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What Is Spiritual Psychotherapy?

Angela Farrer
Angela Farrer

Spiritual psychotherapy is an approach to treating various emotional problems with a focus on the connections between the physical body, the rational mind, and various concepts of the soul. Clients of spiritual psychotherapists frequently learn that their feelings and thoughts are legitimate parts of divine consciousness. Aims of this psychotherapy approach usually include anxiety reduction, improved communication, and emotional recovery from past negative experiences. Contrary to some misconceptions, spiritual psychotherapy is not connected to any type of religion in particular. It instead involves techniques for patients to gain higher levels of consciousness and to develop more positive outlooks on life in general.

Many people are drawn to spiritual psychotherapy because it allows them to incorporate their own belief systems regarding a higher power or a definition of divinity. Some who suffer from noticeable depression believe they have this condition due to being out of touch with their spirituality. They may seek this kind of psychotherapy to reconnect to their senses of the divine and to create deeper meaning out of their lives. One of the main concepts of this psychotherapy approach is that everyone has both a positive and a negative side to their souls that need to be balanced in order to experience lasting happiness.

Plato's works contributed to ideas of the soul and mind in spiritual psychotherapy.
Plato's works contributed to ideas of the soul and mind in spiritual psychotherapy.

Spiritual psychotherapists generally act as guides who help their clients plan their own unique paths towards fulfillment and balance. They often point out the connections between emotional troubles and physical ailments, such as lethargy or insomnia. Another focus of this psychotherapy is on the high degree of control that people actually have over every part of their lives without realizing this fact. Spiritual psychotherapy can emphasize the laws of attraction, which dictate that negative outlooks lead to more negative experiences. This condition can happen when people allow the negative sides of their souls to dominate their thoughts and feelings.

The ideas of the soul and mind in spiritual psychotherapy come from the work of psychologists such as Carl Jung and of philosophers such as Plato. This branch of psychology underlines the importance of connecting the rational mind with the intuitive soul. Spiritual psychologists often believe that other approaches create a disconnect between the soul, mind, and body. Much of their work entails teaching their clients how to integrate these three parts of themselves into healthier reactions to life's normal challenges. This kind of ongoing treatment often helps dedicated clients find ways to let go of unneeded fears and feelings of isolation.

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    • Plato's works contributed to ideas of the soul and mind in spiritual psychotherapy.
      By: Dimitrios
      Plato's works contributed to ideas of the soul and mind in spiritual psychotherapy.