The increased attention and focus on spirituality in our society is fast finding its way to the merry setting. Clients are becoming more and more interested in their spirituality. It is not unusual now for therapists to be contested from the very first contact with a potential customer as to if they are experienced or qualified in working with religious difficulties. These customers often report that they are not interested in intensive treatment per se. they only need to work in their spirituality. The words faith and Psychotherapy frequently create dies-ease and stress for people trained as secular counselors and psychotherapists. Many therapists are turning these emotionally focused customers since they work beneath the illusion and confused belief that psychotherapy and spirituality are two quite different areas. This is unfortunate since psychotherapy is religious formation. Since psychotherapy and religious formation use quite similar targets and methodologies, secular therapists are often the very best trained spiritual directors and educators in our Western civilization. To put it differently, therapists should not be put off by customers interested in spiritual development.
The splitting of Psychotherapy and spirituality in to two seemingly different separate disciplines was an illusion generated when science and faith parted company countless years back. Science produced a language to examine the physical universe and faith claimed exclusive use of theological language to examine God. Both agreed to not intrude into every others kingdom. At that time, this was an extremely valuable distinction since it enabled scientists to examine the physical universe without immediately threatening the theology and beliefs of the Christian church and try the psychotherapy treatment. Obviously it was not long before technological discoveries in astronomy, evolution, biology, and mathematics critically threatened and challenged a number of the ancient theological perspectives of this Church.
Even now many Conservative scientists and theologians continue the battle to maintain spirituality and science apart. Luckily, contemporary quantum physics study is in the process of rejoining the bodily universe of the scientist and the religious world of the mysterious into a common merged view of truth. It is the belief of This writer that the areas of psychotherapy and spiritual leadership have to come up with a frequent language bridge which will enable psychotherapists to correctly and easily reinterpret analytical language and clinical therapeutic procedure in religious conditions, and vice versa. Just if this kind of unified language is present, will psychotherapists learn to become more comfortable with spirituality, and religious directors less intimidated by psychology. This Report will briefly explore a few of the targets and methods utilized by each of the areas, emphasize their similarity. And show psychotherapy is, in actuality, spiritual formation.