Psychotherapy and Truth
Effective mental health treatment addresses both emotional and spiritual issues. In fact, during psychotherapy the need to integrate the emotional with the spiritual is so compelling that not to do so suggests active avoidance or naivety by the counselor.
I also found that all clients, regardless of whether they are actively involved in their religion or have no religious affiliation at all, have been accepting or appreciative of the occasional spiritual comments I make during the counseling process. Of course, when I make references to God, timing is important as is my delivery, and the extent of the information shared. I am also careful not to alienate an individual by talking too much about spirituality or by raising the topic out of context. I am also mindful to exercise care by modifying my presentation based on the client’s religious faith.
Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have looked to a higher power for support and strength, and while this process has taken on many forms, in its essence, it reveals the truth that the practice of nourishing the spiritual within ourselves is a very human and intrinsically healthy undertaking.
It has been observed that the sacrament of confession was likely the earliest form of psychotherapy, and indeed, there are some similarities. In both settings, great effort is taken to protect the confidentiality of the information shared. In each situation the person has sought the assistance of an outsider to whom he or she can safely express thoughts and feelings. In confession, one is seeking to unburden their soul and receive forgiveness for their sins. In psychotherapy, the client looks to release pent-up stress and receive guidance, and while forgiveness is not sought the individual is seeking redemption through the validation of his or her worth.
A common condition among those seeking counseling is that their view of life is driven almost entirely by their emotions, and that causes them to become entrapped in a distorted reality. This tends to occur when our emotional, intellectual, and spiritual capacities are not in balance. All three components perform a crucial role in the pursuit of truth and health. Our emotions contribute to this process through the release of instinctive energy, our intellect contributes through the use of acquired knowledge, and our spirituality assures balance by giving us faith. Faith in our own capabilities, in the support that we will receive from others, and a trust that God will intercede on our behalf in various ways.
When our everyday behaviors are largely determined by our emotions we will become symptomatic with mental health challenges. A case in point was a patient named Maria. She had an eating disorder and said that she had been receiving counseling at her college. Although the counselor was easy to talk to, her condition was not improving.
Maria came to me during her summer break; and she was employed full-time during that period. The circumstances surrounding her problems with food were similar whether she was living at school or at home. Her days would proceed in an unremarkable if not positive manner. She reported feeling emotionally balanced during the morning and midday hours when her time was structured and she was busy. She would eat lightly because her active schedule prevented her from focusing on food. She felt that she was accomplishing things and others would even compliment her efforts. On the trip back to the house, however, her mood would change.
During that drive Maria would begin to experience the sinking feeling that came from knowing, on an unconscious (and perhaps conscious) level, that the rest of her day would lack structure and be devoid of goal-directed and esteem-boosting pursuits. That perception robbed Maria of energy and a sense of worth. She would conclude that since there was nothing of value for her to do, she must, therefore, be dispensable and unlovable.
By the time Maria reached her front door she felt completely drained. It would take all the energy she could muster to stagger into the house, grab a bag of chips and the TV remote, and plop down on the couch. From that point forward she would binge on junk food until she was full. Afterward, guilt would set in, which lead to the act of purging by causing herself to vomit up the contents of her stomach.
That routine persisted for years, and as mentioned, Maria was receiving counseling during the school year, but it had no lasting beneficial effect. That occurred because, although Maria felt better at the end of her psychotherapeutic sessions, she was not following up those meetings with healthy behaviors that would prevent the depressive symptoms from returning.
This ties to another key point about psychotherapy; that it should help the client recognize that behaviors play a critical role in determining our thoughts and emotions. Many are not aware that we are always engaged in a behavior, and these actions reinforce one line of thought or another. If we practice healthy behaviors, we nourish healthy mental processes; but if we act in an unhealthy manner, then we energize the unhealthy mindset.
Early in the counseling process I asked Maria to tell me what behaviors make her feel energized and upbeat. She said she felt invigorated when taking a shower and when having a phone conversation with a friend. Based on that information, we developed a plan. We discussed that the next time Maria arrived home she was likely to feel as she always did, depressed and listless. We also recognized that when Maria entered her house, every fiber of her being would be telling her to use all her remaining power to stumble toward the couch, grab a bag of chips on the way, and begin the gorging process.
Maria and I agreed, however, that the next time she went home, instead of giving in to the allure of the couch, she would recall our conversation. She would use her intellect and faith to overrule her emotions, and by doing so, walk herself directly into the shower. After coming out of the shower, she would walk to the phone and call a friend.
When Maria showed up for her counseling session the following week she was beaming. She reported that the plan worked beautifully. She had done just as we agreed. She overcame her sadness and lack of energy and took the shower. She followed that up with a call to a friend, and during their conversation they made plans to get together that evening. Maria ate a light meal on that occasion, but the food did not become an obsession because her purposeful activities dominated her interest.
Maria stuck to that routine for the entire week. She also said that there were occasions over that period when she came home and the phone was already ringing. A friend on the other line was looking to get together for the evening!
For the first time in years Maria had gone seven days in a row without binging and purging and she was understandably thrilled. I saw Maria again the following week and her report was the same. It was clear that she had learned how to manufacture the positive thought; as she countered the negative by engaging in healthy pursuits.
Maria fought off the distortion and the lie that made her feel defeated and unlovable. She dispelled these negatives by doing the healthy behavior that contradicted the lie. This happened when she used her intellect to recall our prior discussions on how to overcome her depression, and in the way she retained the faith that gave her a knowing that a positive outcome was possible. Maria also gained an enhanced understanding that she has a mission in life, as a partner with our Creator, to advance goodness within herself and for others.
Another unmistakable development is that Maria altered the environment with her positive energy. She did this by reaching out to her friends who were changed by that interaction, and they returned to Maria the positive energy she had sent to them. The added lesson here is that when we hold onto the truth, we not only alter our internal world, but re-shape in a positive way the world around us.