Spirituality

My concentration in graduate school was Spiritual and Depth Psychology, so I have specialized training in transpersonal dimensions of psychology. I have my own spiritual practice and have over a decade of personal study in various theologies.

Exploring your meaning system, connecting with higher source (Universe/God), connecting mental health challenges to spiritual crises, exploring love, honesty, patience, tolerance, compassion, a sense of detachment, faith, and hope.

Many clients report feeling more connected to themselves when they feel more connected to their spirituality. I enjoy working with people who find their spirituality is important to them. I explore these beliefs with clients, and include them in their treatment, when clients feel it useful. My background is especially suited for people who subscribe to eastern spiritual beliefs, but I can also work with those aligned with western beliefs.

I help those who have been members of "cult" or high-control groups. These groups may be religious, secular, psychological or career-oriented (think Multi-Level-Marketing groups). Coercion, undue influence and oppression are often used by such groups and individuals may have difficulty establishing a life in freedom, after such membership. My own experience being a member of a repressive religious group, for 26 years, informs my work. I have also educated myself in order to be of service.

I have a long-held interest in working in the area of spirituality and enjoy working with clients who are well-established in their own spiritual journeys or those who may have trouble connecting with this part of their lives for varying reasons.

I specialize in religious trauma, spiritual abuse, healing from adverse religious experiences, or involvement in a high-control group.

I believe that, broadly speaking, spirituality is a concern for everyone. The big picture and the largest questions of life are contained in it. What do you value? What do you worship? As David Foster Wallace wrote, "there is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship...If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough."

If spirituality is important to a client, I find it extremely helpful for healing to incorporate that within the framework of therapy. I believe that spirituality is a personal journey that can create immense impact in people's healing.

Spirituality is an issue I have had the pleasure of treating, dating back to my time at Abilene Christian University. It is a concept often overlooked and one that I seek to synthesize with the mental health world by allowing my patients to examine themselves as beings who can acknowledge a higher power and simultaneously recognize that they have agency in this world to activate positive change. The use of religious materials is welcomed by me to my patients should they desire to use them.

The world changed dramatically when the COVID-19 pandemic began, impacting our ability to meet in person. This changed our interactions with institutions we considered ourselves to be a part of, including religious communities. The work I have done since March of 2020 has been in part to discover if the old way of relating to religion and spirituality is still working for clients. Some have found it helpful to take some time away from religious institutions but want help finding their way back.

I approach spirituality from a psychospiritual perspective, combining skills I have learned as a Spiritual Director, Psychotherapist and Coach. I believe in multi-spiritual awareness and where I fall short on knowledge about a particular belief or faith, I am open to learning from you.

Spirituality shows up differently for each of us. Whether through traditional religious forms, spiritual-but-not -religious, or through artistic expression, a person's spirituality can be a defining feature of the personality, or a supplemental resource for all the other elements of a person. How you honor your spirituality makes all the difference. I'm on my own journey with the spiritual experience of being a person, and am greatly honored to help others along their path.

My new age spiritual practices are a blend of eastern and western philosophy. We can discuss birth charts, significant planetary alignments, your problems in the context of how you view the signs in each of your houses. We can also do divination practices such as tarot, oracle, scrying, numerology, or anything you may be curious about in that realm. I enjoy teaching and practicing myself alternative and homeopathic mechanisms for self-healing, especially meditation and yoga.

As an ex-evangelical queer person, I've experienced first-hand what it's like to deny who you are for your faith and community. While my experiences and knowledge are rooted in the Christian faith, folks of other faiths have had similar experiences and I recognize the need in our field to help clients work through issues of faith and spirituality.

Are you looking for your purpose? Feeling confused about what to believe in? Sacred psychology intertwines ancient wisdom with modern insights, illuminating a path of holistic healing. In an age where anxiety and disconnect thrive, spiritual therapy emerges as a crucial beacon of compassion. It addresses symptoms of soul weariness, navigating the labyrinth of existence, and longing for meaning.

As a pastoral counselor and chaplain, I work with people of faith to allow them to use their faith as a tool for empowering their mental and psychological health. While I am trained in the Christian faith ( Masters of Divinity), I also have worked with people from Jewish and Islamic backgrounds as a chaplain. In particular, I have helped many people navigate through issues of grief and loss, anxiety, and finding meaning in life.

I believe that, broadly speaking, spirituality is a concern for everyone. The big picture and the largest questions of life are contained in it. What do you value? What do you worship? As David Foster Wallace said, "there is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship...If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough."

Spiritual beliefs, experiences, practices, processes, and concerns as they relate to life transitions and identity issues.