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The Many Types of Spiritual Counseling

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a month where people contemplate about the ever-growing mental health crisis the world seems to be having.

Too many people are not seeking the counseling they need, and this is causing some people some grief, especially when they are not growing spiritually as well as mentally.

There are many forms of counseling that can actually improve the spiritual part of you in addition to the mental part. This is known as spiritual counseling, and it can be quite beneficial.

Spiritual counseling has many definitions depending on how you look at it. Some spiritual counselors go after your chakras. Other counselors find spiritual reasons for the many mysterious mental illnesses that seem to befall everyone.

Whatever the case, there are spiritual counselors that are here to help. In this post, we will look at spiritual counseling, explain what it entails, and tell you how you can seek it.

What is a Spiritual Counselor?

Simply put, a spiritual counselor is someone who provides mental health services through the lens of a faith. This faith may be a religion, a philosophy, or anything else that is not backed by traditional science. There are many forms of counseling that spiritual counseling can take over, including:

  • Many people who are recovering from addiction find solace in a higher power to help treat them of their addiction. Thus, many spiritual counselors help the addicts find a solution that is right for them.
  • When you’re fighting with your spouse, this is sometimes due to becoming distant from your faith and your connection with your god.
  • General counseling. Every problem that life throws at you can be viewed from a spiritual lens, allowing you to find the solutions you need through your higher power.
  • Family counseling. When you have children, sometimes it’s hard for you to connect with them. A spiritual counselor may just be the person you need to help you with that.

Spiritual counseling comes in many different types, but what they all have in common is that they believe there is some sort of spiritual part of your body, and this part can affect your mind and body.

For some, this spiritual part of you is almost like a metaphor. For others, it’s a serious part of the human psyche.

Some may see spiritual counseling as bunk, but many counselors will combine proven techniques and sprinkle a little bit of faith and spirituality into them in order for the client to relate more. Even if you are not a spiritual person, you may be able to benefit from spiritual counseling.

The Different Types of Counseling

There are many different types of counseling that fall under the spiritual umbrella. These include:

Christian Counseling

This counseling relies on, as you can expect, the Bible. Now, there are many interpretations of the Bible. Some counselors may take a literal approach, while others will use it as more of a metaphor.

Some may focus the Bible on all their lessons, while others may use the Bible as a bit of a background lesson. Christians counselors can be found in your hospitals, churches, or many other places.

Islamic

This is similar to the Christian counselor, but instead, the counselor uses the Quran and other Islamic texts to help their clients find themselves and improve their relationship with Allah and the world around them. If you’re a Muslim, you should consider an Islamic counselor

Jewish

Jewish counseling combines many different aspects of Judaism. Some forms of Jewish counseling are a bit more secular and may use Jewish history and whatnot. Other forms of Jewish therapy rely on the Torah and the lessons that come from it. You can find Jewish counselors in synagogues and some offices, too.

Buddhist

Buddhism, alongside other Eastern religions, can teach people of all faiths some techniques on how to live life. Many aspects of Buddhist counseling have ended up being used in Western, secular medicines. For example, the technique of mindfulness is definitely a good example of that.

Mindfulness, the awareness of the present, is used in many forms of counseling, and a good Buddhist counselor can help you with being more mindful.

Pastoral

This is a form of therapy that involves psychological therapy with a bit of spiritualism. It’s a form of therapy that knows the spiritual part of you is important, but the part of you that is grounded in science is important as well.

Seek Help!

No matter what walk of life you come from, having a therapist that can help you with your spiritual side is important. There are many counselors who can help you do just that. Talk to one today and see what they can do for you. Chances are, you can grow as a person.