Psychology and Spirituality
QUESTION: Masters, I work as a psychological counselor, and would like to inject spirituality into my method of working since it’s always been a strong personal interest of mine. In essence, I would like to fuse the classic psychological schools of thought with spiritual elements in the method of support that I offer. The how of it all still eludes me though; I can’t seem to bring them both ‘on the same page.’ (Probably because the classic psychology training that I had didn’t pay any attention to the spiritual element in human experience, and even looks down upon it, still.) ~Gert, Belgium
ANSWER: Jung and Freud interjected spirituality into their work by considering that there was more than a physical side to their patients. They just never wrote it into their techniques because it couldn’t be physically substantiated. The problem you have found with an integration of modern techniques and daily life comes out when you consider that the definition of psychology is the science of the mind and the behaviors it exhibits.
Spirituality deals not with the conscious mind but with the soul, which does not dictate behaviors, nor is it part of your consciousness. The soul consists of unconditional love, has no judgmental capabilities, and follows no set rules based on belief systems.
The easiest way for you to use spirituality within your practice is to lead a life based on its principles. Feel the need your patients have for change and the way to obtain it. All souls are different, and comparing them to norms is doing them a disservice. Help them to see that most of their difficulties come from a lack of awareness that they have freedom of choice. They need to approach their fears and doubts as signposts for the life lessons they have chosen. By going into these, they pinpoint the blockages and can learn their way through.