Spirituality,a search for transcendent meaning or the belief in some sort of greater existence outside of humankind, can be linked to religion, but the practice of spirituality is generally considered to go beyond religion and link individuals with something larger, such as the universe itself.

Boththerapistsandpeople seeking treatment mayhesitate to include spirituality or religion in the practice of therapy, due to the potential of differing beliefs and the possible controversy of the topic. But research suggestsa therapist's inclusion of an individual'sspiritual beliefs may assist in therapy and in the process of healing.

Spirituality is generally considered to be broader than any religion one might practice, as it takes into account cognitive and philosophic areas of thought as well as aspects of emotions and behavior. Some might describe spirituality as the attempt to understand one's nature or the meaning of one's existence, but spirituality is also linked to one's path to internal awareness and happiness. Many cultures and belief systems hold that one's spirit is the essence of one's existence, and thus, spirituality may also describe for some people their connection to each other and to themselves.

Though some may describe themselves as spiritual without adhering to the principles of any religion or even having any religious thought, for others, religion is the manifestationof their spirituality. This manifestation may involve the performance of ritualsin one tradition or in some combination of traditionswith varying degrees of commitment and involvement in that faith. Spirituality may also describe the attention peoplepayto their ownwell-being and that of others. For many, the practice of dance, yoga, meditation, or volunteer work, among others, are outlets in which to express spirituality.

An ethical therapist will not attempt to push personal beliefs on a person in therapy or otherwise attempt to change that individual's spiritual or religious beliefs. However, if it becomes apparent in therapy that a person's beliefs are causing unnecessarydistress or if the person expresses difficulty reconciling contradictions between personal values or goals and the constraints of spiritual or religious belief, the therapist or counselor may draw the individual's attention to this area.In this case, the therapist may put forth theeffort to assist the individual in the process of clarifying what is essential for that individual to achieve optimal well-being.

When a personobtains benefit from spiritual practices, a therapist can also assist in the process of more deeply understanding the person'sspiritual self. This does not involve any particular teaching on the part of the therapist, but rather, encouragement to inquire into the individual'snature, conscious mind, unconscious mind, surroundings, and so on. A person's choices and the motivation for and consequences of those choices might also be discussed, and a therapist may ask peoplein therapy who have expressed religious or spiritual beliefshow thosebeliefs impact choices they have made and what they believea higher power might want from them.

However, discussion of religion and spirituality in therapy, even to this extent, is still controversial, and many people believe the inclusion of religiously guided treatments may bring about more harm than good. Some research indicates discussions of spirituality and religion in therapy may be challenging for individuals coping with certain issues. However, because spiritual distress may manifest with both mental and physical symptoms, a therapist who addresses these topics may be able to provide greater healing and support.

For many, spiritual beliefs play a significant role in the ability to cope with adverse events in life. Spiritual practices may offer social and emotional support, help peoplefind meaning and purpose in life, provide comfort in times of grief, and provide ethical and moral guidelines that many choose to live their lives by. Individuals who gain strength from their spiritual faith may find it difficult to achieve progress and healing in therapy when unable to address and incorporateall dimensions of who they are.

Prayer, religious meditation, or some other aspect of spiritual connectionmay form part of an individual's self-care routine,as might church orvolunteer work in the community. Some individuals or families may be deeply committed to their faithandbase much of their lives around spirituality or religion. When a person who is religious or spiritual seeks treatment, sensitivity on the part of a therapistmay be beneficial to treatment because it may lead to a broader evaluation of the person seeking treatment and allow the therapist to explore a wider variety of treatment solutions. Therapists who are aware of therapeutic strategies based in spirituality, such as spiritual journaling or forgiveness protocols, may also be able to provide people in therapy with resources on these topics, whether or not they are able to address them personally.

Many 12-step programs base their principles on belief and trust in a higher power, though this power may not be named specifically. One recent study foundthe spiritual beliefs of people in therapy impacted their levels of worry, stress, and tolerance of uncertainty.Those participants who trusted in a higher power were found to be more trusting and to have lower levels of worry, stress, and intolerance. Other studies have determinedspiritual therapy may be helpful for those experiencing substance abuse.

Spiritual therapy is a form of counseling that attempts to treat a person's soul as well as mind and body by accessing individualbelief systems and using that faith in a higher power to explore areas of conflict in life. People who believe in a guiding higher power may find spiritual therapy helps them achieve a deeper connection with this power. Through spiritual therapy, aperson who is experiencing depression may finda moral conflict is present in some area of life. Anxiety may result when a person is unconsciously engaging in acts of self-sabotage. Spiritual therapy is only one method of uncovering and addressing areas of conflict and possible mental health concerns that may arise in life, but some people may find it to be a beneficial model.

This type of therapy may also involvecommuning with nature, meditation, music, and other non-traditional therapeutic practices, all of which may be employed in an effort to connect the body and mind with the soul and explore the deepest part of one's self. While spirituality is often categorized with religion, one's spirituality may have nothing to do with religion but be simply an awareness of the universe and one's connection to it. Often, individuals who describe themselves as spiritual state their desire to attain a feeling of harmony with the universeand pursue spiritual therapy in an effort to achieve this goal.

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Spirituality in Therapy, Spiritual Counseling, Therapy for ...