigger than oneself. 

Spirituality is different from religion in that it does not typically fall into a set of organized beliefs and ideas that are shared by a group. It also does not tend to be regulated the way modern day organized religions are. Spirituality can be shared or personal. Spirituality can be a part of organized religion or live outside of organized religion. However, spirituality and religion can both serve to help us make meaning of our lives. 

Spirituality or lack of spirituality has a profound impact on how we view ourselves, each other, and the world. While it is neither right nor wrong to be spiritual or not spiritual, spirituality can be helpful in understanding our lives in a way that helps us reach a sense of fulfillment, connection, and love. 

Integrating Spirituality into Healing Practices

In my early days of learning about therapy, most therapeutic approaches that were considered best practice had to do with the mind. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one example that was and is quite popular. CBT is a type of talk therapy that helps an individual to identify maladaptive thought patterns and seeks to change them. Another type of therapy that has been popular for some time is psychoanalytic therapy which seeks to understand current challenges through the lens of early childhood experience. It is also one of the more well-known, but not necessarily understood therapies, which started with Sigmund Freud. There are many other approaches beyond these examples. 

While I believe each therapeutic approach serves a purpose in different circumstances, it can be quite challenging to address spiritual wounds through conventional methods. As the spirit is something almost undefinable, it can be challenging to work with. Is spirituality in the mind, the body, the emotions, our relationships? Seemingly, it exists within all these realms and more. 

While there is a revival in exploring spirituality in therapy, it is important to acknowledge that the use of spirituality for the purpose of healing has existed throughout time and in many different cultures; however, just like much of the dominant culture, it has been discouraged or even violently controlled by colonialism and the resulting dominant culture. In the topic of spirituality and healing there is not only individual healing to consider, but also communal and societal healing as we contend with this painful past. 

Integrating spirituality into therapy can be highly beneficial to many individuals. Spirituality can help us feel supported in times of distress, see ourselves and others as whole, loveable beings, make meaning of difficult times, and much more. That being said, as positively impactful as spirituality can be, it can also be used or misinterpreted in ways that can cause negative feelings the way we see ourselves and others as well. When the power of spirituality is used by an influential individual, it can even be used to control and abuse others.

It is important that therapists and healers have integrity and use great care when working with spiritual matters. It is important that individuals feel self-agency and safety with a therapist when working with spirituality. Consent, boundaries, cultural sensitivity, confidentiality, cultural appropriation, and self-reflection are some of the important considerations for therapists and healers when working with others in the realm of spirituality. 

Some therapies that work well with spiritual exploration and discovery include mindfulness-based therapies, transpersonal psychology, and existential therapy. One of my favorite modalities for working with spirituality is hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy utilizes trance to help an individual access the subconscious mind. The subconscious exists underneath our conscious mind and holds feelings, beliefs, thoughts, long-term memory, and desires. At the same time, the individual remains in complete control of themselves and their bodies. In this space, individuals often access spiritual resources which can be a starting point for greater exploration. 

While therapy can be an avenue to explore and understand spirituality, it certainly isn’t the only way. Spirituality can be explored in nature, with others, and using traditional practices where appropriate.

What are your thoughts on integrating spirituality into your therapy practice?