Statement of Faith
Sara L. Weber, LPC
512-964-6514
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Statement of Faith Sara L. Weber, LPC 512-964-6514
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Introduction
Spiritual integration or spiritually sensitive counseling is a way of life for me and I often question how a counselor manages without the hope that I find in the unfailing love and reassuring Truth that the God of my understanding offers. I choose to live by the laws of truth and in the world this seems like a simple solution to very tragic problems, but I know that love heals all wounds and comforts those who can accept it. I have found that clients struggle to accept love and thus remain stuck in pain or despair. Spiritually sensitive therapy offers solutions when none seem available and supplies profound comfort in times of desperate need.
It is not a single need that urges a person to make that first contact for counseling, but rather we often approach counseling trapped in our own emptiness, confusion, and taunted by hurt or fear. Where do I start? Where am I going? What will I be…?
I believe God’s universal truth is the hope within each individual. My own awareness of God’s truth brings me comfort in the face of others’ pain and reminds me that each individual has their own path, therefore my best contribution is to get out of the way or “let go and let God” as Alcoholics Anonymous professes. Psalm 139:10, Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground (NIV). Self-Discovery must happen before spiritual discovery can begin and only then will emotional growth and healing occur. Self-Awareness and Self-Acceptance light the way toward Self-Esteem and ultimately Self-Empowerment. Dallas Willard expresses this truth in his book Spirit of the Disciplines (1988):
“What we most want to know: what our own nature is and what the possibilities of our life are. Without an understanding of our nature and purpose, we cannot have a proper understanding of redemption. What “salvation” is depends upon what is being saved. Before something can be saved it must face the risk of being lost.”
Intrapersonal: Self-Awareness and Self-Acceptance
According to Carl Rogers, unconditional positive regard is necessary in the therapeutic relationship so that identity development can unfold in a safe environment. Dallas Willard asserts that identity development is necessary for internal change and eventually spiritual formation. Psalm 139 describes this amazing self-awareness from God’s perspective and it describes every being as “beautifully and wonderfully made.”
We often lack awareness of our own intricacy. In a search for identity and purpose we turn to a world that offers so-called simple solutions like magic pills, quick fixes, and easy outs, while the need for purpose is satisfied with things like career success, money, and glamour. In this world, identity is defined by external influences rather than internal energies. As Willard asserts, the solution must match the problem and therefore the process of identity development must occur on a spiritual level.
Whether working with religious or non-religious clients there is most often an awareness of the internal spiritual identity. This spiritual attentiveness serves as a starting place for further discovery. Parallel to Rogers’ ideas, I believe that when God’s love is invited into the therapeutic relationship to provide that unconditional compassion, clients are provided safety and freedom, two things that are crucial to internal development. Growth in self-awareness occurs only when the client feels supported, protected, and loved, which allows self-acceptance to develop. With a newfound respect for their Self, the client can feel secure enough to adventure into change.
Interpersonal: Self-Esteem and Self-empowerment
Attachment theory (pioneered by John Bowlby and further developed by Mary Ainsworth) is a crucial consideration in the interpersonal life of a client and is necessary for self-esteem and self-empowerment. Self-Esteem and Self-empowerment requires healthy attachment and manifests in the strength to set boundaries, the ability to voice one’s needs, and numerous skills required to maneuver relationships in a fulfilling way. Many emotional and relational struggles come down to an interpersonal conflict based in unhealthy attachment. Clients frequently need healing in both past and present relationships, and to learn new interpersonal skills for handling future relationships. Generally, the healing that happens with past relationships can prepare the client for increased functioning in current and future relationships. Healing and change takes place when the client can form healthy attachment with a higher power and to other people.
The environment of therapy is vital for interpersonal development to the extent that the therapist represents a stable object in relationship and a symbol of spiritual connection, so integration of spirituality into treatment plays two key roles in this process of establishing a healthy base for exploratory growth. First, the client must feel safe to begin a process of change and I believe that when the counselor asks the Spirit into the counseling environment, it grants a protective and nurturing atmosphere for interpersonal growth and hopefully spiritual formation. Secondly, interpersonal development requires healthy spiritual relationships, which are not always present. The client’s connection with a higher power must be handled appropriately and nurtured or healed accordingly. God’s love is sufficient to heal the pain of traumatic relationships or an overwhelming hunger for belonging, but this kind of unconditional love seems distant and unrealistic to many clients. Although most clients have an awareness of what an ideal relationship with God would be like, the fear of rejection, connection, or interpersonal disappointment is paralyzing.
Whether clients come to therapy with an image of God that is positive and in need of enhancement or a negative view of God, the presence of God in the therapy environment allows for healthy attachment to a trustworthy and adoring image of God. This kind of attachment to a higher power provides the ultimate stable base for exciting exploration into new fulfilling ways to maneuver relationships. Therapy offers the opportunity to practice new interpersonal skills, experience empowering communication, and to develop a clearer sense of healthy spiritual attachment.
Conclusion
The love that God offers, Agape love, is the cornerstone to integration and spiritually sensitive therapy. God’s unconditional love is something that clients can rarely offer themselves or even “hear” from those who love them. Many clients will understand that God loves them, while still admitting that they are not worthy of success, freedom, comfort, or loving relationships in the world. Therefore, practicing spiritual integration in hopes of “transformation” for the client requires a journey where challenges abound, such as facing emotion, feeling pain, taking chances, and asking for help. Lamentations 3:21-23 says, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (NIV)
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