Spiritual Integration

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

There is much that can and has been said about the relationship between Western psychology and Christianity, which has often been a contentious relationship. I have lived the past two decades of my life researching, reflecting, and wrestling with the intersection between the two and believe I have developed a way of integrating my Christian faith with the counseling profession in a way that is honoring to everyone. The heart of this integration can be found in the above verse, regardless of whether someone is a Christian or not.

As a Christian, there is nothing more important in my life than my relationship with God through the person of Jesus. My theological views are far too complex and nuanced to be done justice on a page like this, but the simplest version of my beliefs can be found in the "Apostles' Creed". I also believe the Bible is God's word to this world and contains immeasurable truth and wisdom for anyone who reads it. My faith informs how I relate to others, as Micah demonstrates the Biblical call for justice, mercy, and humility. Rather than a separation from my faith as a therapist, how I view Christianity informs how to ethically and compassionately care for the people entrusted for me to work with in this setting.

I also believe Western psychology at its best can help shed light on how to understand people. There is a common humanity within us all related to different aspects of being human: rational, emotional, behavioral, physical, relational, spiritual. Psychology can help us see how problems occur in these areas and practical ways to manage and change them. Beyond this, we are all living in an emerging story that includes struggles of pain, hope, adversity, meaning, grief, purpose, fear, and joy. Whether someone is a Christian or not changes nothing about these realities, which gives us all common ground to empathize and engage with one another in our unique stories.

When working with fellow Christians, I hope our shared faith produces a rich opportunity in therapy. Beyond only understanding how to manage any mental health concern in your life, there is also opportunity for us to explore how God may be moving in the midst of the pain and adversity you are facing. The Bible and church history are full of stories of God not sparing people from pain yet still being present to provide grace through it. One of the most enduring themes of the Christian faith is how God provides a grace to those who humble themselves before him, no matter the awful circumstances being faced. We can be inspired by the stories of Joseph and Elijah to see hope even amidst trauma and depression when we trust God to be present with us. The Bible and church history provides a rich base of resources for us to support our mental and emotional health, which I certainly draw from when working with Christian clients. We can also utilize the best of psychological principles (whether they are in the Bible or not) knowing God created this world and any of the underlying principles discovered for helping us understand people.

For those who are not of the Christian faith, I consider it a privledge to be trusted with the vulnerable aspects of your story. In the role as a therapist, my goal is not to convert you to the Christian faith. Instead I hope to journey alongside of you in your pain, which is how I see Jesus interacting with people who were hurting regardless of their theological beliefs. I also believe God has given us all the freedom to choose how we will live our lives, which is freeing for me to know I can give you the same freedom if God is wiling to do it. I will seek to understand you and your values and help you live them out to the best of your ability. I also believe in what is called "common grace", a Christian view that God provides a grace to all of humanity regardless of their relationship with him (think of how the sun shines and rain falls for all of us). I care about you and your mental health and will join you to find ways to improve it regardless of what you believe about God.

I hope this overview provides you with a greater understanding of how I see spiritual integration in the work I do with clients. Spirituality is a personal and sensitive topic I respect and honor in the lives of my clients. If you have more questions about how I approach spirituality within the work I do as a therapist, please contact me and we can discuss it in further detail.