Heavensfield

A theistic counselor honors each individuals spiritual framework, be it Christianity, Judiasm, Islam, Bahá'í, agnostic or atheist. I utilize a spiritual strategy when working with clients which is heavily based on the principles found in the writings of P. Scott Richards and Allen E. Bergin who co-authored the book, "A Spiritual Strategy for Counseling and Psychotherapy."

Theists' believe that "God exists transcendent to the world as the creator who gives to the world its original existence and sustains its existence" (p.79). Half of all people in the world believe God and belong to one of the monotheistic world religions (belief in one God, or in the oneness of God in purpose). Therefore, to engage in therapy and knowingly omit spirituality would be to liken to attending counseling for an eating disorder without talking about food. Spirituality is a part of life for a large percentage of the population. Theistic counseling is not about proselyting, or the sharing of my spiritual practices, but about you and your spiritual journey. Having a counselor with a spritual strategy allows clients to talk about all aspects of their lives, including their spiritual nature. To omit ones spiritual beliefs from the counseling process is an improverished endeavor, yet countless therapists have been trained to neglect the spiritual nature of humanity while engaging in therapy. I agree with Richards and Bergin who wrote, "Spirituality is a basic tenet of human existence. Without it, psychology is a bankrupt discipline" (p. 64).

I believe that God exists, and I embrace the view that God can and does communicate with human beings through spiritual means. With that said, there are those who have been so wronged in this life that their relationship to God has been damaged and is fragile at best. Again, theism is about meeting clients where they are at in relation to their core beliefs. The benefit of theistic counseling is that each person is free to choose how they include their spiritual beliefs into the therapeautic process. Some may need to vent and share their frustrations about how religion was used as a weapon in their families, or how their changing spiritual view creates conflict in their present relationships. Others may enjoy talking about prayer, hope and forgiveness as tools for healing. Regardless of one's spiritual orientation, the beauty of theism is that nothing is 'taboo,' including your divine nature and spiritual practices. 

This is your journey, and you are in charge of your own life course (including your spirituality).