spiritual growth and faith crisis counseling
“The essential never imposes itself, the unessential is constantly imposing itself, and I see that I'm caught up in the momentum of circumstance.”
James Finley
The Contemplative Path of Spiritual Growth
The name of my counseling practice is Contemplative Counseling for a reason. “Contemplation” has many different meanings including thinking, meditation, reflection, consideration and prayer, which are all relevant to my work as a therapist and especially applicable for helping people who are seeking to grow spiritually and those experiencing a crisis of faith.
If you find yourself “caught up in the momentum” of your circumstances with little time for reflection, a contemplative path is about making space to pursue the essential questions and meaning of your life.
“There is an aloneness, an incompleteness that we experience every day of our lives.
How often do you feel deeply and truly known?
This is our inconsolable longing; to know and to be known. It is our deepest ache, which we feel to be healed only in our union with another.”
John Eldrige
Spiritual Growth Counseling
I offer guidance to those of you who are longing for a deeper connection with God and an understanding of your bigger life purpose. Personally, I come from a Christian faith perspective but love to work with anyone who is on a spiritual path. There is no pressure to believe what I believe; I trust that if you seek Truth and Love, you will find your heart’s desire.
How Counseling Can Help
The spiritual path is rich and layered. There are so many stops along the way to explore! Here are some you might find interesting:
- Learning about different modes of prayer, meditation and contemplation
- Developing a daily practice that increases intimacy with God and connection with yourself
- Understanding how your personality impacts your preference for certain types of church/worship experiences
- Discussing your existential questions about the meaning of your life and the problem of suffering
- Clarifying modern interpretations of the Bible vs. understanding scripture in a historical context
- Differentiating what is and isn’t essential to being faithful vs. your religious subculture expectations or church doctrine
- Connecting with ancient Christian contemplatives who have profound advice and direction for modern people
Faith Crisis Counseling
It can be deeply troubling and confusing when you feel doubt or anger about strongly-held religious beliefs. If you come from a deeply religious family, are a dedicated follower of God and/or regularly attend church, it is very distressing to feel that you’re becoming an outsider. You might worry about rejection or judgment from your faith community if they find out about your struggle. A faith crisis can be a lonely and isolating time.
A faith crisis might come on suddenly due to an unexpected tragedy or a painful betrayal that leaves you reeling and wondering “Where is God?” It can also be a gradual process brought on by a lack of theological understanding, a decline in spiritual practices or (believe it or not!) by normal, healthy faith development.
Have you ever…
- Experienced pain or tragedy where religious answers do not seem satisfactory?
- Felt that you have outgrown simplistic religious ideas, concepts or answers learned in childhood?
- Experienced a feeling of dryness where God feels distant or absent?
- Been betrayed or abused by a religious leader or authority figure in whom you have put your trust?
- Felt your personal values or intellect are in conflict with what you are being told to believe?
- Felt overly-controlled by a religious subculture and wished for more freedom of choice?
- Often longed for something deeper than what your religious tradition has offered, and wondered if you should look elsewhere?
How Counseling Can Help
Although I’m a person of faith, I’m not going to be offended by anything you have to say about God, religion or religious people. I want to hear your truth. I’ve asked my own questions and feel comfortable making space and time for yours.
There are several ways that counseling can help by:
- Creating a safe and nonjudgmental place for you to explore your questions, anger, confusion, fears, doubts and longings
- Helping you understand at a deeper level what is happening to you
- Understanding the broader cultural context of what you are going through
- Gaining perspective on biblical interpretation and theology beyond the limits of your faith community
- Normalizing your experience as a natural part of spiritual development
- Learning about the stages of faith and how questioning is a healthy part of growing spiritually
- Providing resources to help you find a way forward
