What is Psycho-Spiritual Healing?

Psycho-spiritual is a term used for the integration of the psychological and the spiritual, usually heard in psychology and religion, a supplementation of the two fields.

It is commonly used to describe a wide range of therapeutic systems which embrace a spiritual dimension of the human being as fundamental to psychic health and full human development. Psycho-spiritual therapy utilizes both psychological and spiritual methods (such as meditation, yoga, dream-work, breath work) in a holistic, integrated approach to healing and inner growth.

Some of this type of therapies are: Jungian psychology, Roberto Assagioli’s Psychosynthesis, the post-Jungian archetypal psychology of James Hillman, transpersonal psychology, such as the work of Abraham Maslow, Stanislav Grof, Ken Wilber, Michael Washburn and Charles Tart.

A psycho-spiritual approach refers to the mind, the psyche and the spirit, so it includes both the personal and the metaphysical. The psycho-spiritual includes themes like the mental, emotional and physical trauma and spiritual healing; a situation of soul loss; uniting the mind and heart; discovering one’s spiritual calling; searching for the meaning of life; shadow work; getting in touch with one’s true nature.

In psycho-spiritual healing and counseling, there’s a recognition that perhaps depression, anxiety and other mental disorders include the “chemical imbalance” and psychological elements as well as the spiritual experiences of the person suffering from the disorders. The idea is to look at a person, a patient in holistic way, minding the body, the mind and spiritual manifestation of the disorder or disease.

As part of the psycho-spiritual approach psychological changes, mental health symptoms, and emotional crises are seen as a possible a catalyst for growth and transformation, leading to positive life changes and expanded states of consciousness.

Psycho-spiritual transformation or healing is about combining psychology and spirituality to look at a negative life events or a symptom of mental illness as a journey and an opportunity for personal growth, rather than treating them as things to be eliminated, suppressed, or moved past as quickly as possible.

A psycho-spiritual therapy method that involves simultaneously engaging the body, mind, and spirit in healing mental health issues, moving beyond problematic life patterns, and overcoming traumatic life experiences. Typically, the patient will be guided into utilizing their symptoms or difficulties as a catalyst for psycho-spiritual transformation.