Psychology and Spirituality

I’ve been thinking a lot about the intersection of psychology and spirituality. I know the field of psychology has many facets, branches, and offshoots, so I’m not speaking about all of psychology, merely the approach with which I am most familiar. You probably know that I was raised by a psychologist and spent a lot of my youth in therapy. I appreciate greatly the help I received from the field of psychology and from psychologists. In fact, I’m considering studying psychology at a graduate level.

And yet, when it comes to healing, I felt there was no talk or exploration, at least in my experience, of the aspect of my journey which healed me most of all – that of connecting to God and a spiritual reality. I wish there had been that opportunity in the time I spent in therapy. Finding a spiritual center and connecting to God’s love was definitely the most healing thing that ever happened to me. And yet, some in the field might dismiss my experiences as delusions.

I’ve found solace in some very forward-thinking psychologists, like the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at my alma mater Teachers College with Dr. Lisa Miller. It’s very comforting to see how many in the field are changing or are already embracing a holistic view of healing, and I hope that more people continue to bridge the worlds between psychology and spirituality. It can be an easy bridge to cross, as the two approaches really do go hand in hand.

That’s my two cents, and what was on my mind today. Have you had experiences you feel you couldn’t talk about in therapy? Did you have a therapist who was open to exploring spirituality with you? Or somewhere in between?

Wishing you healing today and every day.