For people of faith, their belief system is an important aspect of their life and who they are as a person. It could be a faith that was cultivated in them since they were a child, or one that they found on their own in adulthood. However we find our faith, as we move through […]
For people of faith, their belief system is an important aspect of their life and who they are as a person. It could be a faith that was cultivated in them since they were a child, or one that they found on their own in adulthood. However we find our faith, as we move through the world and experience life, we inevitably come upon trials that test our beliefs.
If you’ve come to a point in your life where you no longer hold on to traditional beliefs, or your religious teachings have been challenged and you no longer believe in them, you might wonder how you can create renewed meaning in your life that will fill the void left by your loss of faith.
Find Healing
When you lose your faith, you go through a process of grieving. How deep the grieving is depends largely on how ingrained faith was in your life. If losing your faith means losing friends and regular gatherings, it can be very difficult to heal. You can heal through this loss by finding a friend to talk to; particularly one who has experienced a similar loss. Talk to like-minded people online, through a support group, or with a licensed therapist.
Find Peace
Finding peace is another important aspect in moving forward after losing your faith. It will help greatly to quiet your mind, and stop from dwelling on the past. Thinking about how you lost time by believing something you no longer believe in, or thinking about how you were lied to growing up will only bring you discomfort and inner turmoil. Quiet your mind through meditation, cooking, crafting, gardening or a long walk through the woods, concentrating only on things you can see, hear, smell, and touch. You can also try donating your time through volunteer work, or helping out a friend or loved one in need with some simple tasks.
Find Meaning
After a loss of faith, you must find new direction for your life. As the lyrics go to an old song, “the best things in life are free.” Paradoxically, you’ll find that the best way to find new meaning is to simply enjoy the little things in life. Enjoying the breeze during a walk in the park, feeling wet sand between your toes as you take a stroll along the beach, savoring wine with friends in front of an open fire.
When you’ve lost your faith, it might feel as though your life no longer has meaning. The truth is, you’ve just lost your way a bit. The road you were on may have closed, but the directions haven’t changed.
Are you struggling with your loss of faith, and need guidance and encouragement to move forward? A licensed professional can help. Call my office today and let’s schedule a time to talk.
For many people, their religion is a big part of their life. Faith and our connection to God are how many of us get through life’s most difficult challenges. But in recent weeks and months, as the country and world have locked down due to the pandemic, it has been impossible for people to continue […]
For many people, their religion is a big part of their life. Faith and our connection to God are how many of us get through life’s most difficult challenges.
But in recent weeks and months, as the country and world have locked down due to the pandemic, it has been impossible for people to continue to worship at their church, mosque, or synagogue. This has caused many to not only feel isolated but also anxious and depressed.
Traditional therapy has been a means for people to deal with their depression and anxiety for decades. But religious therapy is a rather new offering and one that is helping many people during this, particularly challenging time.
While it may seem that religion and therapy are in direct contrast to each other, the truth is, faith and therapy should not be mutually exclusive. Prayers can be powerful tools for change and so can the mental tools offered by a therapist.
And while therapy will never replace a person’s religion, it can be a wonderful compliment to it, particularly to those people who are suffering right now due to the lockdowns.
Faith-based therapists are themselves religious and enjoy working with clients who share a strong faith in God. These therapists encourage clients to explore psychological issues against the backdrop of religion. The client’s faith is very much a part of the treatment plan and God is right there in the room with the client and therapist.
You have a couple of options when looking for a faith-based therapist near you: You can use an online therapy network such as Talkspace to find a faith-based therapist in your local area.
If you are someone that lives in a rural area or smaller community, and you have trouble finding a faith-based therapist near you, you can always choose online therapy. This means you would connect with a faith-based therapist via online chat.
Exploring your faith in therapy is a way of knowing yourself to the fullest extent. And that in turn only deepens your faith. If you are struggling during the pandemic because you’re not able to attend your local place of worship, consider giving religious therapy a try.
And, if you’re interested in exploring treatment, please get in touch with me!
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Can spirituality and religion be used as a therapeutic strategy? More and more mental health professionals are finding that God can offer some of their clients more direction than they can. In the past, many Christians have neglected to get the help they need from a counselor because they were afraid their belief in God […]
Can spirituality and religion be used as a therapeutic strategy? More and more mental health professionals are finding that God can offer some of their clients more direction than they can.
In the past, many Christians have neglected to get the help they need from a counselor because they were afraid their belief in God would be ignored or, worse, belittled. But many therapists today are either religious/spiritual themselves, or highly respectful of their clients who hold Christian or other beliefs.
In faith-based therapy sessions, it is common to pray, use forgiveness protocols, and use biblical texts to reinforce healthy mental and emotional habits. Another important aspect of faith-based therapy is that when a therapist is willing to interact in a religious or spiritual way, it helps the client to trust them more. And trust is the most important thing between client and counselor.
Throughout life, we all face different crises and challenges. And during these times, it is common for people to turn to their faith.
The following are situations where faith-based counseling can be particularly beneficial:
For many Christians and people of other faiths, marriage is a life-long commitment and divorce is simply not an option. Faith-based therapy can help husbands and wives find their way back to one another through love, kindness, and respect.
None of us are given an instruction manual for how to raise our children. But the Bible certainly contains wisdom and lessons that are applicable to parents.
There are many ways to deal with and treat anxiety and depression. From cognitive-behavioral therapy to medications, traditional therapy can definitely help. But for some people, the real strength and answers they are seeking come from a higher source.
Sooner or later, all of us must deal with the loss of loved ones. While therapy can help take us through the steps of grieving, our faith is what helps us to truly heal, because we know we will see our loved ones someday.
If you have been wanting to speak with a mental health professional but feared they may reject your religion, I urge you to seek out a counselor who practices faith-based therapy.
And if you live in the area (or even if you don’t because I offer telehealth services), I practice faith-based therapy for Christians and people of other religions. Reach out to me and let’s talk about how I can help!
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In the frenetic, fast-paced world we live in, mindfulness has become increasingly important. When we talk about being mindful, we’re talking about the ability to be fully in the present moment, aware of our surroundings; where we are, whom we’re with, and what we’re doing. Mindfulness keeps us grounded, keeping us from overreacting or becoming […]
In the frenetic, fast-paced world we live in, mindfulness has become increasingly important. When we talk about being mindful, we’re talking about the ability to be fully in the present moment, aware of our surroundings; where we are, whom we’re with, and what we’re doing. Mindfulness keeps us grounded, keeping us from overreacting or becoming overwhelmed.
By its nature, prayer helps us become and stay more mindful. By connecting in quiet reflection to something deeply spiritual and meaningful, we’re able to see our life and experiences from a broader perspective.
Increases Focus
Studies have shown that prayer, a type of meditation, helps to increase your focus. Prayer makes you better equipped to quiet your mind and avoid becoming lost in thought. With increased focus, you’re able to control mind wandering and stay in the moment.
Controls Impulses
According to a 2009 study on religion, self-regulation, and self-control by the University of Miami’s Department of Psychology, being a religious follower can promote self-control and self-monitoring.
Additionally, when studying the effects of meditation on the brain, brain-imaging studies have shown that meditation increases frontal cortex activity. The frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for, among other things, emotional expression, problem solving, and judgement.
More Gratitude
Gratitude is a feeling of gratefulness for gifts and blessings. By practicing gratitude, we’re sharpening our attention towards the good in our lives. We see and appreciate everything around us that’s positive.
Prayer helps you maximize gratitude by helping you reform your thoughts, much in the way that mindfulness does. We can surmise that regular prayer for religious followers may help them feel more clear-minded and able to concentrate on what’s positive.
Gratitude is also a feeling that we choose; we can choose to be grateful, or we can choose to be ungrateful. By utilizing prayer to concentrate on blessings or mindfulness to concentrate on the good in our lives, we help keep our mind distracted from negative thoughts. Both techniques help you appreciate the moment in which you’re living.
When your life is busy with work and family, it can feel impossible to make time for either mindfulness meditation or prayer. But even five minutes a day will make a difference over time, as your steady practice of quiet contemplation will help you learn to redirect your thoughts and focus your attention.
If you’re looking for guidance and direction on how to become more mindful through prayer, give our office a call today. One of our specially trained staff will be more than happy to help.
