Spirituality & Religion
Spirituality and therapy both have a tradition of helping people grapple with life's hard questions. Both seek to alleviate suffering, often through cultivating community, connection, and perspective-shifting beliefs about ourselves and our place in the world. In these articles, clinicians discuss religion as both a healing force and, sometimes, a source of harm, as well as how and when to integrate spiritual practices in therapy. Learn from Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Susan Cain, Sarah McCaslin, Sabrina N'Diaye, and others.
Religious Trauma & Spiritual Abuse
Religious trauma and spiritual abuse leave deep emotional scars that traditional therapeutic approaches have often overlooked. Even if clients ultimately leave a high-demand, high-control religious community, they're likely to struggle with shame, fear, identity confusion, and the severing of meaningful relationships. Understanding the unique dynamics of spiritual coercion and faith-based betrayal is essential for helping these clients heal and construct new, meaningful belief systems. These articles explore treating religious trauma and abuse, leaving controlling faith communities, and reimagining spirituality in therapy. Discover compassionate approaches to addressing wounds inflicted in the name of faith.
Spiritual-Based Practices
Spirituality has long offered different lenses for interpreting human experience and assigning meaning to life's struggles. When applied correctly, spiritual-based practices can complement and deepen therapeutic work, helping clients cultivate compassion and connect to something larger than themselves. From Buddhist perspectives on healing to insights on psychotherapy as a spiritual practice itself, these pieces explore the expansive arena of integrating spiritual perspectives into our daily practices. Learn from Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Jon Kabat-Zinn and others about spiritually integrated care.
High-control religions can disconnect people from themselves—and somatic therapies are the key to helping them heal. Read more
Most therapists don’t shy away from discussing charged topics like sex and drugs. But religion and spirituality? That’s a different story—one that a... Read more
How do we change our habit of defensive listening and make emotional presence our practice? Read more
A Sufi therapist invites all clients to find their unique spiritual path through their current struggles. Read more
Are therapists equipped to support clients who want to reconnect with their spiritual faith? Read more
Therapists are well equipped to support clients ending unhealthy relationships, but what about the clients looking to end a relationship with an... Read more
A grandmother’s indelible spirit inspires a therapy practice. Read more
In The Zen of Therapy, psychiatrist Mark Epstein explores what a Buddhist therapy has offered his clients. Read more
What would therapy look like if the focus was on liberating a client from their setbacks, rather than simply diluting their symptoms? Read more
Clinical psychologist and author Jack Kornfield has been instrumental in bringing mindfulness to Western audiences. With candor and humor, he shares a moving... Read more
In this clip from his Networker Symposium keynote address, Jack Kornfield shares how to embody a fuller spiritual wisdom in your work with clients to heal... Read more
“Jeremy, we’ve never talked about it, but I cover my head for many reasons,” I told him. “One of them is to keep the energy contained—the heat... Read more
Weaving together Buddhist philosophy and storytelling, clinical psychologist and spiritual teacher Jack Kornfield explored the nature of therapeutic... Read more
Anthropologist and author Tanya Luhrmann explains how many evangelicals experience the kind of support in their connection with God that others find in their... Read more
A Buddhist approach to enhancing self-esteem. Read more
Modern therapy has given scant attention to morally elevated emotions like awe, gratitude, and admiration, resulting in a skewed picture of how people actually... Read more
Drawing on spiritual resources can ease the pain and sorrow of death for client and therapist alike. Read more
In Washington, D.C., this fall, the Dalai Lama brought together a distinguished group of contemplatives and world-class scientists to explore the links between... Read more
Until recently, our understanding of "enlightenment" has been shrouded in spiritual hero worship. But we're beginning to see it as a thoroughly natural... Read more
From the July/August 1994 issue THE PHRASE, “THE MELTING POT” ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE title of a popular turn-of-the-century play that ended... Read more
Family therapist Jay Haley explores the influences of Zen on Western therapy, particularly in relation to the strategic, or directive, approach best... Read more
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