Counseling & Faith
Counseling and faith communities have, at times, had an uneasy relationship. Some counselors and thought leaders in the therapeutic community have felt that faith communities have undermined their efforts to bring healing and restoration in the lives of their clients. Alternatively, some churches have believed that the fields of counseling and psychology have worked to invalidate their sacred doctrines and articles of faith. Unfortunately, people from both environments, with the best of intentions, have done great harm to the people they aim to serve; this doesn't have to be the case.
Bridging the Gap: Faith & Mental Health
Deeper Stories Counseling aims to help bridge the divide between the mental health community and the faith community. Working together, we can invite people to a deeper engagement with their lives and stories at the feet of a God who is easily big enough to join them in the challenges of their story. As both communities learn from each other and grow together into a more profound and more holistic expression of the inbreathed Imago Dei, there is great potential for intrapersonal integration that moves beyond what each community could offer independently.
Spiritual Abuse & Recovery
Spiritual Abuse is likely one of the most subtle, profound, and widespread types of trauma in the world. One need look no further than their closest congregation, parish, or temple to find a history of victimization in the name of God. History is replete with such examples from every faith and from every part of the world. Movies, news stories, rumors, and memes all illustrate ways in which God's power is invoked in an attempt to coerce, manipulate, or otherwise harm the very people that have dedicated their lives to following him.
The twisting of faith and scriptures is nothing new. Religious powers and authorities have a long tradition of manipulating sacred texts or divine revelation to say things that suit their agenda. There is a vast diversity of power allocations in different faith communities, and as such, neither the laity nor the clergy are immune from this form of abuse. To name a few examples, professional ministers are often forced to serve under unrealistic expectations, denied personal boundaries in the context of their ministry, and are frequently under-compensated for their work. Likewise, more hierarchical structures can often leave the parishioner vulnerable to religiously justified abuses of authority. In any case, when the power of God is invoked to silence, shame, or discredit, it brings great harm to the individual and community.
Victims of spiritual abuse often find their faith dying (or dead) and notice themselves avoiding, if not leaving, community indefinitely. Those harmed often realize they are questioning their basics assumptions about life, relationship, religion, and society. They struggle to reconcile the beliefs they once had (perhaps even the injustices perpetrated by their own hand), and subsequently divorce themselves from anything that would resemble the communities from which they fled. When the perpetration goes beyond psychological injury to include sexual and/or physical abuse, the impact to the soul of the survivor is even more extensive. The fallout of trauma stemming from spiritual abuse profoundly calls into question the very nature of God and one’s purpose for being.
Healing for Your Soul
All spiritual abuse has deep personal impact on the soul of the victim. To move forward in the context of your story, we will explore how your experience has influenced your faith journey, your sense of self, and your experience in the community. We will unpack the messages that you received and how those messages align with or undermine your values. Our journey may, or may not, end with you returning to an intimate or personal faith practice; that depends on your own goal. However, we can work together to discover what is holding you back, engage the questions that have shaken your faith, and identify a path forward for you when you’re ready to take it.
Healing in You and Your Community
Trauma perpetrated in the context of a community can find healing in community. In that vein, the Spiritual Abuse Process Group offers a framework for people to share with those who have experienced spiritual abuse as a part of their journey. The group process provides an opportunity to explore a healing path and experience compassionate curiosity with people in different stages of their pilgrimage.
Restoration in Your Story
We were not made to walk alone. However, the invisible wounds suffered in spiritual abuse too often result in isolation, shame, and the disintegration of faith and community. Here are some resources if you want to know more. Additionally, if you or someone you know has been impacted by spiritual abuse, reach out for information, or start your own journey of restoration.