Grace Ross RN, MSc, Member CAPT

Spiritually-Oriented Psychotherapy

Spiritually-oriented psychotherapy is a healing approach that makes the assumption that we are "spirit beings in a human body". This approach is one that fosters an increasing awareness of our essential soul nature as well as our connection to the universe and beyond to our Higher Self, God, or Source. It allows for an expanded view of the person beyond the physical to the transpersonal, transcendent and an awareness of what is sometimes termed “unity consciousness”.

Like Carl Jung in his theory of the collective unconscious, spiritually-oriented psychotherapy starts from the premise that humans are part of a universal field of consciousness - that we are part of an interconnected cosmology and a shared energy field, whether we are cognitively aware of it or not.

This approach believes that much of the pain of our modern existence stems from the sense of disconnection we feel from each other, the natural world and the world of the sacred.  

Pioneers in this approach include Carl Jung, Teilhard de Chardin, David Bohm and (among the nursing theorists) Jean Watson and her transpersonal caring-healing model.

We live in a time of crisis, and as health care professionals, we need a new response – a kind of sacred healing activism that requires not only a shedding of the filters through which we relate to our world, but a response that comes out of the depths of our longing for wholeness, our passion for justice in seeking wholeness for others and our commitment to healing the earth with whom we are cosmically and inextricably one.

Spiritually-oriented psychotherapy is by its very nature one that calls forth the deepest levels of compassion and honouring of the individual. It says, “You are important. You matter. You are unique, and the gift you are to the world is unique. Despite whatever wounding you have encountered, you can go on to create a life of passion of purpose and of making a difference in the world.”

Spiritually-oriented psychotherapy offers an invitation to make peace with our past and to recognize and heal negative beliefs about our self. It is about remembering self-compassion, embracing our soul gifts, and reconnecting to the Sacred through spiritual, nature based or soul-oriented practices.

The kinds of people who seek out spiritually-oriented psychotherapy :

• are oftenstruggling to bring peace to their past  and want to let go of old ways of seeing themselves that no longer serve them

• are often questioning their life purpose and meaning

• They may be experiencing physical or emotional challenges and are seeking healing that is grounded in a spiritual paradigm

• Others are experiencing the challenges of life transitions: leaving home, marriage, separation, career changes or retirement and want to live authentically through the changes, not from an old reactive place

• Still others are motivated by a desire to save the planet and want to reconnect more deeply with the sacredness of life and nature

• Many come because they are seeking awareness of and surrender to some greater source beyond their everyday lived experience

So, how do I engage with people in Spiritually-oriented Psychotherapy?

As one of the tools for initiating soul spiritually-oriented psychotherapy with people, I often begin by exploring with them the psycho-spiritual qualities of the chakras and the subtle energy bodies.

The concept of the chakras emerged from the Vedic traditions of the Indian subcontinent over 2000 years ago. The qualities and descriptions of the chakras have been depicted with often surprising coherence among widely differing cultures and religious traditions through the ages. I find the chakras to be a wonderful paradigm through which to discuss those issues that arise for all of us in the course of living.

During my first session with a client I often do an intuitive and clairvoyant scan of their energy field. During this time I mirror to them how I see the psycho-spiritual qualities of the chakras showing up for them, as well as any blocks, psycho-spiritual issues or intuitive awareness of pain that I may perceive.

This scan then offers a rubric or template for healing that builds on a client’s capacity for growth and return to wholeness.

For example, in describing the root chakra I might offer feedback that empowers a client to:           

Celebrate their connection to earth and deepen their sense of security and safety. I may teach them to connect to the sacred consciousness of the Mother in the earth. I may take them on an “underworld journey”, to uncover unconscious aspects of themselves, their shadow and their gifts. I explore with them ways that the earth can teach us through engagement with the natural world, vision quests and times of solitude in nature. Together we may engage in ways to heal body based fear.

For blockage and wounding in the Sacral Chakra, I may teach them to celebrate and heal their passion and ability to be in intimate relationships. I may address healing sexual wounds, or re-teach an ability to trust and become emotionally intimate. We might enact forgiveness or grief rituals for relationships, family and community.

For blockage or wounding in the Solar Plexus we explore the questions: Who are you? and what is the balance of ego and spiritual purpose in you? We address issues of egotism or lack of worth, and call forth courage to live who we are meant to be.

For Heart wounding we may address blocks to compassion that are caused by holding on to past hurts and resentments. We explore spiritual surrender - allowing our hearts to become the “Heart of God”. Together we explore the idea of breaking your heart to find it - the value of grief and sorrowful empathy for the planet and her inhabitants.

Our work together in the High Heart is about creating and supporting a lifelong spiritual practice. For those looking for spiritual healing we talk about falling in love with God - the ecstatic use of chanting and thankfulness meditations.

For blockage or wounding in the Throat Chakra we engage in a process of learning to speak the full truth and to express all that we can be in the world. We identify ways that as humans we hide out behind non-expression, or have learned to suppress our truth for fear of being chastised, humiliated or attacked. Together we find creative outlets for expression. For those who suffer from anger issues we employ the practice of “right speech” through non-violent communication methodology.

In the Third Eye we heal blocks to insight, intuition and wisdom. I suggest ways to hone clairvoyance and intuitive sight. We work with wisdom energy and the power to affect healing. We spend time exploring the visionary Self.

For healing in the Crown Chakra I encourage and teach living connected to the Source through Meditation, compassionate practice, prayer, solitude and journaling. We explore the idea of living life as if it were terminal – (which it is!) and support the completion of unfinished business - the idea that preparing for death is preparing for life

Some spiritual/soul-based approaches to psychotherapy:

• Guided visualization, imagery and symbolic process,
• shamanic journeying
• energy healing work
• working with spirit guides and soul guides
• dream work
• teaching prayer, meditation and solitude to open to spiritual awareness
• expressive arts – dance, poetry, artwork, journaling for spiritual clarity
• eco-therapy (nature based approaches such as vision quests)
• Working with depression and existential hopelessness - intuitively and respectfully responding to client’s spiritually centred concerns including spiritual “dark night of the soul”, and spiritual awakening
• Helping clients to understand aspects of the paranormal and discriminate psychoses.
• Working with Dark energies and Shadow

To sum up, spiritually-oriented psychotherapy as a healing modality invites courage to embark on a journey towards wholeness that incorporates who we are as holistic beings – mind, body and spirit. For those who want to free themselves from a wounded self identity and be all of who they can be as purposeful, compassionate and spiritually aware people, the benefits of spiritually oriented psychotherapy can indeed be significant. © Grace Ross 2008

Soulful Surrender: Why Illusions Of Separateness, Attachment And Control Affect Our Willingness To Surrender
by Grace Ross

For some, the idea of surrender is a difficult one – it conjures up images of loss of control, giving authority over to someone else, forgoing pleasure, or even giving up responsibility for living a purposeful life. Surrender is a word we associate with the battlefield, of “crying Uncle” in a wrestling match, or of allowing a bully to take control.

The reality of soulful surrender, however, has little to do with these violent images. Soulful surrender is about entering a state of grace – of living in harmony and attunement with the qualities of our higher Self. It is one of recognizing where the human ego creates fears and limiting beliefs about who we are, and deciding nonetheless to speak and live from a deeper, at times mysterious, truth.

Certain beliefs tend to block our willingness to surrender on the soul level:  We conjure up images of a divine puppeteer who decides our fate irrespective of our wishes; others maintain that it is unsafe to let go of ego-control; others assert that life events are the result of “chance, fate or coincidence;” and still others find it hard to conceive of the notion that we are all connected at a spiritual level.

In many ways it is not a surprise that we are afraid of losing our individual sense of control. We spend much of our life trying to build a strong sense of self. In fact, it is a necessary stage of our soul journey to develop a sense of confidence and self-esteem in relation to the world. The ego helps us to have influence, direction and control in a world that believes in the separated self.

The ego’s main illusion is that we are separate independent beings, both from each other and from Spirit. This belief supports the evolutionary idea of survival of the fittest and the need for hierarchy and power over others. For a time, the more we accumulate and the more power we assume gives a sense of greater security. 

The ego’s main purpose is to survive and it does so by nurturing attachments to possessions, personal beliefs and relationships. All loss (even the loss of an idea or belief) is seen as a threat to survival of the ego. From the ego’s perspective, competition, and self-interest are absolutely necessary to maintain survival.

However, as one matures along a soul centred path, we start to see that attachment to the individual ego’s needs creates increasing dissatisfaction. The satisfaction of accomplishment/power and material accumulation is at best temporary - there is a continual threat of someone else’s ego who also wants to accomplish, have power or accumulate possessions. There is no end to this fear, both on a personal and societal level. The idea of surrender to a less conscious, soulful part of us stirs up these very fears while, at the same time, offering a new paradigm of being that bypasses all these fears.

The promise of soulful surrender makes available gifts that allow for the fullest expression of who we are as spirit beings in a human body. Surrender means living in attunement with a divine Source and the opportunity to co-create and live out the qualities of Spirit that channel through us.

Surrender nurtures a sense of harmony and connection to others. We find that discernment, wisdom and deep knowing begin to replace judgement and criticism. Fear itself is replaced by deep, abiding faith that everything is proceeding according to Divine plan. A natural compassion and deep willingness to alleviate suffering replaces the need for power and striving. Competition is replaced by cooperation, fair play and forgiveness. There is a new sense of knowing your own truth and an ability to express your truth without fear. As you give up the illusion of separateness, you develop deeper emotional intimacy in the awareness of the unity of all beings and a new and deep sense of belonging. A sense of contentment with what is and living in the Now replaces fear for the future. © Grace Ross 2011.