Spirituality & Mental Health Go Hand-In-Hand
Many people are uncomfortable talking about spirituality when they are attending counseling. For most, it is a word that is solely related to religion. However, while it can include religion, spirituality involves far more than that. Spirituality is often about our connection to a higher power, the universe, and the people in it.
With everything going on in our lives, it's hard to feel a true connection to these things. Our hearts and souls often feel weighed down and heavy as we try to balance life, responsibilities, and things tossed our way. Because therapy is often seen as very secular and logical, it can feel as if there is no place for talk of spirituality in counseling. In reality, if spirituality is important to you or you want to become more spiritual, counseling is a great place to discuss this.
Here are just some of the ways that spirituality and counseling go hand in hand.
Promotes A Greater Sense of Connection
Social media has given us a unique opportunity to stay connected to other people in ways never before seen. That friend you haven't seen in six years? They can instantly be connected to at a tap of a few fingers. Can't you see your family that often due to distance? They are only a video chat away.
Great, right? It can be, but despite us having more ways to connect, as a whole, we are largely disconnected from other people. Counseling can help you feel as if you are connected to other people again, even if you never speak with them. In therapy, you can learn that you truly aren't the only person struggling with their mental health right now.
It Gives You A Chance to Open Up
They say there are a few things you should never discuss at a gathering — politics and religion. Unless you have someone to talk to about your spirituality and the struggles you are facing, spirituality often is a subject that is left unsaid. However, for many people worldwide, their spiritual or religious side is an integral part of them.
In therapy, you will have the opportunity to talk about your spirituality, the things you don't understand, or whatever you may be struggling with, especially when working with a therapist specializing in spiritual counseling. We can help you see things in a new light you may not have thought of before. In our sessions, you are the guide who controls what we discuss. You are free to speak your mind honestly and release your worries, fears, and questions that you may have.
Getting everything out in the open can help you understand and feel more connected to yourself and something greater than you.
It Helps You Find Yourself
Many of us walk through life just getting by. We go to our jobs, raise families, grocery shop, and see family or friends. We have our activities and hobbies we enjoy doing. But, many parts of our lives are so focused on the materialistic aspects that the spiritual side has gone by the wayside.
If you have questions about who you are, what will make you truly happy, and if there's more to life than just getting by, spiritual counseling is for you. It can allow you to explore who you want to be and what you want out of life outside of all the materialistic aspects of life.
If you are ready to begin your journey of feeling whole and discover your connection to the greater universe, whatever that means to you, don't hesitate to reach out for spiritual counseling.