Spiritual Concerns

A variety of spiritual concerns might propel you into therapy: a faith crisis, spiritual doubt, moral or ethical dilemmas, existential anxiety, loss of meaning or purpose, changing spiritual beliefs, leaving a religion, or spiritual abuse. Many other situations that bring a person to therapy, such as the loss of a loved one or pain in a significant relationship, have a spiritual component.

There is a growing body of evidence that spiritual problems are predictive of declines in psychological well-being over time. These spiritual issues are worthy of time in therapy.

Beyond addressing these specific spiritual concerns, I also focus on integrating healthy spirituality into all aspects of mental health.

Spiritual Development

Just as there are stages of human development that all people proceed through as they go through life, so, too, there are stages of spiritual development. I draw upon several stage models for understanding how your current spiritual experience is part of a natural progression toward increased understanding, integration, and the ultimate goal of living a life of love.

Deconstruction

Sometimes, a person reaches a point where the faith tradition they have grown up in and the spiritual understandings they have held as an adult seem to stop working. Things no longer make sense the way they once did, and people can experience a frightening loss of certainty. They feel disoriented, unmoored. There can be a desperate desire to go back to the way things were, but something has shifted that won’t allow a return. Getting support at this normal stage of faith development can be crucial to arrive at a more integrated sense well-being.